About Holding Space Australia

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G'day, I'm Matt.

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I've always been drawn to places and experiences that take us outside of our normal routines.

Growing up in Tasmania, the outdoors was a natural part of my life. That eventually led me to study Tourism Guiding and Outdoor Recreation in 2013, where I discovered that my interest in adventure wasn't just about the places I could go. It was about the people I could experience them with.

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Since then, I've spent years leading people on overland camping adventures across Tasmania and mainland Australia, from Uluru and Kakadu to the Kimberley. I've also travelled through places including Guatemala, Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, Bali and New Zealand.

Along the way, I've learnt a lot about planning adventures, managing the unexpected, keeping people safe, cooking good food in questionable conditions and getting a group of people from A to B.

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But perhaps more importantly, I've learnt about people.

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I've seen what can happen when you take people out of their normal environment, give them something challenging to do, surround them with good people and create enough space to slow down and think.

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The conversations change.

People open up.

They laugh more.

They discover things about themselves.

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Sometimes they realise they're capable of much more than they thought and that's what Holding Space Australia is really about.

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Adventure is the vehicle. People are the point.

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I don't believe you necessarily need a life-changing expedition to change your life.

Sometimes you just need to get away from the noise for a while.

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A walk through the mountains.

A night around a campfire.

A honest conversation with someone.

A couple of days without the usual demands of work, family, phones and routine.

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These experiences create a different kind of space. A space to reconnect with yourself, connect with other people and perhaps think about where you're heading next

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Holding Space is about creating those opportunities.

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A collaboration, not a package tour.

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One of the things I've always enjoyed about adventure is that there isn't necessarily one right way to do it. So rather than telling you exactly what your experience needs to look like, I want Holding Space Australia to be collaborative.

 

I bring the experience and the practical stuff:

Logistics. Food. Transport. Accommodation. Camping. Risk management. First aid. Local knowledge. Planning. And plenty of skin in the game.

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You bring the curiosity. Together, we work out what the experience needs to be.

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Sometimes that might be a challenging weekend in the Tasmanian wilderness. Sometimes it might be something much simpler. The common thread is creating an environment where something meaningful can happen.

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Where I'm heading

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Holding Space is currently being brought back slowly and intentionally. I'm continuing my work with young people and community programs, while also studying a Diploma of Counselling and developing my understanding of how people navigate change, challenge, relationships and personal growth.

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Over time, I want Holding Space to sit at the intersection of those interests:

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Adventure.
Connection.
Reflection.
Growth.

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For now, that means small groups, good experiences and a willingness to see what happens.

I'm not interested in creating experiences that simply fill a weekend. I'd rather create experiences that stay with you for a little longer.

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Why "Holding Space"?

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Life gets busy.

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Work. Family. Responsibilities. Phones. Expectations and the constant pressure to keep moving. Sometimes we need somewhere to put all of that down for a while.

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A place to breathe.

A place to listen.

A place to have a conversation.

A place to work something out.

A place to simply be.

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That's the idea behind Holding Space Australia.

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I'm based in Hobart, Tasmania, with some of the world's best wild places sitting right on our doorstep.

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If you're interested in getting outside, challenging yourself, meeting some good people and creating a bit of space to think, I'd love to hear from you.

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Let's see what we can create.

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Stay True.