Welcome to Gymea Eco Retreat & Spa
Uki, (Mt Warning), NSW, Australia
In preparation for your visit, we thought we would share some insights and information to help you prepare for an enjoyable visit with us in this Gymea Welcome Pack.
about the retreat centre
Here at GYMEA eco retreat & spa we are absolutely committed to providing the best sustainable and rejuvenative retreat experience for our guests and partners to enjoy.
Gymea Eco Retreat & Spa is positioned on 54 acres of secluded naturally undulating rainforest, with stunning views of majestic Mount Warning. It is an eco retreat that provides guests with the opportunity to relax and soak up the beauty of its natural surrounds whilst being close to Byron Bay and the Gold Coast.
accommodation & catering
All of the rooms are equipped with luxury eco inner sprung latex topped single or king beds. All bedding, manchester, bathroom and room accessories meet biodynamic, organic or oeko-tex certification standards. Each room includes a shower and toilet.
We will have tailored catering services for your group, consistent with the philosophies of Gymea Retreat. We will have a bounty of wonderful, enriching and healthy food that is generally locally sourced and organic where possible.
weather
Summer at Gymea sees daily top temperatures in the range of 26-30oC with the odd afternoon shower. Autumn & Spring at Gymea are beautiful, with temperatures ranging from 24-27oC during the days, and in Winter we normally enjoy dry crisp days with overnight lows of 10-12oC and highs in the 18-24oC range. However these are all just averages and you can’t predict what’s going to happen while you are here so we recommend you bring something cool & warm just in case of a warm or cool front.
things to bring
| Water Bottle | A good idea to bring one as we don’t allow glassware in the Octagon (hall). We provide filtered & UV sterilized rainwater in all rooms (no single use plastic bottles please) |
| Torches | Torches are really useful to get around the retreat at night as the lights are on timers. If you are considering climbing Mt Warning (Wollumbin) to see the dawn then a torch is mandatory |
| Warm socks or inside shoes |
It is likely your group will be using the Octagon, and the floor can be cold, so warm socks or slippers will make you very comfortable. The Octagon is a sacred space and a ‘no shoe’ zone |
| Togs | For pool and Healing Spa use |
| Toiletries | BYO. We provide organic soap for your basin and shower |
| Feminine hygiene | BYO. NB we are on septic, so please wrap in toilet paper & dispose of in bins provided |
| Hair dryers | BYO |
| Bird book & binoculars |
If you enjoy bird watching (we do), then you should definitely bring your binoculars and bird book along. |
| Camera | The retreat is set in a very beautiful part of the world, and having a camera to capture the nature, birds and to remember your experience is highly recommended |
| Umbrellas | We have some, but if you have a small umbrella it might be useful |
| Books & a musical instrument | Good for any free time you may have |
| Comfortable shoes or runners |
We have gravel paths immediately around the retreat center and day spa, so comfortable, practical shoes will be helpful. |
| Decent walking boots or runners | We have some bush and rainforest walking tracks which you and your group can take advantage of. |
other activities
In addition to your retreat, on your time off you may have the opportunity to enjoy the lush surroundings of our gardens and property, take a walk or simply relax and swim in our beautiful resort style magnesium swimming pool, which has many health benefits.
Guests may also take advantage of the Gymea Healing Spa while they are with us. The spa offers sauna, steam room, plunge pool and contemporary hydrotherapy ozone spa experience, as well as certified organic facial, body treatments and massage. The spa facilities and services are at an additional cost. Bookings for Spa treatments please check with your hosts for more details.
Gymea Retreat is surrounded by World Heritage National Parks and Wollumbin (Mt Warning). A walk up to the top of Wollumbin takes about 90 – 120 minutes depending on fitness levels and enthusiasm – we tend to suggest to people to allow 4 – 5 hours for the whole trip…
You could have a Coastal Experience (at least 30 mins drive), or visit the Tweed River Regional Art Gallery (15 mins drive). Gymea retreat is four minutes from the village of Uki, 12 minutes from Murwillumbah and 45 minutes from Byron Bay and its beautiful beaches.
mobile phone coverage – there is Optus and Telstra mobile coverage at the retreat, and we are hearing that Vodafone is available too
WiFi – you are welcome to access the Wi-Fi in the Dining room for checking emails. Please do not download movies or music etc… L
water supply – Gymea relies on rain fall for all of its water supplies, so please be aware of your consumption
drinking water – our rain water is filtered and uv sterilized to all accommodation rooms and spa and dining facilities. No single use plastic bottles please.
smoke free zone – No smoking on the property please.
septic – Gymea uses a septic system for the treatment of all retreat effluent. These systems cannot process foreign matter, so please wrap (in toilet paper) and place all feminine hygiene articles in the bags and bins provided, and PLEASE no rubbish down the toilet – If you didn’t eat or drink it then please don’t flush it.
walks – We have been working on walking tracks at Gymea over the past few months, and there is now over an hour of walks and track through and around our and our neighbouring properties. Please be aware that our bush and rainforest walks require sturdy walking shoes, thongs can be used but are not recommended.
getting to gymea
Directions to Gymea Eco Retreat & Spa 128 Bonnydoon Road, Uki NSW, 2484,
We have recently updated our web site on how to get to Gymea, please checkout: or “Click” on this link to Google Maps directions page
Taxi: If you wish to arrange a transfer from the airport, you can contact Ken at Murwillumbah Taxi on (02) 6672 1344 OR 1300 732 007
Overview: Gymea Eco Retreat & Spa
Our mission:
Our mission is to create a highly influential sustainable, ecologically and socially responsible retreat that will achieve long-lasting impact on human sustainability through the delivery of world-class sustainable learning and ecotourism experiences. In short we aspire to provide an appropriate venue and environment that will assist and motivate others to co-create a sustainable world through engaging people in the realms of possibility.
Description:
Our retreat centre is set on 50A of secluded naturally undulating rainforest with stunning views of Mt. Warning. Gymea Eco Retreat & Spa provides our guests with a real opportunity to soak up the beauty, engage with one another in a quiet and relaxed environment, whilst being less than 40 minutes from Gold Coast Airport, 45 minutes from Byron and just 4 minutes from the village of Uki.
GYMEA values & aspirations:
Honesty, integrity and authenticity in everything that we say and do
Commitment to providing the best possible sustainable and rejuvenative retreat experience for our guests and partners to experience and enjoy
Commitment to providing a “vessel with integrity” so that our guests and partners find what they are searching for; and to achieve what they came to achieve
Commitment to regeneration and rejuvenation
Commitment to GYMEA working for all; GYMEA becoming “first choice” and therefore GYMEA works for:
- our guests
- & our partners
- & our communities
- & our employees
- & ourselves
- & Mother Nature
Commitment to supporting ourselves and all that we engage with to achieve our collective hopes and dreams
Commitment to a peaceful, harmonious and regenerative world, through engaging in the realm of possibility.
Why the name GYMEA?
When we first arrived on this property we walked the grounds with some friends to discover some mature 6m high Gymea Lilies. Once we understood the significance of these incredible plants we knew that we had found our name sake. Please find below extracts from Australian Bush Flower Essences on the Gymea Lily (Doryanthes excelsa).
Gymea Lily allows a person to draw from its powerful energy and attain the strength to be who they are, and do what they have to do. It enables them to achieve and fulfil their highest destiny, to find what gives them passion, to do what really makes them sing. It is a remedy for those who are willing to lead an extraordinary life, flying high like an eagle, as opposed to living trapped in the numbing mediocrity and mindlessness of consensus reality.
If you are different from others in your views and beliefs or are very successful in your life, the Gymea Lily gives you strength to stay in that position and not be affected or pulled down by negative projections from those around you, or from those who may know of you. Gymea Lily helps you to stay strong and focused on what you know you have to do with such single-minded purposefulness that you are not worried about what other people think of you or how they are judging you.
It is said that the Gymea Lily is also beneficial for those working with other people and helps to promote an environment that is the opposite of what we in Australia call the ‘Tall Poppy Syndrome’. We believe that the Gymea Lily is beneficial in the creation of groves of Tall Poppies, where success is celebrated and enjoyed by all, and is nurtured, encourage and achieved by all.
More information:
Please check-out our website at: www.gymearetreat.com.au
Find out and see more about Gymea Eco Retreat & Spa by visiting our Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/GymeaEcoRetreatSpa
