Discover Brooklet: Retreats, scenery and food

Discover Brooklet through a range of experiences: Gaia Retreat & Spa offers guest activities and a mineral pool; along Brooklet’s roads, farm-gate stalls and a scenic drive shape the landscape. Cooking also features: Bhavana Organic Farm and Cooking School offers cooking classes. These highlights can help you plan your trip around whether you’d prefer to focus on retreat offerings, the scenery or culinary experiences.

Activities and relaxation at Gaia Retreat & Spa

Guests at Gaia Retreat & Spa can enjoy yoga, Pilates, sound healing and foraging tours; these activities are included in their stay. The combination ranges from movement and sound to exploring edible plants. If you like to structure your days around activities like these, they may be an important part of your stay considerations. Activity schedules may change, so check them before your trip.

Other activities for guests include a weaving activity. Natural fibres from the Gaia grounds are made into a pendant, bracelet, ring or key ring. The result isn’t limited to one particular piece of jewellery: you can use the options listed to help decide which type of activity interests you. This activity is also for guests only; it isn’t an open-access workshop.

The 25-metre mineral pool sits on a ridge and offers views of the gently rolling hinterland. It is a facility for retreat guests, not a standalone public attraction. This distinction is useful when planning your trip: the pool and activities are part of a stay at Gaia, while Brooklet’s scenery can also be enjoyed on a drive around the area.

Also note the current restriction at the Day Spa: the building, including the steam room, is closed for renovations. Spa treatments are still available in treatment rooms at the retreat. If you’re planning your visit specifically for the spa, check its operating status again before you arrive.

Scenic drives and farm-gate stalls

Farm-gate stalls are located along Brooklet’s roads. A scenic drive through the surrounding countryside also passes coffee and macadamia plantations. This combines taking in the sights along the road with views of the hinterland. As no opening hours are specified for individual stalls, don’t assume a particular stop will be open.

Exploring the landscape is different from the offerings tied to a stay at Gaia. When planning, it may help to first decide what you want your stay to focus on: activities and facilities for retreat guests, or a drive through the surrounding area with its plantations and farm-gate stalls. This lets you compare two different ways to experience Brooklet without treating the drive or stalls as part of a retreat offering.

Cooking and growing at Bhavana

Bhavana Organic Farm and Cooking School offers cooking classes. The cooking experience is described as nurturing, relaxing and fun. Booking is required. If you’d like to include a class in your travel plans, book in advance rather than expecting to find an available place when you arrive.

Bhavana’s organic gardens grow seasonal vegetables, herbs and fruit. The gardens and cooking classes each offer a different perspective on the culinary focus: the gardens are about seasonal cultivation, while the classes put cooking centre stage.

When looking for a holiday rental in Brooklet, you can use these differences to guide your travel plans. Decide whether an offering tied to a retreat stay, a scenic drive or a booked cooking class matters most to you. That way, you can start with the type of stay you want, rather than treating all the experiences as interchangeable attractions.

Discover more destinations: Lennox Head, Alstonville, Ballina, Teven.

For the broader travel overview: Ballina Shire Council.