Bhavana, which means ‘spiritual cultivation’, is nestled just a few leafy kilometres from the township of Newrybar. Yes, it’s a cooking school – but not as you know it. At Bhavana it’s about more than just the process and knowledge of preparing food –  the classes delve deep into health and wellbeing, in a passionate bid to help others develop an authentic understanding of the significance of food, where it comes from and how food can act as a healing source. Every element of the picturesque 125-acre farm, from the herd of Black Angus, to the wandering chickens and glorious organic gardens, will play a role in your cooking experience at Bhavana.

The full-day classes, which are kept tight with a maximum of ten people, include hands-on harvesting, preparing and cooking, a delicious sit-down lunch overlooking the hinterland, sampling of organic and biodynamic wines, recipes, educational notes and a few goodies to take home with you. There are a number of different and carefully designed classes to choose from – like the Nuture and Nourish with Slow Cooking, which covers the life-changing art of slow cooking for ‘fast’ people and the Nourish Your Gut, which is all about attending to your inner garden. The Bhavana organic farm and cooking school came to life at the passionate hands of three talented ladies – Greta Smith, Jo Rushton and Susie Cameron – who turned a collective dream of creating a wholefood cooking school in the Byron Bay hinterland into a reality. The wondrous farm was formerly a macadamia plantation and features a main homestead beneath a grand fig tree, with the cooking classes held nearby in the property’s beautifully renovated dairy bails. You can find out more about Bhavana and make bookings online.