OUT OF OFFICE
Goop entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow brought the phrase ‘conscious uncoupling’ into the mainstream. Now, an exclusive corporate retreat near Byron Bay is popularising ‘conscious conferencing’.
An exclusive corporate retreat near Byron Bay is popularising ‘conscious conferencing’
In 2014, Gwyneth Paltrow broke the internet when she posted a statement on her Goop website announcing that she and her husband, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, were not getting divorced. No. Instead, they had decided to “consciously uncouple”. Paltrow explained, “We have come to the conclusion that while we love each other very much, we will remain separate.” By using the word ‘uncoupling’ rather than ‘divorce’, Paltrow aimed to cast their decision in a more positive light; ‘conscious’ would better communicate respect, amiability and selfreflection (to avoid repeating mistakes). It’s this ‘conscious’ concept that an exclusive new corporate retreat near Byron Bay has embraced, catapulting it high above the standard Australian conference venue.
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House leads with the words conscious conferencing in capital letters. It offers a place of refuge, where strung-out executives can reflect on their personal and professional lives, to cultivate not only their own happiness, but also that of their staff. Myriad wellness services are on offer, including yoga, Pilates and cooking classes, in a beautifully designed property full of native timber and other natural materials that embody barefoot luxury.
Emma Lane (whose long blonde locks and beatific smile are a bit Paltrowesque) is the brainchild behind The Beach House, along with her husband Tom Lane, the former managing director of his family’s fashion and accessories empire, Oroton. The husband-and-wife team also owns and operates The Farm Byron Bay, a cult paddock-to-plate destination that attracts half a million visitors each year, as well as The Range, a unique homestay and creative studio with an artist-in-residence exchange arrangement. In a classically bohemian (and very Byron) lifestyle, the couple also reside at The Range with their four children. “There’s the main homestead [where we live] and two converted barns that operate as farmstay cabins,” says Emma. “The property is 120 acres [49 hectares], so the cabins are actually very private.”
This charming invite-an-artist-home attitude extends into all areas of The Farm collective, the Lanes’ combined business ventures. In her pre-Byron life, Emma worked at top advertising agencies in London and Sydney, giving her a great eye for artistic talent. But above and beyond that discernment is her commitment to community and the environment. “Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do,” she says. “We’re working on regeneration projects to replant rainforest at The Range, support local marine conversation at The Beach House and rejuvenate Simpsons Creek at The Farm.”
She has also created the Grow, Feed, Educate, Give Back Program, which teaches kids about organic farming and is linked to the Australian Curriculum. The plan is to work with a strategic partner to roll out the lessons into childcare centres and schools around the country — because having three thriving eco-hospitality businesses in the Byron area is only the beginning.
With so many plates in the air, Emma relishes any time she gets to relax at home with Tom and the kids. “Our favourite thing about living at The Range is the floor-toceiling windows capturing views across the valley to the Cape Byron Lighthouse,” she says. “We often sit and watch the storms roll in. On windy days, we see resident wedge-tailed eagles soaring on the thermal currents. It’s like a real-life nature show.”