It’s a good time to join our frankie fellows subscriber club. Not only will you receive a bonus poster with every single issue, you could win a two-night stay at one of Australia’s nicest health retreats.

Thanks to the wonderful folks at The Good Index (Australia’s leading retreat guide) you and a pal could win a two-night stay at one of their favourite destinations: Life At Springfield, located in Avoca, New South Wales.

To be in the running to win this rather epic prize, pop your name in the prize draw here and tell us in 25 words or less what your relaxation ritual is and why you love it. Entries are open exclusively to frankie subscribers and closes on October 4^th.Is this your first time hearing about The Good Index? Founder Kietah Martens-Shaw gives us everything we need to know about choosing ace health retreats.

How did The Good Index come to be? A few years ago, I’d just launched a new business. While attempting to juggle the demands of a start-up, a side hustle as a wedding planner and a role as a giving friend and partner, I realised I was careering towards burn out. With no idea of how to pull the plug on any element of my life and both my physical and mental health in jeopardy, I reached out to a friend who suggested putting a ‘pause’ on daily life for a week at a wellness retreat.

With no real understanding of what retreats involved or which might be right for me, I plunged into the tangled web of Google... and in that tangled web I stayed. Scrolling through retreat websites and calling to get a summary of their offering, pricing and facilities was a gruelling process, especially in an already time constrained and emotionally fragile state. Why was there not a simple comparison platform that did the hard work for me?

After two life-changing weeks at my chosen retreat (yes, I loved it so much that I extended my stay) I felt reinvigorated by the unique blend of expert support, nutritious meals, physical exercise and precious time out of the grind that the retreat provided. I returned a new woman with the capacity to give life my all again, a knowledge of how to better manage daily pressures, and a tiny seed of an idea for a new business that could help spread the magic of retreats with a wider audience.  

Since then, I have attended countless retreats, my health is back on track and I have launched The Good Index – Australia’s leading retreat guide – created to help streamline the retreat search process and be the go-to platform for hundreds of wellness destinations.

Which retreat activities do you recommend for creative folk? Retreats aren’t just for chilling by a pool, they are also the perfect opportunity for you to learn something new, expand your mind or master a skill. Plenty of retreats offer sessions that will get your creative juices flowing within their wider offering – some of our favourites have been pottery and painting, cooking classes and journaling sessions. For those looking to truly immerse themselves in a week or weekend of creativity, retreats such as Life At Springfield offer some amazing writing courses aimed at reigniting creativity, as well as a permaculture course for any green-fingered souls.

It can be tricky to actually unwind and relax successfully – any tips? Retreats are the best in the industry when it comes to unwinding, so our best tip is to relinquish control and trust the professionals. Our experience is that retreats find ways to relax you without you even being aware – from the feng shui of the rooms, essential oils in toiletries or anxiety reducing foods – you won’t even have had your first massage or yoga session and you’ll already feel your heart rate slowing and your shoulders drop. Outside of the retreat relaxation magic, we encourage you to bring along any home comforts that you know work for you, whether that be earplugs and eye mask for a good night’s rest or your comfiest ancient jumper (retreats aren’t about fashion shows, we promise!).

Anything else we need to know about the wonderful world of wellness retreats? I should probably take this chance to bust the largest myth about retreats: that they’re unfeasibly expensive. Sure, Australia’s larger and better known retreats can have some pretty hefty price tags but there’s hundreds of smaller retreats offering amazing bespoke experiences from under $100 a night. Our price filter makes it super simple to narrow down the retreats that are affordable for you so that everyone can experience the joy of retreats, no matter their budget. Retreat insider tip for you: there’s even a retreat that offers free stays in exchange for help throughout the week!

Don’t forget – new and existing frankie subscribers could win a two-night stay at Life At Springfield courtesy of The Good Index. Head here to enter. 

Not yet a subscriber? Swing by the frankie shop to change all that.