Last Saturday morning I woke up but it felt like I was still dreaming.
Sipping coffee, I looked out at the striking landscape of the Hunter Valley from an enormous wraparound timber veranda, attached to a three-storey cabin-like mansion. The haze was starting to burn off and the sky was clearing from the previous night's rain.
Earlier I'd gone for a tiptoe around the property and locked eyes with a baby kangaroo.
I gazed at the mountains and breathed deeply while listening to soft sounds of laughter and conversation coming from inside. At the breakfast table were others who, like me, were participating in a reading retreat.
The night before I met Pennie, Claire (all the way from Adelaide), Tash, her mother Jacqui (how cute to attend a reading retreat with your mum!) and Megan. We all had our own private rooms (and bathrooms).
Together we dined under the stars by a cosy fire. After my second glass of Australian Malbec from the nearby Briar Ridge Vineyard, the stresses of a hectic week had washed away. The conversations were heavily dominated by opinions and questions of books.
No spine was left behind, from Shakespeare to Britney Spears. These folks were well read and among their people. I can't decide which I like more, reading books or talking about the books I've read.
Before joining the retreat I had to answer a questionnaire for Emily Devine and Katie Bleus, our hosts for the weekend. They are the founders of Reading Retreats Australia and owners of Newcastle bookshop, Betty Loves Books. They psychoanalysed me prior to the retreat and on the Friday night I arrived at my bedroom where there was a beautiful display of books (and various other delights including hand-mixed tea) to devour.
My prescription was: Puberty Blues by Kathy Lette and Gabrielle Carey; The Art Of War by Sun-Tzu; Bite Back by Hannah Ferguson; Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei Brenyah; and a special book with a clue included that I could guess before I unwrap it. How fun! It ended up being The Tall Man by Chloe Hooper.
Along with my physical book prescription, Betty Loves Books had created a longer detailed list, personalised to my tastes for even more books when I finished their current round. Not only that but Katie and Emily fill the cabin mansion with even more books, so if you see something you like, just take it with you!
One of the first activities I ever passionately loved was reading. Growing up in the United States, I won the accelerated reader trophy in my elementary school for several years in a row until I discovered phones, boys and so on. My bittersweet departure from my bookworm era was a transition from childhood into youth.
It felt weirdly appropriate that the first book I read on the retreat was the Australian coming-of-age classic, Puberty Blues. It's fascinating to read 40-plus years after its publication. I read it as a foreigner, despite my recent Australian citizenship. The vernacular is different compared to Aussie slang now. I know nothing of surf gangs and "the cool beaches", downing meat pies and straight-leg Levis, but I can relate to being 13 and thinking only of boys, many of whom are older, some of whom will eventually hurt you.
I set up on a picnic blanket on the side of a grassy hill. I finished the book in less than two hours.
The reading continued throughout the weekend. The house is set up to cater to your reading and/or socialising. The lounge room is dedicated to quiet reading where you can cosy up by the fireplace. A glorious steamy spa begs you to grab a book, a wine, and stay a while.
The meals were exquisite all weekend, catered for each individual's dietary requirements. We ate phenomenal food prepared by Hot Luck Catering morning noon and night. It was decadent.
Reading Retreats Australia was an escape in every single sense, from churning through chapters to champagne to book chatter. The incredible care that these two women put into making sure everyone was looked after was heartwarming. They were like the book butlers, the paiges of pages, knowledgeable on every genre, from memoir to mystery to magical realism, making sure your every last need was met. And, they're a lot of fun to spend a weekend with!
Reading Retreats Australia are booked out for the rest of the year, but there are new openings for 2025. Visit readingretreatsaustralia.com.au to learn more.
The writer was a guest of Reading Retreats Australia
