You could say the original driving force in creating River Valley was a desire to share such a spectacular and beautiful location with others.

We have been successful in this, and some might say too successful with too many people at times – at least pre-Covid.

However, the last few months have certainly given plenty of time for reflection, and from this, we have come to appreciate that we like fewer people. I think it would be fair to say that both ourselves and our current guests have enjoyed the peace of the place, allowing the latter in particular to unwind and rejuvenate themselves.

That is not to say that we have just been sitting around the whole time, smelling the flowers as it were. There have been regular rafting trips and a steady number of people on anywhere between 2 and 8-day horse treks.

An unexpected bonus of this slower pace has been the opportunities to talk with our guests. Having the time to talk to people has not always been the case in the recent past.

I particularly enjoy hearing their feedback and the ideas they sometimes have. When you are deep inside a project, business, farm or other organisation, it can be challenging to be open to new ideas or simply see things differently.

One piece of feedback we have heard consistently is how River Valley Lodge is ideal for holding a retreat.

I need to clarify what is meant by a retreat.

We have always hosted some corporate retreats. These are sometimes in the nature of team building, sometimes planning workshops, and sometimes catch-ups with geographically separated staff.

However, it is not so much corporate retreats that people are suggesting.

They suggest art retreats, health-related retreats, yoga retreats, educational retreats, writers retreats and gardening workshops. No doubt there are others not on this list.

We agree with them!

River Valley Lodge in these Covid times is the ideal place to hold a retreat. We have the facilities, friendly staff, great food, much of which is grown on-site, and a beautiful setting.

With retreats in mind, we plan to hold a Permaculture Design Certificate two-week course in the Spring of 2021. The only thing stopping us from confirming dates at the moment is obtaining the services of suitably qualified tutors. If you know of someone, please get them to contact us!

On the subject of tutors, retreats and workshops, if you have a specific event in mind, and are looking for somewhere to host it, we would encourage you to consider River Valley.

To be honest, we have no desire to return to the days of being almost overwhelmed by the number of people coming through the door. Instead, we wish to share this piece of paradise with people who genuinely appreciate it.

If you think River Valley could be the place for a workshop, course or retreat, whether for a day or a week, give us a call. I am sure we can help make it a success.

 

Brian Megaw

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