Australian Yoga Journal – July 2019

56

july

2019

yogajournal.com.au

Inotherwords,a mapfortheultimate

yoga road trip so that all you need to do

is pack up your campervan and be on

your merry way – or at least let that be

the dream while you check out one of

the country’s best kept yoga secrets on

your next weekend getaway. Well, yogis

• we’ve done the heavy stretching for
  you and scoped out some seriously
  serene and secret spots for you to slip
  into Savasana all around Australia.

Bendigo, VIC

Bendigo is a far cry from your typical

yoga town, which is part of what makes

it so delightful. An old gold mining

township, you’ll find impressive

Victorian heritage architecture, salt of

the earth locals, tourists curious about

the town’s rich history and, somewhat

surprisingly, yoga. They even run their

own annual yoga festival (www.bendigo.

yogafestival.com.au), which hosts

teachers from around the country

sharing yoga, meditation and more.

Bendigo is also home to Aligning Health

Retreat and Day Spa (www.

aligninghealthretreatdayspa.com) - a

yoga and Ayurveda centre offering yoga

classes, Ayurvedic treatments and a

number of related training courses. You

can pop in for a class on Wednesdays or

Thursdays, book in for some Ayurveda

love (including some more traditional

treatments that aren’t always easy to

find in Aus) or plan a longer B&B

retreat with all the bells and whistles.

Berry, NSW

Berry isn’t exactly off the beaten path

these days – ever since Leonardo

Dicaprio declared his love for this

quaint, Aussie town, tourism has

continued to evolve and explode. It’s a

popular wedding destination and choice

for holidayers looking for a little slice of

hinterlandparadise, escaping the hustle

and bustle of city life. But despite its

growing popularity, it maintains its

small town charm, and since it’s not

exactly a yoga destination (yet), you

definitely won’t be left rolling your eyes

at the spiritual capitalism. In fact, Berry

is home to some of the most authentic

and impressive yoga teachings you’ll

come across – at the local yoga shala

(aka big, beautiful, bright repurposed

backyard tractor shed overlooking

picturesque farm views), Roaming Yogis

(www.roamingyogis.com.au). Classes

are held on weekdays only, or you can

check out one of the farm’s regular yoga

retreats to really soak up the country

vibes (www.willowfarmberry.com.au/

yoga-massage-berry-nsw).

Illawarra, NSW

You’d be surprised just how much the

Illawarra has to offer when it comes to

yoga. This bustling community is so

close to Sydney and yet so far from city

life. An easy stop on any roadtrip,

there’s yoga sprawled along the coast

and some secret gems in the hinterland.

If you’re in the Kiama region drop in for

a class at Emergence Kiama (www.

emergence.net.au) or, a little further

north there’s the super cosy and quaint

Yoga Vidya (www.yogavidya.com.au).

In Wollongong you’ll find an abundance

of modern yoga studios, and if you feel

like something extra special engulfed in

a peaceful patch of rainforest then Ray

of Light yoga (www.rayoflightyoga.com)

in Bulli will tickle your fancy. Here, you

can drop in for class or indulge in a

longer workshop, day retreat or even a

teacher training.

Kempsey, NSW

It doesn’t get much more off the beaten

path than Yoga Alchemy in Kundabung.

BENDIGO, VIC ILLAWARRA, NSW