Style: January 13, 2021

Style | Wellbeing 67
Aro Ha retreat, near Glenorchy, is only 90 minutes’
drive from my home in Wanaka. It’s described as
“a multi-award-winning retreat where wellness traditions
meet luxury”.
I’m not sure what to expect, other than that it will be
beautiful and there won’t be any caffeine (eek!).
Lake Wakatipu is distractingly beautiful as I drive along
the Glenorchy-Queenstown Road and through the
retreat’s electric gates. The cedar-clad retreat buildings
sprawl across a high knoll above the lake, looking out
over Pigeon Island/Wawahi Waka. It’s a landscape straight
out of The Lord of the Rings, so stunning that it’s hard to
believe it’s real.
Manager Paula Ryan greets us in the lounge with
herbal tea and tempting snacks that, like all the cuisine at
the retreat, are entirely made from plants. We sink into
massive sofas, not able to take our eyes off that incredible
view. Slowly, we start to let go of the rush of the world
outside. I’m not a big lover of herbal tea normally, but
here it tastes delicious.
Paula tells us we can put away our watches (and
phones, if we choose) while at the retreat. Staff will come
and find us if we need to be anywhere, and there’s an
intercom system in our rooms to let us know what’s
happening. We don’t even need to set an alarm, because
someone rings a melodic Tibetan bell outside our rooms
in the morning. Not keeping track of time is unsettling
to start with, but as the week progresses it becomes
relaxing to hand over control of your schedule to
someone else, especially if you’re addicted to the stress
of always running just a little late.
The retreat runs a research-based programme focusing
on daily habits, such as meditation and yoga, which can
improve physical and emotional health. The mornings
start early with sunrise yoga in the Aro Ha room.
Watching the sun rise over the lake (mostly) reconciles
me to getting up that early on holiday. A shot glass of
‘elixir’ — made from citrus juice, apple cider vinegar,
turmeric and chilli — delivers a morning jolt nearly as
effective as caffeine.
After yoga, we run over to the dining room for
breakfast. Each meal is so beautifully presented that it
almost seems a shame to eat it, but it doesn’t hold us
back for long. The table is set with a bowl each of dried
blueberries, coconut yoghurt, banana, gluten-free muesli
and fruit. Like all the food at the retreat, it’s absolutely
delicious, and an eye-opener into how satisfying and filling
plant-based food can be.