“Rest and self care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.” Elenor Brownn

This past weekend, a few of my closest friends here in Brisbane went down to Byron Bay for a little retreat and it was just LIFE GIVING.

We stayed at Collective Retreat in Bangalow, owned by Lisa Messenger – “My vision? A bright, white space with cosy corners and inspiring workplaces, eye-catching crafts and one-off pieces of art that light up the creative areas of your mind. I wanted the bedrooms to be cool, calm sanctuaries and the kitchen to be a hub that encouraged laughter, chatter and late-night discussions.”

Three of us left the house at 5.15am the first day to do the Byron Bay Lighthouse walk, and watch the sunrise. It was SO worth the early morning.

The walk was beautiful. Breathing in that cool salty air was incredibly refreshing.

My highlight of the trip was diving into the sparkling ocean (much to the horror of my friends), but it honestly wasn’t very cold! We had just seen a pod of dolphins before I jumped in, it was magical.

After our walk and my swim, we had brunch at Bayleaf – I’d HIGHLY recommend the Dukkah poached eggs on sourdough. After browsing the shops at Byron, we headed back to Bangalow to snuggle up on the couch with hot tea and a good book.

I was lucky to book a last minute hour massage at Bangalow Remedial Massage. I can even begin to describe how next level amazing it was. There are no words.

The next day we headed to the most gorgeous little town called Newrybar to have breakfast at Harvest. Newrybar only has a handful of shops, but they are all so beautiful – my favourite is Newrybar Merchants, a collaborative concept store that brings like minded people with a passion for what they do together in a way that compliments the old world charm of the village. All of these amazing artists are showcasing their wares in a beautiful 1890’s house. I could have spent the whole day looking around!

I came away from the weekend feeling rested, but also with a deep joy and thankfulness. I’ve only been in Brisbane for just over a year now, and I’ve made some lifelong friends. It’s so important to gather and foster community around you! I craved community, so I invited these girls into our home every couple of weeks on a Thursday evening for conversations (we’ve been following the Propel series), peppermint tea, prayer and encouragement.

Our house is small, it’s not always tidy, and it would have been easier to make excuses why I couldn’t do it. But I am so glad I did.

We want to make our retreat an annual event, I’m already excited for the next one! Let me know, do you plan retreats away with your friends? If yes, tell me where you’ve been! If no, where would you like to go? Comment below, I’d love to hear from you! xx