Physio-Led Burnout Recovery Retreat with Wildlife Rescue, Victoria

A typical day starts whenever you want it to. Breakfast is a self-serve buffet from 7am to 11am — cereals, fresh bread, fruit, yoghurt, and DIY eggs, with proper coffee. From there you pick from the day's sessions: physio-led aerial yoga, reformer Pilates, a myofascial release workshop, or time in the Zen Room with the massage chairs. The float tank, infrared sauna, red light therapy bed, mineral spa and cold plunge are available throughout your stay, and you can book in as often as you like.

What separates this from a standard wellness retreat is who runs it. Jill Mentiplay is an AHPRA-registered physiotherapist and 1000-hour registered yoga teacher, and the movement sessions are built by people with clinical training, not lifestyle coaches. The float therapy, sauna, red light and cold plunge are chosen because there's research behind them for stress, sleep, muscle recovery and blood pressure — not because they photograph well. If the science isn't there, it isn't on the programme.

Afternoons might include a guided bike tour of Lake Benalla, a self-defence workshop using the Tony Blauer system, or an hour helping at the wildlife shelter. Mini-Goat Happy Hour runs daily, and there's mulled wine by the firepit in the evenings. Everything is optional — the team is explicit that skipping activities is normal and not grounds for complaint.

The property is a real farm, and they're upfront about it. Expect high-quality rooms and good food, but also dust, mud, wildlife and the occasional roo poo. Benalla is six minutes away if you need a chemist, supermarket or barista coffee. Parking is on-farm, and VLine train pickups from Benalla Station are included.

Groups of eight or more can take over the whole farm — ten private rooms — for corporate retreats or gatherings. The pitch is physio-led programmes and proper coffee rather than trust falls, with the wildlife shelter as a shared activity that tends to flatten hierarchies fast.

What's included

- Private cabin accommodation with ensuite - All meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) - Float therapy sessions in magnesium salt tank - Red light therapy sessions - Infrared sauna sessions - Reformer Pilates workshops - Aerial yoga sessions (yin and flow) - Myofascial release workshop - Massage and access to massage chairs in the Zen Room - Heated mineral spa, swimming pool and cold plunge - Guided bike tour of Lake Benalla - Self-defence workshop (Tony Blauer system) - Mini-Goat Happy Hour - Wildlife shelter experience - Firepit with mulled wine - VLine pickup from Benalla Station - On-farm parking - Proper coffee

What's not included

- Travel to Benalla (unless arriving by VLine, which is included) - Personal expenses - Beauty treatments (facials, manicures) - Alcohol beyond the mulled wine provided - Additional nights beyond the booked retreat