This blog post was written by Melle.
I recently had a get away in Thirroul and attended the Heart and Soul Retreat. I can't wait - the weekend starts with a South Sailor seafood platter for 2, then Thirroul beach, and Heart and Soul Retreat for some yoga, shooting hoops, healthy eating and some unexpected jigsaw puzzling!
Photo above is the South Sailor Thirroul cold section of the platter: spicy tuna tacos (really yum!), salmon rolls, kingfish ceviche with sesame snaps, and salmon and apple sashimi. Fresh seafood.
Photo above is the South Sailor Thirroul hot section of the platter: sesame prawn toast, curry dumplings, Korean Fried chicken, salad and chunky chips - these were good though nothing that particularly stood out.
Next stop was Thirroul beach - it looks like the tide goes up regularly so most of the sand is quite compact and firm. If wanting to swim Austinmer might be a better choice.
Heart and Soul Retreat - we did 2 nights and checked in from 3pm Sat, and did 2x 4pm yoga sessions and the 7:30pm Sound Journey which were all amazing. We skipped the daytime workshops so we could explore the nearby attractions.
At the basketball ring we refined our skills and were able to successfully get 3 in a row, and even up to 5 in a row! In the distance we spotted some deers on the property which was pretty awesome.
We booked the Heart and Soul Retreat through Groupon, and were lucky enough this time to get room #19 with an ensuite, which overlooked the Terrace Garden and had a sunny view of the mountains.
That night we saw 3 girls start the borders of a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle of The Beatles, though as they were leaving the next morning, encouraged us to take over.
Progress shots in the first 24hrs, with help from the resident Chef guy who was an absolute whiz at finding pieces. On Monday the team effort unexpectedly expanded, and not only did my friend pick up the pace early Monday morning with 40 or so pieces, about a dozen resident staff members chipped in 1-2 pieces each which was amazing! The resident chef helped bring it home finishing all but the 1 final piece.
The food at the retreat was vegan and catered for all dietary requirements. Fresh salad and salad dressings were the norm for most meals, and the hot meals and desserts changed regularly.
Breakfast had a fair bit of variety to suit everyone's preferences
Sunday night there was an abundance of delicious food and not many guests compared to Saturday, so it was like a buffet - highly recommend staying on a Sunday!!
Overall I like Heart and Soul Retreat - it's a decent for value option with pros and cons.
Cons: If you don't bring a car, there are very limited
facilities on site compared to other retreats (hammocks gone so just
basketball, terrace garden, a library in the dining area, and a healing centre
for massages etc at additional cost), if a light sleeper can hear freight
trains close by, limited supply of ensuite rooms so likely will book a room
with shared bathrooms, less classes and the 6:30am yoga class is very early, if
walking in/out of retreat have to walk over a road which meets the waterway so
might get socks wet if overflows onto the road.
Pros: For value and usually easy to book from Sun to Thur, close to the stunning coastline and the schedule provides 2.5hr free time
gaps so can drive to Bald Hill lookout, Sea Cliff Bridge and beaches,
comfortable rooms, clean shared bathrooms, good yoga sessions twice a day and
more spiritual classes and workshops, meals are fresh, vegan and dairy free,
and self serve so can go back for seconds esp Sun night, close to public
transport (Otford station).
Check it out via https://www.heartandsoulretreats.com.au/
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