CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT The Restaurant
at Montalto vineyard in Red Hill South has
been awarded 11 Chef’s Hats since 2002.
Goats graze at Main Ridge Dairy, a
farmhouse cheese factory. Bucolic scenes
are rife on the Mornington Peninsula.Astrid and Linda meditate
at Bells at Killcare.Try a retreat
A
er a 90-minute drive north
of Sydney, away from my
frenetic city life, I’m more than
ready to relax. I’ve arrived at Bells at
Killcare on the NSW Central Coast
for a Cleanse and Nourish Mother
Daughter Yoga Weekend with my
mum, Linda. The retreat is set up so
that mothers and daughters can spend
time together while learning about
nutrition, yoga and meditation.
A er becoming acquainted with this
spectacular property, we make our
way to the spa for massages before
we meet the other retreat-goers and
join an evening yoga class led by
yogini Fiona Pullen, director of Surry
Hill’s Ashtanga Yoga Space. Dinner is
served on the verandah overlooking
the garden and proves to be delicious.
This weekend, the head chef of
Manfredi at Bells, Cameron Cansdell,
is serving up meals devised by host
and nutritionist Michele Chevalley
Hedge, using locally sourced fi sh
and vegetables from the garden.
The next morning, during yoga, we
learn to synchronise the movement
of our bodies with our breath, using a
series of poses that build heat within.
This helps us to clear our minds,
detoxify our bodies and gives a sense
of wellbeing. A erwards, I notice a
sense of calm washing over me.
We spend the a ernoon learning
about nutrition: how to read food
labels, the di erence between good
and bad fats, about complex carbs and
how to make healthy food choices. As
Michele tells us, “there is nothing as
powerful as a person who feels good
about their physical body, mental
balance and emotional resilience”.
As I discover, that’s an e ective
approach for a person like me, and
it’s also relevant for my mother, who
still has my brothers at home and
is always running around doing
something for someone else. I feel
pleased that we are learning how to
look a er ourselves, together.http://www.bellsatkillcare.com.au. (^) >
Astrid Taemets
Photography by John Laurie/bauersyndication.com.au (Mornington Peninsula), Rob Shaw (yoga). Elizabeth Wilson travelled courtesy of Tourism Victoria. Astrid Taemets stayed courtesy of Bells at Killcare.