Reconnection Retreat
Inspired by 10 years of hosting nature and culture-based programmes, Arcoora Arts and Ecology Training Ground warmly invites guests to join us for a unique five-day ‘Reconnection Retreat’ experience. This offering has been thoughtfully curated to ensure that you are able to meaningfully connect to nature, to community and to self, all the while being immersed in the richness of a truly extraordinary setting.
Location
Arcoora is based on the precious lands of the Gulli-Bul people of the Bundjalung Nation. A 30-minute drive from Kyogle, NSW; it floats amongst tall eucalypts on a mountain nestled in The Border Ranges surrounded by ancient Gondwana sub-tropical rainforest and vibrant wildlife. Historically, the site has long been identified as a ‘spiritual university – a place of wisdom and learning’. The mountain retreat was established by a Buddhist community and still features buildings from that time, including the treasured Gonpa (temple), where some say the hundreds of thousands of hours of meditation that have taken place is tangible.
Upcoming retreats
Programme
Whilst we’d love you to immerse yourself in everything this programme has to offer, if you’d prefer to take a break or follow your own intuition instead of participating in any scheduled workshops or practices, please feel free to do so.
Whether it's enjoying nature, journaling, or simply relaxing; the choice is yours. Embrace the opportunity to connect with nature, community and yourself in a way that feels right for you!
Please note, programme is weather permitting and subject to tweaking.
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16:00 - 17:30: Arrival
Arrive at 16:00, settle into your accommodation, enjoy a cup of tea, meet fellow guests, and get to know all that our beautiful location has to offer.
17:30 - 19:00: Welcome To Country and Cultural Yarn
We officially welcome you to the lands of the Gulli-Bul people, with a welcome to country smoking ceremony held by Uncle Andrew, a treasured elder and custodian of this land.
19:00 - 20:00: Dinner
Enjoy a nourishing dinner in the dining hall–where all meals are served.
20:00 - 21:00: Sharing Circle
After dinner, we connect by sharing introductions with each other. Reminder: like everything else on the programme, sharing is totally optional.
21:00 - Morning: Quiet Reflection
Enjoy quiet reflection time as you settle in for a good first night's rest on the mountain.
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07:30 - 08:30: Hatha Yoga
After 15 years of Ashram life in India and abroad, Manasa has a unique offering of Vedic knowledge integrated into yoga practice. Start the day off on a high with a vitalising Hatha yoga session in the gonpa (temple).
08:30 - 09:30: Breakfast
09:30 - 11:30: Down time
Suggestions: Enjoy time in the gardens, practise your choice of movement in the gonpa, connect with new-found friends over a game (see the Welcoming Area for these).
11:30 - 13:00: Milling & Bush Tucker Walk
We dedicate the first bit of this session to a profound exercise taken from Deep Ecology. Come ready with your trail shoes on, as afterwards we take a guided bush tucker walk, where we learn about the native plants of the area. This also serves as an orientation, allowing you to freely explore our walking trails for the remainder of your stay.
13:00 - 14:00: Lunch
14:00 - 16:00: Down time
Suggestions: relax with a book, journal, siesta, find a peaceful spot to meditate.
16:00 - 17:30: 8 Shields Workshop
The 8 Shields is a unique and holistic framework that encompasses deep nature connection, cultural awareness, community building, storytelling and much more. Join us in the dining hall for an easygoing introduction and discussion on these valuable teachings.
18:00 - 19:00: Dinner & Sharing Circle
19:00 - Morning: Quiet Reflection -
07:30 - 08:30: Hatha Yoga
08:30 - 09:30: Breakfast
09:30 - 11:30: Down time
11:30 - 13:00: Connection Workshop
Join lovely Natalie on a little journey, starting with a body and country connection drop-in. Then, rolling into a session of reflection, involving journal prompts that inspire self-love and gratitude. So bring your journals (paper also provided).
13:00 - 14:00: Lunch
14:00 - 16:00: Down time
16:00 - 17:30: Yin Yoga and Sound Bath
Release, relax and connect deeply with your body in the gonpa for Yin Yoga and a Sound Bath session. Let the stretching and harmonious sounds guide you into a state of tranquility and rejuvenation.
18:00 - 19:00: Dinner & Sharing Circle
19:00 - Morning: Quiet Reflection
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07:30 - 08:30: Hatha Yoga
08:30 - 09:30: Breakfast
09:30 - 11:30: Down time
11:30 - 13:00: Garden Tour
Arcoora has multiple food production systems, from market gardens to food forests. Join for a guided walk, where we explore these different small-scale regenerative agricultural practices.
13:00 - 14:00: Lunch
14:00 - 15:00: Down time
15:00 - 17:30: Summit Hike
Stunning views await on the summit hike, with a special piece of Buddhist history at the top. Roughly 90 minutes of moderately challenging effort gets you to the peak. Meet at the dining hall at 15:30 for this memorable walk.
18:00 - 19:00: Dinner & Sharing Circle
19:00 - Morning: Quiet reflection
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08:30 - 09:30: Breakfast
09:30 - 10:30: Closing Ceremony
We gather for a heartfelt closing ceremony to honour our time together. Concluding with a special Arcoora tradition, this marks new beginnings and the lasting connections made with and on the mountain.
10:30 - 11:00: Departure
Meals
Enjoy three nourishing meals each day, served in our communal dining hall, where we love to share stories and laughter over the dishes prepared by the talented kitchen crew. Ingredients are sourced as locally and organically as possible. We cater deliciously to vegan/vegetarian and gluten-free. Please let us know if you have any dietary requirements outside of these.
Accommodation and Pricing
The base cost for the five-day retreat is $785 per person. To keep this offering as affordable as possible, this price includes access to our campgrounds for you to set up your own tent.
We also have multiple cozy accommodation offerings for you to choose from below.
All sleeping arrangements encapsulate the rich heritage of the former Tibetan Buddhist who lived on this land, as they themselves constructed the buildings. True to Buddhist design; the dwellings are simple, yet comfortable and clean, while also being surrounded by nature.
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The Guest House is made up of four shared triple-single rooms and four private queen rooms, with a communal bathroom housing two toilets, three showers and four basins with mirrors.
Interested in a shared room? You'll be matched with your friends or other solo travellers of the same gender. To ensure all our guests enjoy a restful sleeping experience, we kindly ask that light sleepers or those who snore book a private room.
For couples seeking the most private retreat experience, we recommend one of the two private cabins or the cabin tent option.
Twin-share room: $180 per bed, for entire retreat
Private queen room: $360 per room, for entire retreat
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Get even closer to nature and away from the crowds with this glamping option. Surrounded by rainforest gullies and framed by our mountain peak home, our camping ground feels like a field at the edge of civilisation, and the edge of the wild. Each tent can sleep either one or two people.
Choose two comfortable king-single beds or one queen bed
Clean, snug bedding
Amenities block with 2 showers and 2 compost toilets
Bush access for outdoor activities
$250 per tent, for entire retreat
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The Bodhi Cabin was built to accommodate visiting Llamas’ and Buddhist teachers hosting meditation retreats. It is a quaint space, small in size but large in character. It’s one bedroom can sleep three guests. It is made up of:
One bedroom with a single and a queen bed
Bathroom with shower and toilet
Kitchenette
Cosy sitting area
Private verandah
$480 for cabin, for entire retreat
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The Bower Cabin has large windows with the forest wrapping around it, making it the perfect spot to enjoy nature’s beauty from the comfort of a cosy space. It is made up of a:
Full kitchen
Bathroom with bath/shower and toilet
Spacious bedroom with queen bed
Private verandah
$640 for cabin, for entire retreat
Upcoming retreats
Suggested Packing List
For your own comfort, we recommend packing the following:
Water bottle
Notebook or journal for workshops and reflections
A good reading book for down time
Warm clothing for the evenings (weather forecast for Collins Creek here)
Torch / phone torch
Rain jacket / umbrella
Hiking/closed shoes for bush walks
Active wear for yoga and bush walks
Small backpack/daybag
Yoga mat (We have extra to lend if you’re traveling light)
Swim wear
Personal supplements & medications
Toiletries (eco-friendly products only)
Sunscreen, a hat and insect repellent
Any recreational items that you’d like to bring along (musical instruments, slack line, fire poi, indoor/outdoor games)
Getting here
Arcoora is a 2 hr drive from Gold Coast and a 3 hr drive from Brisbane. All routes offer gorgeous scenery to take in and the perfect opportunity to reflect on your intention for your time with us. Culture, community, connection - what do these things mean to you? We recommend pairing the journey with Tracking Connections, a podcast sharing stories of working intentionally with deep nature connection in ways that transform lives, families, projects, and communities.
More about Arcoora
Arcoora is an off-grid, not-for-profit land project focused on ecological and cultural regeneration. Over the years, programmes have revolved around topics such as permaculture, yoga, meditation, dance, art, men's and women's work, deep ecology, nature connection, primitive survival skills and rites of passage.
The invitation for you to join this Reconnection Retreat comes from our small community of volunteers living on the mountain, with whom your experience will be shared. This fantastic and dedicated core team of 8 welcomes you. Each member brings their own personal passions to Arcoora; but what unites us is our shared commitment and enthusiasm for community, nature, earth-arts, and making a positive impact through social change.
Contact us
For any questions or further information, please contact us here.