BILLABONG RETREAT REVIEW
Which route would you choose?
I’m a HUGE fan of taking time out of the craziness of normal life. Often that means a few days away from beautiful Bondi!
It’s so important to just take time out as a woman and clear your mind, assess where you are and make some promises for your future self. All too often we think daily about short-term to-do list; when we can fit in time to wash our hair, buy that dress, get to that yoga class, meet that friend - that the weeks, months, years pass so quickly without us having spared much thought to what we want from life, where we’re going next in our career, our relationships, our wellness journeys.
Enter the Billabong Retreat - and get this, it’s only 45 minutes outside of Sydney. Yup. It couldn’t be simpler.
Top tip: check the Billabong Retreat Special Offers page before you book, and sign up for their newsletter for discount deals. My friend suggested this to me and I managed to bag a bargain. I saw a midweek deal offering $200 off a 2 night stay - meaning the 2 nights cost just $400pp. This was ideal…. my mum and I were slightly hesitant at the thought of the $600 for 2 nights which was the original price.
The best things about Billabong are….
Proximity to Sydney - so close and yet once you arrive you feel like you’re in the Tasmanian bush - you cant hear anything except birds. Loads of them. It’s wonderful.
Intimate - its set on 20 acres but the treehouses are nestled close together so you feel like you’re in a small village.
The Food. WOW. The Retreat goes by the SLOW cooking principal - seasonal, local, organic, whole foods. You’ll be farting your way through yoga with the amount of veggies you get through but trust me its worth it. The food is divine, and the Executive Chef, Simon Favorito is from Italian/Aussie stock and he knows good food….
The Yoga. Twice daily yoga sessions are included, with Power Yoga in the morning to wake you upb (this was still quite gentle so as to suit all ages) and Yin in the afternoon. Meditation every other day means you will definitely experience at least one session whilst you’re there.
The Workshops. Also included in our 2 night stay were 3 workshops. One on “right living” and moral imperatives, one on gut health (particularly useful!) and one on nutrition and foods. I must admit that the calming nature of the Retreat sent me to sleep through the first workshop - but I certainly enjoyed the other two!
The Pool. A magnesium pool is situated near the reception and communal areas. Soaking in a magnesium pool is said to help reduce anxiety, stress, aches, pains and assist in detoxifying the body.
The Food. So good it gets a second mention!!
Welcome to the Wilderness
The yoga studio… utter bliss
“Our vision is to create a space for people to reconnect; to themselves, to others and to the nature around them.”
Attention goes where energy flows
There’s always a little room for improvement…
The Comfort. We booked a private treehouse with twin beds. The rooms are comfortable and clean, but basic. In a lot of ways this is great as it encourages you to get up, get out and take the day. But the Retreat rooms have started to look a bit tired. It didn’t put us off at all though, and we slept really well in our single beds!
The Communal Areas. Again, these are all very comfortable and clean but it would have been nice to see a fresher, more modern design. Just my opinion of course!
Treehouse living - this was our room!
Magnesium pool at Billabong Retreat
Keeping it Cosy and Communal
