Going on retreat at Sudarshanaloka
Retreat accommodation is simple, with shared rooms, communal dining and a small shrine room separate from the main house. Meals are vegetarian and we share the cooking and other domestic work amongst those on retreat. We can cater for vegan, gluten and dairy free diets if required.
Retreats start with a shared meal on the first evening. So you can just spend the time to arrive and we'll spend the time to cook up something for everyone to eat.
Lovely swimming holes in the two streams that border the property and bush trails provide plenty of opportunity for outdoor enjoyment, so come prepared to engage with the elements.
What to bring on retreat
As well as your personal gear, including warm clothes in winter you will definitely need:
- Sleeping bag or duvet cover and sheet (there are duvets available)
- Pillow slips (there are pillows - you may prefer to bring your own)
Please note, bed linen is available if you are unable to bring your own - with a $5 contribution to laundry costs. - Towel
- Torch
- Slippers or indoor-only footwear
You might need
- Togs and swimming towel
- Hat and sun protection
- Mosquito net/repellent
- Gumboots or other outdoor footwear
- Raincoat
- Earplugs
- There are cushions, mats, blankets and a few meditation benches in the shrine room. You may like to bring your own if you prefer
You won’t need
- Anything that will prevent you from enjoying the space and simplicity of being on retreat, e.g. books, radios, mobiles, computers.
Kauri-die-back control
Sudarshanaloka is free from the deadly Kauri-die-back disease. Please
help us keep it that way by ensuring that your gear is clean of dirt before you arrive for retreats, then using
the boot cleaning station in the car park as soon as you arrive, and the others when you come across
them. For more information please click on the above link.
Directions
Allow approx 1.75 hours from Auckland with little traffic, but up to 2-3 hours during rush hour.
Approx 3 minutes drive north of Thames (in the direction of Coromandel Town) pass the blue Tararu Dairy on right. Take the second turn on right, Victoria St, opposite retirement village and signposted to Dixon’s Holliday Park and butterfly farm, after a long straight section of road.
Continue up unsealed road for approx four kms, crossing the river three times (two fords then a bridge) until the road opens out on the right to a grassed area with fence and sign saying Sudarshanaloka, land of beautiful vision.
Go through the gate, cross the ford and continue 60m to parking area by the shed. The retreat house is up the stone steps to the left of the shed. Parking space by the house is limited so after unloading please park you car down by the entrance gate.