Wellness in the Adelaide Hills

I want to create something beautiful…

“Even people who come to my workshop solely to create a piece of art cannot believe how much a Mandala benefits their mind,” says artist Cathy Gray.

‘Mandala’ is Sanskrit for 'circle', and refers to concentric geometric symbols that have been used by ancient practices as an aid to meditation. Cathy hosts monthly Mandala workshops at her Bridgewater studio. Participants start with nothing more than a sheet of artist’s paper marked by a series of concentric circles and divided by 18 lines – a little like a dartboard. “You begin at the centre in the first circle and start drawing patterns in pencil,” says Cathy. “After you’ve completed a circle, you ink in the patterns with a 0.2mm black marker – then you move outward do the next circle.”

The workshop is quiet and focussed, the mood aided by some music and incense candles.

“Mandala is great for slowing your brain down, and repeat patterning is the key to that. It’s meditative, even if you don’t know you’re meditating. Our brains are always looking into the future, but the Mandala makes us appreciate ‘the now’.”

Cathy works individually with each participant, and no artistic experience is necessary or expected. “Creating without expectation is very important. We have to free ourselves from those pressures. And we don’t use erasers. Mistakes are encouraged, in fact they can be amazing, opening you up to a world of patterns you didn’t know existed.”

In conjunction with Karen Judd, Cathy also offers a creative class called ‘Pot Paint and Pinot’, where participants loosen up their creative powers with a glass or two of Hills’ Pinot while painting terracotta pots. “Whereas Manadala is serene and meditative, Pot Paint and Pinot is loud, fun and social,” says Cathy. “It’s the yin to the yang of the Mandala class!”

I feel like going to ground…

Retreat into the earth itself in the remarkable Earthship Ironbank – an architectural passion project that’s also a B&B and a demonstration of low-impact living at its most practical, affordable and beautiful.

The Earthship is built into a north-facing valley of Ironbank. It comprises a single living area that is literally in the embrace of the Hills’ good earth, with most of the structure built into a 2-metre excavation. There’s rammed earth underfoot and the walls (entirely organic in shape) are made from 700 salvaged car tyres finished with a delicious skin of red clay render.

A manual reveals the thinking behind its design and its many concepts of sustainable living. Thanks to the ground’s constant 18C temperature, the Earthship has negligible cooling and heating needs. A greenhouse built onto the front of the dwelling uses the sunny northerly aspect – as well as recycled grey water – to sustain food crops.

From the outside, the hand-rendered and white-painted structure is likely to make you think of a hobbit dwelling, a gypsy caravan and/or the distinctive white structures found on the Greek isles. The property can be taken by two to three guests (a small atrium doubles as a bedroom) from $225 per night. If you’re looking for a digital detox, you’ll be pleased there’s no TV, though WiFi is available, and vegetarian breakfast provisions include eggs laid by the chooks living in their own Earthship annexe. Make sure you enjoy a long soak in the bathtub at sunset – watching the last rays of the day passing through coloured bottles set into the wall is perfectly magical.

I want to be sure I’m not putting pressure on the planet…

Next time you’re in the CRFT cellar door, wait for when your host changes the vinyl record on the old player – it’s a quiet moment to wander outside onto the stone-flagged veranda and listen to the 5-acre vineyard. Among the rows of Pinot, Chardonnay and Grüner Veltliner, chances are you’ll hear something unusual in most vineyards: the faint hum of insects.

“We don’t use systemic or synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers anywhere on our property,” says wine grower and owner Candice Helbig. “We use horse manure to fertilise. We let grass grow between the vines. And everything that comes out of the winemaking process – stems, skins, water – it all goes back into the soil.”

These practices and others have earned this tiny boutique winery in Carey Gully its NASAA organic certification. But ‘organic’ isn’t just a label. For Candice and husband Frewin Ries, it’s about living, healthy soil, improved water retention and an ecosystem that flourishes at all levels. “Even the microorganisms flourish. We don’t need to introduce any yeast into our winemaking, because fermentation is started by what’s growing naturally on the skin of our fruit. And it makes for better wine! The flavours are just so intense.”

Candice says visitors to CRFT are increasingly aware of sustainable, chemical-free practices in the growing of their food and drink. “They’re part of a bigger movement of people who are aware of what’s going into their bodies. They’re aware of what we’re doing to our planet and they want to leave something better for their children.”

In spring, Candice will be introducing the first beehive to the winery to help boost pollinator populations. Perhaps it’s the wine buzz we all need to feel.

I want to make a natural connection…

Three things you might not know. Plant garlic next to your roses and it not only repels aphids, it makes the roses’ perfume more intense. You can use nettles to inoculate (kick start) your compost heap. And when there’s a descending moon, check out your fruit bowl – because the fruit is likely to have ripened more quickly.

The Jurlique Farm Tour is your entry into the world of botanicals. It’s also your access point to the beautiful 105-acre property that underpins one of Australia’s most successful skin care producers.

Acquired by Jurlique in 2011, the ex-dairy farm behind Hahndorf is now alive with herbs, flowers and trees (as well as 50 resident kangaroos and the odd wandering grey heron). Host Fay Calliott leads guests on a gentle 1.5hour tour to discover the propagating houses, the display garden and the drying room: they get to smell the unique Jurlique rose (it took 10 years to breed), see the summer mist of purple over the lavender fields, and feel the benefits to human skin conferred by plants as diverse as horse radish, violets and marshmallow.

Throughout the tour, a range of Jurlique’s creams and balms are applied to outstretched hands to demonstrate the soothing and fragrant properties of plants. But it’s the application of knowledge that’s equally well-received, especially by gardeners. Jurlique has been nurturing staples like lavender, camomile, calendula and roses since 1985 and continues to introduce new plants to test for benefits like hydration, anti-inflammation and bacterial resistance.

Because the farm is certified organic, there’s lots of good oil on composting and companion-planting. It also practises Biodynamics, the 100-year-old philosophy that sees fertilising, planting and harvesting carried out in accordance with the rhythms of the cosmos.

Unusually for a tour, guests leave feeling smoother and smelling more fragrant than they arrived. And perhaps even a bit more cultivated…

I need to repair…

“COVID has escalated stress, digestive problems and mental health issues,” says Katina Jones. “Our three-day retreat basically allows people to heal. We help them detox and then educate them how to better look after themselves on a daily basis.”

Katina Jones is the director of the Ayurveda Village in Verdun. Together with an Ayurveda doctor and two massage therapists, she greets up to four guests at her leafy, Asian-inspired retreat.

The three-day, three-night program begins with an Ayurvedic consultation to understand each guest’s state of being. Then the treatment process begins.

“We advocate silence and self reflection,” says Katina. “A typical day starts at 6.30 with yoga and meditation. Then it’s breakfast – vegetarian of course – before head and body massages, scrub and steam treatments and the use of therapeutic oils to assist with detox. After lunch, afternoons are about rest and reflection. We take a beautiful walk in the afternoon, and after dinner, guests might read or do more yoga. Because it’s a place of healing, there’s no WiFi, no TV and phone use is limited. Guests are asleep by 9pm.”

Katina says visitors to Ayurveda Village are all ages and from all walks of life -- “from students to CEOs”. Wherever they’re from, by Day 3, all have discovered a daily routine that helps them feel mentally and physically rejuvenated. “There can be a lot of emotions by Day 3,” she adds. “But when they leave, they look different. They look refreshed, like a weight has been lifted. They look like they have a new lease of life.”

I want to actively connect…

“Don’t be surprised if you sleep really well tonight!” Deborah Fehler is one of 800 international guides trained in the art of ‘Forest Bathing’. On most weeks, she can be found taking up to 10 guests around Lake Playford in Belair National Park on a 2.5hour walk.

Forest bathing is inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, which sees stressed out city-dwellers retreating to forests to reconnect with nature and still their unsettled minds. At no time does anyone actually get wet, though it’s certainly a process of immersion.

During the walk, Deborah regularly stops the group to issue an ‘invitation’. Some invitations are calming – like when she leads a few minutes of meditative reflection, inviting participants to open each of their five senses to the natural surroundings. Some are playful – like her invitation to seek out a treasure in the forest that “speaks to you in some way”. And some are quite challenging – like the invitation to find ‘the secret rhythm of the forest’ which stimulates all manner of interesting digressions and insights.

Everyone is encouraged to share what they find or what they feel and Deborah notes the stages of immersion. Increased curiosity for instance is a sign that people’s minds are beginning to slow. “We’re cultured out of being playful and curious,” she says, “but nature allows us to rediscover both.”

Before long, guests are quite comfortable with the silences, the gentle inquiries of tree bark and scented gum leaves, the sharing of ideas. The time passes remarkably quickly and the session is concluded with a final invitation to take strawberry gum leaf tea and enjoy a spread of chocolates, cashews and grapes. On the final sharing, people volunteer that they feel strangely moved, while others realise they need to start taking more notice of the natural gifts around them.

Wellness Wander

In a national first, the Adelaide Hills will play host to Australia's very first Wellness Wander from 1-3 April, 2022. With a curated program of events that aim to enhance, kickstart or increase mental, physical and social wellbeing, this inaugural weekend-long program will traverse the entire region from Stirling, to Hahndorf, Mount Barker to Lobethal, Crafers to Paracombe and beyond, as passionate locals throw open their doors, farm gates, studios and shops to help us all escape, unwind, relax and refresh.

From meandering through local markets to picking farm fresh produce, tasting artisan products, connecting with nature and wildlife or soothing stress with indulgent, creative and mindful activities, the event will harness some of our region's most enriching experiences, providing a welcome escape from an otherwise complicated world.