About Bunyara Retreat House

Bunyara Retreat House is a place created for slowing down.

Set within the rainforest of the Sunshine Coast hinterland, Bunyara offers a quiet, self-guided retreat for individuals or couples who are feeling stretched, depleted, or worn down by the demands of modern life, and who are seeking time and space to rest, reflect, and renew.

Bunyara is not a therapy clinic, a wellness resort, or a productivity retreat. It does not ask guests to work on themselves or strive for change. Instead, it offers carefully held conditions that support settling, clarity, and renewal, allowing space for perspective and care to return in their own time.

Everything about Bunyara has been designed to reduce noise, pressure, and demand, and to invite a gentler, more sustainable pace of being.

Our Story

Bunyara grew from a shared recognition that many people are not failing or falling apart, but simply exhausted.

Over time, we noticed how persistent pressure, responsibility, and constant stimulation can quietly erode wellbeing, even in people who are capable, conscientious, and outwardly coping well. We also noticed how rare it has become to find places that genuinely allow the nervous system to rest, without expectation, performance, or instruction.

Bunyara draws inspiration from the bunya tree and its traditions of gathering, connection, refuge, and renewal within nature. The retreat was created to offer a place where people can step away from the demands of modern life, slow down, settle, and reconnect with themselves in a gentler and more sustainable way

Our Hosts

The retreat is shaped by the combined experiences of Dr Stan Steindl and Roselee Krisohos.

Stan’s work as a clinical psychologist has shown him that lasting change often begins not with effort or insight, but with safeness, settling, and compassion. Over time, he has become deeply committed to sharing and promoting compassion and self-compassion as pathways to psychological wellbeing.

Roselee brings a grounded understanding of the pressures of corporate and city life, informed by over 25 years in demanding organisational environments, alongside a deep appreciation for self-care, wellbeing, and yoga. A guiding principle she often returns to is a favourite quote from the Dalai Lama: “Be kind whenever possible. It’s always possible.”

Roselee Krisohos

Stan Steindl

Together, we made a conscious move from city life to the Sunshine Coast, recognising both the benefits and the costs of sustained urban and corporate pressure. While we still value and enjoy the energy of the city, we have come to deeply appreciate the restorative role of nature, quiet, and space. Bunyara is, in many ways, an expression of that choice.

A Short Introduction

A Little More

Our Approach

The approach at Bunyara Retreat House is grounded, compassionate, and informed by contemporary psychological understanding.

At its heart is a simple recognition: stress, anxiety, and burnout are natural responses to prolonged demand and nervous system activation. When pressure becomes constant, the body and mind can lose their capacity to settle, rest, and recover.

Rather than pushing for insight or change, the retreat invites a different stance, one that prioritises rest, safeness, and gentle attention. From this place, clarity, balance, and renewal often begin to emerge naturally.

The self-guided structure provides quiet guidance without instruction or expectation. Practices are invitational and adaptable, allowing each guest to engage in a way that feels right for them. No prior experience with retreats, meditation, or psychological work is required.

Our Setting

Bunyara Retreat House is nestled within lush rainforest, offering privacy, filtered light, birdsong, and a deep, steady quiet. The natural surroundings create a sense of separation from the pace and demands of everyday life, allowing space for a different rhythm to emerge.

The setting plays an essential role in the retreat experience. For many guests, time in nature provides a calm, non-demanding presence that gently supports rest and reflection. As people settle into the quiet and the natural rhythm of the space, a sense of ease and spaciousness often begins to unfold.

The accommodation has been designed to feel warm, simple, and grounding, with comfort without excess and space without distraction. Every detail has been considered to support rest, settling, and a more easeful way of being.

Enquire About Your Stay

Our Guests

Bunyara is often well suited to people who are functioning, capable, and responsible, but who feel depleted rather than restored by the pace of their lives.

This includes individuals or couples who:

are experiencing ongoing stress, burnout, or emotional exhaustion
feel worn down by responsibility, caregiving, or high-demand roles
are navigating life transitions or periods of reassessment
want quiet structure without intensive therapy or group work
value privacy, simplicity, and time in nature

Bunyara may not be the right fit for those seeking crisis support, intensive psychological treatment, or a highly structured or activity-focused retreat.

Because the retreat is self-guided and many guests arrive carrying fatigue or vulnerability, we invite all potential guests to begin with an enquiry. This allows us to ensure the experience is supportive, appropriate, and well matched to each person at this time.

Mission and Values

Our mission is to offer a calm, ethically held space where people can rest, reflect, and renew, without pressure to perform, improve, or explain themselves.

Our values include:

Care before convenience

Prioritising suitability, safety, and thoughtful support over ease or volume.

Simplicity

Fewer demands, fewer distractions, and more room to listen inwardly.

Compassion

Understanding stress and burnout as human experiences, not personal shortcomings.

Respect for readiness

Honouring where each person is, without pushing for change before it is possible.

Connection with place

Recognising the restorative role of nature, quiet, and time in supporting wellbeing.

Bunyara Retreat House exists to create conditions in which steadiness, compassion, and perspective can gently return.