Connecting out and about through wellbeing activities
Our Wellbeing Program continues to offer a variety of activities for war widows, defence and veteran families, creating spaces for connection, creativity, and care. We aim to balance beloved repeated activities with new experiences based on community feedback, ensuring there’s something for everyone. Alongside our regular favourite activities, we’ve introduced some new experiences based on this feedback combined with our goals to always try out new things, making our activities all the more exciting.
In this post, we cover activities that we hosted in the recent months that encouraged defence and veteran families to get out and about with activities for the family or just for themselves. Don’t miss a thing by subscribing to our Wellbeing Newsletter to be notified for upcoming activities in your area.
Wellbeing walks
In January we attended a guided tour of the historic Middle Head Battery in Sydney with war widows and veteran families. Walking along beautiful bush paths, the group explored gun emplacements, cannons and communication signals used across Sydney Harbour. Participants were also given access to one of the tunnels, where they learned about the “tiger cages” used for conduct courses before soldiers were deployed to Vietnam. The tour concluded with lunch at Middle Head Café, where attendees enjoyed time connecting over a shared meal.
Surrounded by Australia’s unique native flora, our February wellbeing walk was at the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra. Participants could choose between a guided tour of the gardens or a trip on the Flora bus, making the experience accessible and enjoyable for all ages. After exploring the gardens, the group continued their conversations over lunch at Pollen Café.
A sunny stroll through the Royal Botanic Gardens in early February saw Sydney families enjoying nature and fresh air. Strolling along shaded paths and open green spaces, participants enjoyed the harbour views while taking in blooming flowers and the sounds of the many birds throughout the gardens. Conversation flowed as the group walked before continuing their time together over lunch at Piccolo Me.
In early March we had an outing to the Chinese Garden of Friendship in Darling Harbour. The walk through the garden’s pathways provided participants with an opportunity to appreciate the beauty of the traditional Chinese landscape design and feeding the koi fish in the pond. The Chinese Garden of Friendship is a place to get lost in for hours and is known as one of the best things to do in Sydney, making it a great location for our wellbeing walk. The activity ended with a cold drink for everyone at a café nearby.
New experiences and activities
In February, a group of war widows and a veteran family joined us at the Museum of Contemporary Art for a self‑guided tour through the galleries, our first museum tour in Sydney! Attendees had the opportunity to walk through three levels of the exhibition, taking in a wide range of artworks and engaging with pieces that resonated with them. This activity encouraged conversation with many sharing personal stories of the artwork on display that evoked fond memories of childhood and past experiences.
Laughter and friendly competition filled the room during a table tennis wellbeing activity in early January at the Table Tennis Collective in Fyshwick, followed by a lunch at Capital Brewing Co and Brodburger. Participants of all ages enjoyed spirited games and laughter, mentioning how it was so nice to switch off, have a laugh, and connect with other defence and veteran families over a game of table tennis.
In late February we came online for our very first Trivia Night, families enjoying an evening filled with fun, laughter, and friendly competition! Participants tested their knowledge across a variety of categories including animals, food, Olympics, movies and television shows, and general knowledge. Each participant also received a snack pack from us to enjoy during the activity. “This is so much fun I look forward to the next round!” one participant said.
These activities are just some of the variety of activities available through our Wellbeing Program. If you missed out or are looking for other ways to get involved, stay tuned for upcoming activities designed to support and connect war widows, defence and veteran families of all kinds. Subscribe to our Wellbeing Newsletter so you don’t miss a thing!
