Those who know me will know that I although I will get reasonably happy about a lot of things, I rarely get SUPER EXCITED. Well earlier this year I managed to win a Mother and Daughter Retreat at the Gaia Retreat in the NSW Hinterland near Byron Bay. A weekend in the ACALA Suite will normally set you back over $5000. This includes the suite, all organic gourmet meals, 4 spa treatments each, morning yoga and "daily retreat activities". I can't even conceive of spending that much for a single weekend, so I am expecting some serious luxury.
This was my winning entry in the Interflora Mother's Day competition:
Thanks for the freckles and sticking out ears,
Thanks for the ginger hair that now shows the years,
Thanks for the pasty skin that burns in the shade,
Thanks for the muffin top that's now here to stay.
Thanks for the asthma and the sinuses from hell,
The hayfever, cholesterol and blood pressure as well.
I know you will say that dad passed these things through,
But he was your choice so it's your fault too.
I joke but I'm so glad for all that you've done,
Except for the wooden spoon as that was not fun.
Thanks for a childhood of giggles and laughs,
Thanks for the silent prayers said on my behalf.
Thanks for the words of encouragement and love,
Thanks for teaching me to give thanks above.
Mum, when you gave birth you performed quite a feat.
In thanks let me take you to Gaia retreat.
I know what you are saying. Ginger hair? I took some liberties. I don't have full on ginger hair, but I've always had streaks of red (before I started colouring) and the skin that goes with it, and I inherited both from dad. I seriously do sun-burn in the shade. I just read it again and I think I threw my Dad under a figurative bus to win a fabulous prize :) Sorry, Dad, love you!
So I am packing my active-wear and heading off to Byron Bay on Friday morning with my Mum. I expect my Aldi leggings will feel quite inadequate next to the inevitable array of Lorna Jane that I will encounter. I have downloaded a 60s and 70s Spotify playlist for our 2 hour drive. The prize actually included flights but that seemed silly from here.
If I am friends with you, chances are you would probably never spend $5000 on a weekend either, so when we are finished finding our zen, I'll be back to tell you what a weekend at a luxury spa is like. I was totally planning on taking photos of every single meal to send back to Dallas, but I just read on their website that they frown on phones in public areas, so I might have to go old school and take a real camera.
Did I mention, SUPER EXCITED?!!
We had a small spanner in the works overnight. Dallas has been in Wagga this week for work and was supposed to fly home last night, but his flight on Rex from Wagga to Sydney was delayed, meaning he missed his connection from Sydney to Brisbane and spent the night in Sydney. He is about to get on his flight in Sydney, so he will be flying overhead towards Brisbane while we are driving south. Luckily Reid walks to school and Megan is finished for the year, so I didn't have to make any last minute arrangements for the kids.
I actually found packing difficult because I have so many questions. What sort of activities will there be? How much active-wear to pack? Am I being too optimistic putting my swimmers in? There is a pool and it will be heated but will I be able to tear myself away from relaxation? Do wealthy retreat dwellers "dress for dinner"? Or do they spend the weekend in lounge wear? What is lounge wear? Are we going to fit in or will it be obvious that we don't belong there, kind of like the time that I took Reid to the high tea on a Princess Cruise ship? I am still super excited but also a little apprehensive.
2:00pm
We made excellent time and arrived an hour before lunch. We made our way to reception, which is located in the large common area that includes the dining area, couches, an outdoor relaxation area and a large bookshelf full of books, dvds, games and awards. It has a very rustic feel with high ceilings, comfy furniture, and interesting wooden and stone sculptures.
We were invited to take a seat on the lounge, where we were welcomed most warmly to the retreat. Lucy, a staff member, brought us a small tray of fresh fruit and iced tea. We were each given a small card containing our schedule for the remainder of the day, a map of the property, and an activities list for the weekend. We were asked about dietary preferences and these were noted for the kitchen. Nothing was too hard. Don't like tomatoes? No problem, we will adjust your meal to suit. We were also told that spa robes were quite acceptable attire for meals. Bonus!
Our room was not quite ready so we had a little wander through the common area. To one side is a large table containing muffins, fruit and nuts, and just about every kind of tea you could imagine. Outside the views over the valley are spectacular. Their book and DVD library is extensive and varied. While looking through these, a staff member came to tell us that our room was ready and she would take us there.
After a small detour to get our bags from the car, we made our way to the Acala 1 Suite. The first thing you see is the large deck area, with a private spa, deck chairs, and outdoor dining table. Inside the suite is made up of a bedroom, which for us had two single beds, a large living area, a bathroom and a kitchen. On each bed there was a "spa welcome pack" which contained a few small samples of things like "face dew". Perhaps my teenage daughter can tell me what that is for.
The lounge room has a large corner couch with comfy cushions, and there is a TV and DVD player which can be used by getting the DVDs from reception. In the kitchen is more herbal tea, fresh fruit, and complimentary water and champagne. In the corner of the living room is a desk with the wi-fi password. It is obvious that great attention has been paid to the decor, extending even to the trinkets on the desk.
On the back of the bathroom door were our spa robes, which were not what I was expecting. I was expecting a fluffy white number, but these are much better suited to Queensland weather. In the bedroom there were also 2 large straw handbags that we can use to carry our bits and pieces around if needed.
After getting settled we headed back down to the main area for lunch. Lucy came back with drinks and informed us that lunch would be a dish with ingredients from South America. It was one of those "bowls" with piles of different ingredients that all mix together into one delicious salad of sorts. I will try to remember all of the ingredients: Grilled corn, pumpkin, pepitas, capsicum, tomato, chillis, green beans, quinoa, peanuts, brazil nuts, green leafy bits, and then 2 sauces - one appeared to be avocado based, and the other was a sunflower seed sauce. It was incredible. It was more than I would normally eat but I had to eat it all. It's all healthy right???
Following lunch we've done some book reading relaxation, and now mum has gone off for her first spa treatment: a 60 minute massage.
All apprehension is gone. The staff are lovely, the food is fabulous, and I am looking forward to trying some new things like meditation and yoga.
5pm
Just returned from my massage. It was heavenly, as expected. Afterwards there is a small sitting area where they will give you a small bowl of fruit and yet another cup of tea (or water) after you "return your awareness" to the room. Mum said she overheard a couple of other ladies in this area commenting that they had been given a lot of tea here. If you are a tea drinker they do seem to have every possible kind of herbal tea under the sun.
I think I am the worst massage client ever though, because I just cannot turn my brain off. I really do try, but while I am enjoying the massage my brain is all:
"I wonder if her back gets sore doing this all day? I think my nose is dripping but I can't tell with my face smooshed into this head rest. That's a lot of hot oil she's using, I wonder if it will get in my... oh yep in the hair. I hope I don't need to go to the bathroom in the middle of this. I wonder if the oil is good for her skin or if she has to go scrub it all off straight away? I wonder what a body polish involves? I'm glad I shaved my legs this morning." And so on.
I do have to say that I think a head massage is the best thing ever, and I'm wondering how much I would have to pay the kids to give me one. It does seem to succeed in turning my brain off for a little bit.
Collected a raspberry, peach and almond muffin from the dining area to sustain me on the walk back to our suite.
Next we are heading to Meditation and then dinner.
8pm
Meditation was interesting. I think I kind of suck at it. Telling my brain to switch off was once again the problem. The instructor started talking about imagining roots going from your feet down to the center of the earth and connecting with a ball of energy there, and then imagining a bright silver star beaming energy down on your head, and all I could picture was He-man standing with his sword in the air yelling "I have the power!" I think that I did actually get the hang of it at one point because I became aware that I hadn't been hearing what she was saying for a little bit. I came to this realisation right around the time that she was telling us to feel any sensations in our ears, and what I felt was the "bzzz" of a mozzie right next to my ear. I was laying there trying to tell it that everyone else looked more tasty than me. Note to self - take the bug spray tomorrow.
Dinner was again fabulous. When our waiter Andy told us that the entree would be caramelized brussell sprouts, I have to admit that I was not convinced, the last time I ate brussell sprouts being when I was about twelve, if by eating you count feeding them to the dog or throwing them behind the piano. These were actually not that bad, and I ate the entire plate.
For mains, Mum was served marlin, and I had the vegetarian option, which was a roasted capsicum stuffed with quinoa, beans, mushrooms and pine nuts, and with kale, fennel and white beans around the outside. It was delicious and I polished off the entire thing.
Dessert was a cross between a tart and a crumble. I think she said the base was made of almonds, and the ice cream was a dairy free coconut one. It was finished off with a line of "plum dust". I did not know you could obtain such a thing.
We were given our personalised schedules for tomorrow, and we both have a facial scheduled tomorrow afternoon. There is also yoga, a "fitness meet" and a "sound meditation", as well as more amazing food.
I woke to see the trees through the screen door, the breeze blowing over me and the birds calling to each other. First on the agenda today was Yoga. The morning fog was still hanging in the air as I made the short walk up to the Yoga studio.
Our instructor was a tiny Scottish lady named Claire. She helped us to get set up with mats, blankets, bolsters and eye pillows (I did not know eye pillows even existed until yesterday).
She explained firstly that people of different racial heritages may have different body structures that can make some of the traditional moves unwise. As an example she said that she cannot do the lotus position (well she could but it is not good for her body). She told us that she has been doing yoga for 26 years, and for a number of years people sat on her to try to get her body to do what they should it should do. She then went on to study anatomy and realised why it wasn't working for her.
She also then went around the room and asked each person about their yoga experience and any injuries they may have.
Overall I would say yoga was hard but good. She talked about how most women have hyper-extension in their elbows and showed us how avoiding that completely changes the position of your shoulders when you are doing things like "downward dog" pose. I don't remember all of the stuff that we did. I tried most of it but some was beyond me. A number of times she would look at me, and say "don't do this love, I don't want to kill you on your first day".
One funny thing - one of the men asked for a towel at the beginning. She got him one but said "you won't be sweating today". Hmmm I beg to differ. At the end when we were laying down breathing/recovering she mentioned that a lot of people like a blanket over them and and asked if anyone wanted one. No, still sweating over here thanks.
Yoga went from 7:30am to 9:00am. I went back to our suite and collected Mum and we went to breakfast.
Breakfast was a combination of a buffet of sorts and an optional hot meal. On the buffet was porridge, muesli, fruit, salmon, avocado, and many breads of varying types with a multitude of organic toppings.
I opted for some porridge and fruit and a slice of spelt supergrain toast with macadamia butter topping. It was a little like peanut butter. Mum ordered the poached eggs but didn't want the mushrooms or spinach, so I polished those off too. There was also a selection of a smoothie or a green juice. The smoothie was awesome. Finally, there was a carafe of Digestive Tonic with small cups which we tried. Mum was not a fan.
After breakfast I took a short break and went back down for the "Fitness Meet". I think the trainer's name was Damien. There were only five of us that showed up for this hour of exercise. He again asked us about injuries and after learning about my prolapse/pelvic floor, I think my nickname became "Pelvic Floor", as in he would look at me and say "Pelvic floor, don't do it this way" :)
We started by doing 6 rounds of 1 minute of cardio (jogging on the machine) and then 1 minute of active rest. If you, like me, have no idea what active rest is, it means do 12 reps with the kettle bells as fast as you can so you can use the rest of the minute for actual rest. As we finished this, and I was about to die, he informed us that we had completed the warm-up.
The actual workout was a type of HIIT that had a fancy name starting with T that I can't remember. Four rounds of eight exercises which I think we did for 30 seconds each and then a 40 second rest. Something like that. The guy next to me sounded like he was about to die, but then he had to do the push-ups properly, not the pelvic floor version. The girl next to me was wearing Lorna Jane. She was very nice but I had to laugh.
The spa looked very inviting as I crawled back to the suite, so I jumped in clothes and all. I figured they were already all sweaty. It was so good - there are definite benefits to having your own private spa.
Lunch was another culinary adventure. I don't know what it is called, but it was a salad of sorts that contained cauliflower, beetroot, radish, sauerkraut, grains, nuts, seeds, goats cheese, a pile of greenery of various types and another sauce which I could not identify. Absolutely divine. Just so you know, I am kidnapping the chef on Monday when we leave. They have a cookbook but it's not the same.
My facial was scheduled for 1:45pm, and I arrived in my fancy organic cotton kimono style robe. A young woman named Bree took me in for another hour of bliss.
I started out with my brain wandering as usual, and I had the random thought that perhaps the reason my brain talks to me so incessantly is that I don't speak the words out loud. Maybe if I talked more I could empty out my brain.
Bree worked some magic though and I was definitely floating away during this one. I am most definitely going to be bribing my children for head massages from now on. Kids, if you are reading this, you now know what to do if you want a favour from me! :)
I came out on cloud nine to more fruit and water in the little relaxation area, and mum was waiting there for her turn to be pampered by Bree.
The meditation this evening was a Sound Meditation. I found this one better for me, because the sounds gave me something to focus on so my mind wandered less, although I did spend a lot of time trying to picture what instruments were making some of the unusual sounds. We heard a lots of chimes and gongs, and not long into it she played the didgeridoo, which was a surprise. With most of the instruments I could her her moving around the room, playing them near each person. I could feel her blowing the didgeridoo at my feet. There was one instrument that sounded like rain, which she later showed us was a "water stick" - a hollowed out cactus with seeds inside. Although I was relaxed and enjoying it, when she started playing the flute, for some reason I started crying a little bit. I can't explain it. It sounded so mournful and sad. She even sang a couple of times, once with instruments accompanying her and once without. After she was finished she was happy to answer all of our questions about the various instruments. I do have to say that I think I would find these meditations a little more relaxing on a nice soft mattress instead of a yoga mat (or two yoga mats and a blanket, as the case may be).
We went straight to dinner from the meditation. The entree was squid which neither mum nor I were keen on, so we were given an asparagus dish that also had spring onion and olives. It had a smokey BBQ flavour and was delicious. The main course was chicken maryland, with fennel and greens. Dessert took ages to come out so I can only assume there was some sort of mishap in the kitchen, but when it arrived it was quite the artwork. Peaches, raspberries, almonds, coconut yoghurt and a bunch of other little surprises.
Now it's time for bed and in the morning if I can walk I may attempt yoga again.
The weather decided to foil my plans for getting out and about by raining on and off all morning, so we did some indoor relaxing - reading.
Around 11 I decided I was going out, rain or shine, and took one of the umbrellas provided in the suite and my map and struck out for the walking trail. It was a very peaceful trail that went around the entire property and came out up near the yoga studio. From there I walked up to the top of the hill to the lookout, where I found stunning 360 degree views of the valley and the ocean.
Lunch was another delicacy: a bowl of every sort of green you could imagine along with steamed chicken for mum and vegan macadamia cheese for me. Mum isn't the biggest fan of the greenery and I felt like I should be telling her to stay at the table until she had finished everything on her plate! This dish also contained brussell sprouts - clearly a favourite of the chef. I ate them again!
With lunch quite literally under our belts we were ready for an afternoon of pampering. First up was the body polish. This was new territory for both mum and I. They did it in a couples room for us. First we had to put on disposable G-strings, which was an interesting exercise. They led us into the steam room, where there were two massage tables. We disrobed and laid on our backs and the girls put a modesty sarong over us. The first step was about 7 minutes of steaming. Then they came back in and covered us in the body scrub, which was their "signature" polish that contained wattle seeds and lemon myrtle. A face mask was applied, and the obligatory slices of cucumber. After that we did some more steaming, after which they came in and hosed all of the scrub off. I have to say, my skin does feel quite nice, albeit oily, and I think I am going to be picking wattle seeds out of obscure places for a while to come.
Following the body polish Mum had opted for a pedicure and I had a manicure. I have never had one of those before, let alone one that takes an hour. They gave us a plastic sheet covered in polish colours. I chose a neutral one for my fingers and a nice bright red for Mum's toes :) Sammy, who did both my body polish and my manicure was great to chat to and the time went quickly. The awkward part was at the end, when I couldn't use my hands and mum had to wear disposable thongs to walk back to the unit. We had to tag team the gate and the unit door.
After some time reading to let the paint dry, it was time for yet another meal. Entree was another winner - cauliflower with grilled lemon, sprouts and various nuts. The main was quinoa pasta with veges, which was delicious but WAY too huge for me to finish. Lastly we had a strawberry ricotta cheese cake with a date and macadamia base for dessert. Tonight is the first time I actually feel uncomfortably full. As a side note, despite my worries about what people would be wearing in the dining room, tonight I wore the same clothes I am about to roll into bed in - track pants and a t-shirt. The dress code has been thankfully very relaxed and I have never once felt out of place or that we didn't belong here.
For those who have been following along wishing they could do this, I did discover that we are essentially in what would be the "penthouse" of a regular hotel - one of the best rooms in the joint. There are plenty of other smaller, cheaper rooms which would give you all the same benefits of the food, the activities, and the access to the day spa. So if you are looking for a really special place to take a really special person, I highly recommend Gaia Retreat.
I was reflecting on my walk earlier today that this trip has come at the perfect time for me - just as I'm trying to make changes to improve the state of my body, my mental health, my diet, and my impact on the world. Tomorrow we leave after breakfast to head home. It has been an incredible weekend and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity both to experience this amazing place and to do it with Mum.
My fingernail polish appears to have survived the first night, but only thanks to several mental reminders not to pick stuff out of my teeth with my nails. I suppose civilized people use toothpicks.
I wasn't feeling up to a hot breakfast, although it sounded delicious, so I settled for muesli with almond milk, fresh fruit, and a slice of fruit toast with macadamia nut butter.
Sadly our luxury weekend is over and we are back to reality. We loved our weekend, loved the friendly and helpful staff, loved the food, loved the spa treatments, loved the suite, loved the location, and really hope that we might make it back again one day.
Friday - Day 1
I am ready to go 1.5 hours early and am waiting for Mum to arrive so that we can embark on our adventure.We had a small spanner in the works overnight. Dallas has been in Wagga this week for work and was supposed to fly home last night, but his flight on Rex from Wagga to Sydney was delayed, meaning he missed his connection from Sydney to Brisbane and spent the night in Sydney. He is about to get on his flight in Sydney, so he will be flying overhead towards Brisbane while we are driving south. Luckily Reid walks to school and Megan is finished for the year, so I didn't have to make any last minute arrangements for the kids.
I actually found packing difficult because I have so many questions. What sort of activities will there be? How much active-wear to pack? Am I being too optimistic putting my swimmers in? There is a pool and it will be heated but will I be able to tear myself away from relaxation? Do wealthy retreat dwellers "dress for dinner"? Or do they spend the weekend in lounge wear? What is lounge wear? Are we going to fit in or will it be obvious that we don't belong there, kind of like the time that I took Reid to the high tea on a Princess Cruise ship? I am still super excited but also a little apprehensive.
2:00pm
We made excellent time and arrived an hour before lunch. We made our way to reception, which is located in the large common area that includes the dining area, couches, an outdoor relaxation area and a large bookshelf full of books, dvds, games and awards. It has a very rustic feel with high ceilings, comfy furniture, and interesting wooden and stone sculptures.
We were invited to take a seat on the lounge, where we were welcomed most warmly to the retreat. Lucy, a staff member, brought us a small tray of fresh fruit and iced tea. We were each given a small card containing our schedule for the remainder of the day, a map of the property, and an activities list for the weekend. We were asked about dietary preferences and these were noted for the kitchen. Nothing was too hard. Don't like tomatoes? No problem, we will adjust your meal to suit. We were also told that spa robes were quite acceptable attire for meals. Bonus!
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| Our welcome fruit |
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| The snack station. I really wanted to eat one of those muffins but lunch was huge |
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| Our private spa |
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| The lounge room of our suite |
After getting settled we headed back down to the main area for lunch. Lucy came back with drinks and informed us that lunch would be a dish with ingredients from South America. It was one of those "bowls" with piles of different ingredients that all mix together into one delicious salad of sorts. I will try to remember all of the ingredients: Grilled corn, pumpkin, pepitas, capsicum, tomato, chillis, green beans, quinoa, peanuts, brazil nuts, green leafy bits, and then 2 sauces - one appeared to be avocado based, and the other was a sunflower seed sauce. It was incredible. It was more than I would normally eat but I had to eat it all. It's all healthy right???
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| Heaven on a plate - our "South American bowl" |
All apprehension is gone. The staff are lovely, the food is fabulous, and I am looking forward to trying some new things like meditation and yoga.
5pm
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| The lovely robe, which can be mine to take home for only $110 |
I think I am the worst massage client ever though, because I just cannot turn my brain off. I really do try, but while I am enjoying the massage my brain is all:
"I wonder if her back gets sore doing this all day? I think my nose is dripping but I can't tell with my face smooshed into this head rest. That's a lot of hot oil she's using, I wonder if it will get in my... oh yep in the hair. I hope I don't need to go to the bathroom in the middle of this. I wonder if the oil is good for her skin or if she has to go scrub it all off straight away? I wonder what a body polish involves? I'm glad I shaved my legs this morning." And so on.
I do have to say that I think a head massage is the best thing ever, and I'm wondering how much I would have to pay the kids to give me one. It does seem to succeed in turning my brain off for a little bit.
Collected a raspberry, peach and almond muffin from the dining area to sustain me on the walk back to our suite.
Next we are heading to Meditation and then dinner.
8pm
Meditation was interesting. I think I kind of suck at it. Telling my brain to switch off was once again the problem. The instructor started talking about imagining roots going from your feet down to the center of the earth and connecting with a ball of energy there, and then imagining a bright silver star beaming energy down on your head, and all I could picture was He-man standing with his sword in the air yelling "I have the power!" I think that I did actually get the hang of it at one point because I became aware that I hadn't been hearing what she was saying for a little bit. I came to this realisation right around the time that she was telling us to feel any sensations in our ears, and what I felt was the "bzzz" of a mozzie right next to my ear. I was laying there trying to tell it that everyone else looked more tasty than me. Note to self - take the bug spray tomorrow.
Dinner was again fabulous. When our waiter Andy told us that the entree would be caramelized brussell sprouts, I have to admit that I was not convinced, the last time I ate brussell sprouts being when I was about twelve, if by eating you count feeding them to the dog or throwing them behind the piano. These were actually not that bad, and I ate the entire plate.
For mains, Mum was served marlin, and I had the vegetarian option, which was a roasted capsicum stuffed with quinoa, beans, mushrooms and pine nuts, and with kale, fennel and white beans around the outside. It was delicious and I polished off the entire thing.
Dessert was a cross between a tart and a crumble. I think she said the base was made of almonds, and the ice cream was a dairy free coconut one. It was finished off with a line of "plum dust". I did not know you could obtain such a thing.
We were given our personalised schedules for tomorrow, and we both have a facial scheduled tomorrow afternoon. There is also yoga, a "fitness meet" and a "sound meditation", as well as more amazing food.
Day 2 - Saturday
I woke to see the trees through the screen door, the breeze blowing over me and the birds calling to each other. First on the agenda today was Yoga. The morning fog was still hanging in the air as I made the short walk up to the Yoga studio.Our instructor was a tiny Scottish lady named Claire. She helped us to get set up with mats, blankets, bolsters and eye pillows (I did not know eye pillows even existed until yesterday).
She explained firstly that people of different racial heritages may have different body structures that can make some of the traditional moves unwise. As an example she said that she cannot do the lotus position (well she could but it is not good for her body). She told us that she has been doing yoga for 26 years, and for a number of years people sat on her to try to get her body to do what they should it should do. She then went on to study anatomy and realised why it wasn't working for her.
She also then went around the room and asked each person about their yoga experience and any injuries they may have.
Overall I would say yoga was hard but good. She talked about how most women have hyper-extension in their elbows and showed us how avoiding that completely changes the position of your shoulders when you are doing things like "downward dog" pose. I don't remember all of the stuff that we did. I tried most of it but some was beyond me. A number of times she would look at me, and say "don't do this love, I don't want to kill you on your first day".
One funny thing - one of the men asked for a towel at the beginning. She got him one but said "you won't be sweating today". Hmmm I beg to differ. At the end when we were laying down breathing/recovering she mentioned that a lot of people like a blanket over them and and asked if anyone wanted one. No, still sweating over here thanks.
Yoga went from 7:30am to 9:00am. I went back to our suite and collected Mum and we went to breakfast.Breakfast was a combination of a buffet of sorts and an optional hot meal. On the buffet was porridge, muesli, fruit, salmon, avocado, and many breads of varying types with a multitude of organic toppings.
I opted for some porridge and fruit and a slice of spelt supergrain toast with macadamia butter topping. It was a little like peanut butter. Mum ordered the poached eggs but didn't want the mushrooms or spinach, so I polished those off too. There was also a selection of a smoothie or a green juice. The smoothie was awesome. Finally, there was a carafe of Digestive Tonic with small cups which we tried. Mum was not a fan.
After breakfast I took a short break and went back down for the "Fitness Meet". I think the trainer's name was Damien. There were only five of us that showed up for this hour of exercise. He again asked us about injuries and after learning about my prolapse/pelvic floor, I think my nickname became "Pelvic Floor", as in he would look at me and say "Pelvic floor, don't do it this way" :)
We started by doing 6 rounds of 1 minute of cardio (jogging on the machine) and then 1 minute of active rest. If you, like me, have no idea what active rest is, it means do 12 reps with the kettle bells as fast as you can so you can use the rest of the minute for actual rest. As we finished this, and I was about to die, he informed us that we had completed the warm-up.
The actual workout was a type of HIIT that had a fancy name starting with T that I can't remember. Four rounds of eight exercises which I think we did for 30 seconds each and then a 40 second rest. Something like that. The guy next to me sounded like he was about to die, but then he had to do the push-ups properly, not the pelvic floor version. The girl next to me was wearing Lorna Jane. She was very nice but I had to laugh.
The spa looked very inviting as I crawled back to the suite, so I jumped in clothes and all. I figured they were already all sweaty. It was so good - there are definite benefits to having your own private spa.Lunch was another culinary adventure. I don't know what it is called, but it was a salad of sorts that contained cauliflower, beetroot, radish, sauerkraut, grains, nuts, seeds, goats cheese, a pile of greenery of various types and another sauce which I could not identify. Absolutely divine. Just so you know, I am kidnapping the chef on Monday when we leave. They have a cookbook but it's not the same.
My facial was scheduled for 1:45pm, and I arrived in my fancy organic cotton kimono style robe. A young woman named Bree took me in for another hour of bliss.
I started out with my brain wandering as usual, and I had the random thought that perhaps the reason my brain talks to me so incessantly is that I don't speak the words out loud. Maybe if I talked more I could empty out my brain.
Bree worked some magic though and I was definitely floating away during this one. I am most definitely going to be bribing my children for head massages from now on. Kids, if you are reading this, you now know what to do if you want a favour from me! :)
I came out on cloud nine to more fruit and water in the little relaxation area, and mum was waiting there for her turn to be pampered by Bree.
The meditation this evening was a Sound Meditation. I found this one better for me, because the sounds gave me something to focus on so my mind wandered less, although I did spend a lot of time trying to picture what instruments were making some of the unusual sounds. We heard a lots of chimes and gongs, and not long into it she played the didgeridoo, which was a surprise. With most of the instruments I could her her moving around the room, playing them near each person. I could feel her blowing the didgeridoo at my feet. There was one instrument that sounded like rain, which she later showed us was a "water stick" - a hollowed out cactus with seeds inside. Although I was relaxed and enjoying it, when she started playing the flute, for some reason I started crying a little bit. I can't explain it. It sounded so mournful and sad. She even sang a couple of times, once with instruments accompanying her and once without. After she was finished she was happy to answer all of our questions about the various instruments. I do have to say that I think I would find these meditations a little more relaxing on a nice soft mattress instead of a yoga mat (or two yoga mats and a blanket, as the case may be).
We went straight to dinner from the meditation. The entree was squid which neither mum nor I were keen on, so we were given an asparagus dish that also had spring onion and olives. It had a smokey BBQ flavour and was delicious. The main course was chicken maryland, with fennel and greens. Dessert took ages to come out so I can only assume there was some sort of mishap in the kitchen, but when it arrived it was quite the artwork. Peaches, raspberries, almonds, coconut yoghurt and a bunch of other little surprises.
Now it's time for bed and in the morning if I can walk I may attempt yoga again.
Day 3 - Sunday
I woke up feeling a little sore so I decided to skip the yoga and take myself on the walking trail around the property after breakfast. The hot option for breakfast this morning was french toast with peaches, strawberries, pistacchios, macadamias, brazil nuts, coconut, coconut yoghurt and some sort of fruit sauce. Scrumptious as always.
The weather decided to foil my plans for getting out and about by raining on and off all morning, so we did some indoor relaxing - reading.
Around 11 I decided I was going out, rain or shine, and took one of the umbrellas provided in the suite and my map and struck out for the walking trail. It was a very peaceful trail that went around the entire property and came out up near the yoga studio. From there I walked up to the top of the hill to the lookout, where I found stunning 360 degree views of the valley and the ocean.
Lunch was another delicacy: a bowl of every sort of green you could imagine along with steamed chicken for mum and vegan macadamia cheese for me. Mum isn't the biggest fan of the greenery and I felt like I should be telling her to stay at the table until she had finished everything on her plate! This dish also contained brussell sprouts - clearly a favourite of the chef. I ate them again!
With lunch quite literally under our belts we were ready for an afternoon of pampering. First up was the body polish. This was new territory for both mum and I. They did it in a couples room for us. First we had to put on disposable G-strings, which was an interesting exercise. They led us into the steam room, where there were two massage tables. We disrobed and laid on our backs and the girls put a modesty sarong over us. The first step was about 7 minutes of steaming. Then they came back in and covered us in the body scrub, which was their "signature" polish that contained wattle seeds and lemon myrtle. A face mask was applied, and the obligatory slices of cucumber. After that we did some more steaming, after which they came in and hosed all of the scrub off. I have to say, my skin does feel quite nice, albeit oily, and I think I am going to be picking wattle seeds out of obscure places for a while to come.
Following the body polish Mum had opted for a pedicure and I had a manicure. I have never had one of those before, let alone one that takes an hour. They gave us a plastic sheet covered in polish colours. I chose a neutral one for my fingers and a nice bright red for Mum's toes :) Sammy, who did both my body polish and my manicure was great to chat to and the time went quickly. The awkward part was at the end, when I couldn't use my hands and mum had to wear disposable thongs to walk back to the unit. We had to tag team the gate and the unit door.
After some time reading to let the paint dry, it was time for yet another meal. Entree was another winner - cauliflower with grilled lemon, sprouts and various nuts. The main was quinoa pasta with veges, which was delicious but WAY too huge for me to finish. Lastly we had a strawberry ricotta cheese cake with a date and macadamia base for dessert. Tonight is the first time I actually feel uncomfortably full. As a side note, despite my worries about what people would be wearing in the dining room, tonight I wore the same clothes I am about to roll into bed in - track pants and a t-shirt. The dress code has been thankfully very relaxed and I have never once felt out of place or that we didn't belong here.
For those who have been following along wishing they could do this, I did discover that we are essentially in what would be the "penthouse" of a regular hotel - one of the best rooms in the joint. There are plenty of other smaller, cheaper rooms which would give you all the same benefits of the food, the activities, and the access to the day spa. So if you are looking for a really special place to take a really special person, I highly recommend Gaia Retreat.
I was reflecting on my walk earlier today that this trip has come at the perfect time for me - just as I'm trying to make changes to improve the state of my body, my mental health, my diet, and my impact on the world. Tomorrow we leave after breakfast to head home. It has been an incredible weekend and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity both to experience this amazing place and to do it with Mum.
Day 4 - Monday - Going home
I had a bit of a rough night and after re-tracing meals and ingredients I think chilli might have been the culprit, although I was keen to pin it on the brussel sprouts.My fingernail polish appears to have survived the first night, but only thanks to several mental reminders not to pick stuff out of my teeth with my nails. I suppose civilized people use toothpicks.
I wasn't feeling up to a hot breakfast, although it sounded delicious, so I settled for muesli with almond milk, fresh fruit, and a slice of fruit toast with macadamia nut butter.
Sadly our luxury weekend is over and we are back to reality. We loved our weekend, loved the friendly and helpful staff, loved the food, loved the spa treatments, loved the suite, loved the location, and really hope that we might make it back again one day.
I am loving the updates Cassie. Sounds like a divine weekend!😊
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