Rediscover your mojo at women’s wellness weekend

JULIA WADE

Spending a weekend surrounded by panoramic ocean views, unwinding, tuning inward and taking on local pristine surf with other like-minded women, is now an affordable reality with the launch of Aotearoa Surf’s brand-new, all-female surf and yoga programme.

The Women’s Wellness Weekend, April 23–25, offers adult women an opportunity to escape for a two-day holistic mix of both fitness and relaxation, combining surfing, Slow Hatha Flow Yoga and a whole lot of fun. Onsite accommodation is either glamping or one of the modern eco-pods, with a healthy breakfast, lunch, and all surfing equipment provided with massages and spa treatments an option.

Suitable for all ages, stages and fitness levels, the weekend is a chance to either learn to surf or refine surfing techniques in the clear waters of Te Arai, and was partly inspired from the popular ‘Surf Sistas’ weekly group, Aotearoa Surf’s owner Che Burnett says.

“The programme has amassed from our long experience of doing women’s surfing and yoga days, fitness days, and surf lessons for all levels,” he says. “We also provide surfing lessons for a number of other retreats and what they often offer is a fast-paced fitness approach. However, after talking with women, we’ve found that they’re looking for a step back, a bit more of a quiet and relaxed pace, not running up hills.”

Already nearly full, the programme has been popular with enquiries coming in from all over the country, with one woman flying up from Wellington.

“A lot of our customers are local and from Auckland and what we’re trying to do is offer an opportunity for anyone in the country to come for the weekend, as previously a lot of what we’ve offered hasn’t been accessible to those who live further away.”

Although spaces are limited to just ten individuals at a time, the Women’s Wellness Weekend programme will also be offered frequently throughout the year, with one more planned in May before the end of the season, and restarting again from September, Burnett says.

“We plan on offering the weekend every four to six weeks. As retreats go, the cost is amazing as some can cost thousands of dollars,” he says “It’s a good few solid days of escape, with fun times watching your surf photos and we all go out to dinner, it’s a great time, a chance for women of all ages to unwind, relax, have fun… to have a bit of zen time.”

n To book or find out more visit aotearoasurf.co.nz, email surf@aotearoasurf.co.nz, or phone 431 5760.