Back 2 Earth Vegan Health retreat And Animal Sanctuary

We came with our children and grandchildren aged 2 and a half and five and a half excited to feed the animals. Marc met us and it started well. Suddenly Marc received a phone call which kept us waiting for about 15 mins. We were then led to the bunnies shed when Marc was on the phone again. This time for about 20 mins with no explanation or apology. The children became very restless and hungry and wanted to leave. We had to ask to be let out of the bunny rabbit shed and wondered around aimlessly trying to calm the children and pass the time. I then went to approach Marc to ask him how much longer do we need to wait and he said that it is an emergency and won’t take much longer. By the time he was off the phone, the kids were upset, hungry and crying. We managed to get the children to do more feeding, but we had to cut the feeding time short as the kids have really had enough by then. We waited for Marc to finish the feeding on his own. We were then led to have tea and cakes. The cakes and tea were delicious but we felt that they could have been a bit more generous. Overall the experience was very pricey and upsetting for us ($40 per head, children too). We expected to be offered some sort of compensation for the inconvenience, but none was offered. It is a shame because they do have lots of animals and a lovely farm.

Feeding the animals was lovely and the two breakfasts were some of the best vegan food I have tried. Marc was also such a helpful and friendly host. Definitely one of the best weekends away I have had!

Such a relaxing farm stay just 90 minutes south of Sydney. We had the pleasure of staying in the cozy room (queen bed and bunks) and - by far the most exciting part of our stay - helping to feed and groom the variety of animals at the farm.Marc was our host during our 2 nights at the property and introduced us to a small part of looking after the animals. We were able to assist in the feeding of horses, goats, alpacas, a donkey, bunnies, ducks, etc. We had the best time looking after Puddles, Jasper, Buttercup, Pegasus, Hazelnut, Joseph and the rest of the animals.It was such a relaxing experience to get out of Sydney, get some fresh air and detox for a couple of days. We will certainly be back in the near future.

We stayed at Back 2 Earth as a group of two families with 2 toddlers and had very mixed feelings about the experience. On one hand, the hosts were very welcoming, the location and the views were amazing and the experience of feeding animals was pretty unique. On the other hand, we found the advertising overpromising and we were underwhelmed with the quality of the accommodation after paying $350 per night.The ad says the Sunset room comfortably fits 7 people, however, it has a very uncomfortable layout, when you enter one of the rooms through the bathroom. So the family who stays there, may be locked in that room if someone needs a bathroom or have to listen to the toilet flushing during the night. If you go as one family, it might be okey, but if you’re planning to go with your friends, it may feel weird. That room gets REALLY stuffy during a hot night because there is no way the cold air from the air conditioner can reach there, and there was no fan either.The farm has amazing views, but the deck with the outdoor furniture was pretty uncomfortable with a very dirty lounge, you don’t want to touch, not to mention to sit on it, and a broken bbq with no gas. The ad says “you might find yourself picking fruit and veggies, feeding the farm animals, fencing, sweeping out the farm shed, collecting eggs, or prepping food in the kitchen”, in reality you can only feed animals twice a day and all other times they’re locked and not accessible. We were not showed how to pick up fruits, veggies or eggs either. So technically, apart from the feeding time (which was amazing!) there is nothing to do, because you can’t access animals, can’t do bbq and enjoy the deck with the view as it’s pretty uncomfortable.Please, note there is no WiFi and the mobile reception is very patchy. This is absolutely ok for most of the tourists (and would be preferable for us most of the trips), but, unfortunately, this time we had to go to Berry to make a work conference call.

Mice in our room ☹ We had a 2 night stay in the Sunset accommodation and overall I was quite disappointed with our stay. In general from the animal sanctuary perspective, our boys loved interacting with all the animals, they had a great time cuddling the dogs, the donkey, patting the bunnies etc. The location and views were lovely. But there were other areas that could have been a lot better. As a vegan I was excited to try the raw vegan food during our stay. On arrival I asked if there was a menu and I was told that I would have had to order 1 week in advance. This is something I was not aware of, there was no mention of this in the booking confirmation and I was disappointed not to be able to try any of the food. On reading some other reviews, I do agree that the place is somewhat over advertised. On one of the videos on their website they say the provide a unique tailored made experience, but I did not feel this at all. The only experience we had was with the animals. We thought we would be able to pick lots of fruit and veges from the gardens but we were only able to pick some cherry tomatoes as there wasn’t much else to pick. The biggest disappointment with our stay was that there was a mouse in our accommodation. My son said he saw something on our first night and in the morning we discovered mouse poo on the kitchen bench and also found poo in the kitchen cupboards (and also some of our bags once we got home). The most upsetting part is that I saw a review from 3 weeks before where someone mentioned this and that the owners were aware. There might be some people who don’t mind staying with a mouse and cleaning up mouse poo, but I would have appreciated to be told about the issue and then given the option to re-book once the mouse issue had been dealt with or to have had the option of cancelling. When we did tell the owners they said they knew about the mouse, but there was no offer to clean any of the recent droppings or offer us a different room or something. We also had issues with the bbq on our first night (only 1 burner worked), and the outside lights didn’t work so we had to cook using our torches. I also agree with a recent review and the not so clean couch, I didn’t want to sit on it either, maybe better to not have it there at all? As a vegan I really thought we were going to love our stay at Back2Earth and be recommending it to all our our friends, I thought it could be somewhere we came back to visit and see the animals regularly but sadly this wasn’t the case ☹

Wonderful farm life experience; surpassed all expectations. Both our children warmed to Marc quickly. He took time to explain the many aspects of farm living, including what it takes to look after rescue animals, shared each of the animals' individual histories, and answered our boys' many questions over the 5 days we spent there. Our boys loved being able to actively participate in the twice-daily farm chores and learned so much. When our six year old began to consider the ethics of his diet and told Marc he was thinking of becoming vegetarian, Marc surprised us all with some delicious homemade vegan chocolate popcorn.  Values such as kindness, respect, empathy were all part of this immersive farm experience. The house and beds were comfortable, and every morning Marc & Jenny's 3 adorable dogs would greet our children for cuddles. We also had as much time to ourselves as we liked -and visited nearby areas such as the beautiful Kangaroo Valley. We recommend this farm stay to all families or anyone who  is after a peaceful 'getaway.' Our 6 yr old has this to say: please tell everyone who visits the farm to give Puddles (the donkey) a cuddle.""

A great place to get out of the city and relax. Mark was a great host and the farm routine with animal care and feedings was a great experience. Thanks for having us.

Both me and our 19 month young son would live there! That’s how much we loved our 7 nights stay at the Sunset house at Back 2 Earth! What Marc and Jenny have created is beyond just a beautiful place and haven for themselves and their furry and feathery family. It’s a place where you can return to self, in connection to self and every soul and all that is there. It’s peaceful, a no stress zone and the energy of the place and the area is so special! The scenery is breathtaking, overlooking the Berry Mountains and surrounds. Berry is only a short drive away, as is Seven Mile Beach (less than a 15 minute drive!) and the beautiful beaches in Gerringong and Kiama. Even Jervis Bay feels accessible for a day trip, should you want to venture out for day trips. Kangaroo Valley is only just over 20 minutes away. We explored the area, but for a lot of our stay we just unwinded there and nearby! There are so many opportunities both at Back 2 Earth and within reach to really immerse yourself in nature, go for hikes/walks, swim in water holes or just be. Even my partner, who I organised this stay for as part of a surprise get away for his birthday, who after a bad experience as a child, is afraid of animals that are larger than dogs, and is more of a city/snow/ocean person, and is always online, fully and deeply enjoyed the stay and interacting with all the animals and the land, with only very sporadic reception. The memories we made at Back 2 Earth are so wonderful! Some days, me and our son would spend almost 3 hours with Marc, feeding the animals. There are two feeding sessions you are welcome to join in. At the time we were there, they were at 7 am and 6 pm and I can’t see a better way to start the day and wind it down for a toddler (and a mother) who love animals. That Marc is a truly special soul is a bonus! Desmond (our son) was particularly fascinated by Kingston (birdie), the ducks (and clapping to get them inside in the evening) and Puddles the donkey who LOVES cuddles (just like we do) and is so very special and of course, the dogs. Pegasus the ram, Jasper the little horse that was Puddles close friend and all the sheep, goats (even Alfie ) alpacas, mini horses and the chickens, were all wonderful to see on a daily basis! Enjoyed Marc’s vegan raw food breakfasts and dinners on two of our days. Marc balanced all flavors so perfectly, a true treat for the senses and the food was also a treat for the eyes and gut! Marc was very sweet and made mini versions/creations for our little boy! Yet another testament to how wonderful Marc is! The Sunset house in itself is self-contained and a nice place to call your home. If you co-sleep/bed-share with your baby, one of the bedrooms is perfect for that! Whilst it’s of course not a fully baby proofed house (no gates or locks ), it was very safe (once we put away the knives and some other items in the drawers). Desmond enjoyed sitting on a normal chair and loved playing at the front of the house (cleaning it with the broom was a highlight) and he liked the table and benches there that were at a child friendly height! He loved playing in the grass and the gravel and having the lovely dogs around. For a toddler/child, this place is heaven and that means that it’s the same for the parents! I could write a novel about the experience, but don’t want to write too much as everyone’s experience here will be unique. I do hope that many will enjoy and support Back 2 Earth and what the LOVELY owners Marc and Jenny have created and so lovingly do for their animals and each and everyone who stays there and outside. They are wonderful people! I was so deeply relaxed throughout the stay and got so much quality time there with my family and that has remained with me as we’ve now returned to Sydney and work.

Very friendly owners and great for the kids. I’ve been there twice and my kids love it. It’s a bit pricey but it pricy to also feed the animals. I recommend this place to anyone with kids

My partner and I had such a lovely time here. Beautiful relaxing and welcoming. The food was delicious and plentiful, and it was nice meeting all the rescue animals. There's also plenty of local wildlife about including kangaroos and kookaburras. It was the perfect break from the city and we hope to come back soon.