Retreat a sanctuary from the storm
A night at the quiet and secluded retreat in tiny Colville is a perfect antidote to the horrors facing the world, writes
If there is one thing we could all use right now, it is universal unity, and you will certainly get more than an inkling of what harmonious living is like at the Mahamudra Centre for Universal Unity in the tiny Coromandel town of Colville.
Founded by Colville locals Roy Fraser and Sally Barraud with the help of Tibetan Buddhist teacher Lama Zopa Rinpoche in the early-1980s, the retreat centre welcomes anyone looking for time out from their regular routines, irrespective of religion.
You can join one of the many retreats on offer, stay in the simple but comfy rooms and cabins, take part in a guided meditation session, browse the spiritual- and philosophical-focused books in the library, or simply stroll around the sprawling gardens with their statues and colourful Tibetan stupa.
I discovered the centre, a charitable trust affiliated with the international Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition, after researching accommodation in the area, so that I could finally tackle the Coromandel Coastal Walkway.
For me, it ticked all the main boxes: it was within reasonable driving distance of the start of the walk, it looked peaceful, and it was great value – rooms are from $60 a night.
Staying in a self-contained cabin, I could also cook my own dinner – a definite bonus when the only cafe in town closes mid-afternoon.
Arriving on a Saturday morning, I was mildly offended when fellow guests sitting in companionable silence on the sunny deck didn’t return my ‘‘hi’’, but I quickly forgave them (and silently begged their pardon) when I learnt they were on a silent retreat.
You would be hard-pressed to find a more peaceful place to stay than a silent retreat centre, so I took full advantage of it, exploring the threehectare grounds sheltered by the hills of the Coromandel Range before collapsing in a chair on my private deck with a book.
There was no TV, but the stars put on a far better show than any reality series I have seen lately, and the mournful cries of invisible moreporks proved a more effective treatment for insomnia than my natural sleeping pills.
The sealed road becomes gravel just north of Colville, giving it a frontier town vibe and, from there, the scenery gets more spectacular. I follow the road up the western side of the peninsula, which passes a string of calm bays shaded by po¯ hutukawa so big and gnarly they are surely geriatric specimens, before heading – somewhat scarily – into the hills.
Reaching the top of the hill above Port Jackson stopped me in my tracks. Grey skies did nothing to dent the beach’s creamy, curvy, golden hill-backed beauty.
Fletcher Bay, my starting point for the Coromandel Coastal Walkway is another rural coastal dream, as is the walk itself, which slices between farmland, native bush, and the Pacific, under the shadow of sacred Mt Moehau en route to sun-bleached driftwood-strewn, deliciously secluded Stony Bay.
Back at the retreat centre, I soaked up the Zen vibe, wishing I was on the retreat so I could join the group in the exquisitely decorated meditation hall (guests are welcome to join meditation sessions when retreats aren’t under way).
Still, sitting in my deck chair, listening to the cicadas sing, had a similarly soothing effect.
It would be wonderful if some of those threatening our universal unity at present could spend some time there.