Spotlight On: Bina Maya

The last few months have been tumultuous for us all. Whether you’ve been home schooling, working on the front line or pivoting your business, you’re definitely due a break.

Bina Maya, which means ‘our house in the light of the morning’ in the local Aboriginal dialect, is the perfect place to embrace the new normal. There’s no need to venture out when owner Sara Greay arranges sumptuous breakfast deliveries, yoga sessions on the balcony and a private chef experience. While there are pristine beaches, incredible wineries and the Cape Track mere moments away, you won’t want to leave the peaceful surrounds – Bina Maya is made for social isolating.

Whether you’re bringing family or a group of friends, this is the place to recharge and revitalise. It’s time to discover Bina Maya.

Writer Lizzy Pepper and her young family spent a weekend before regional borders re-opened and only ventured as far as the nearby Yallingup Wood Fired Bakery – bliss!

Bina Maya is a decadent ‘home away from home’ ideally located in hilly bushland just seven minutes from Dunsborough and Yallingup. It’s the place to luxuriate; remedial massages on the deck, meals delivered for your arrival, a private chef or an in-house Flametree wine tasting are all on the menu.

Owners Sara and Tim Greay have thought of everything; from underfloor heating and Scandinavian wood fires to keep you warm in winter to beach towels in summer. Receiving the pre-arrival pillow menu email nearly brought tears to my eyes – waking up in a king size bed with views of eucalypt forest is exactly what my frayed heart needed.

Designed and built by award winning builder Adrian Zorzi in 2018, Bina Maya consists of two high end homes. We stayed in the Villa, a fully equipped two-bedroom, two-bathroom luxury home. Adjacent, but out of earshot, is the Residence, a four-bedroom home designed for up to eight guests.

My young girls spent their days exploring the bush and collecting sticks on which to roast marshmallows in the fire pit. At night they bundled into a huge bath, filled with local organic suds. Speaking of which, you too might indulge in some retail therapy; Solas Sweet Dreams Spray, Vasse Virgin Olive Oil Facial Cleanser and Enliven Organics Botanical Mint Handwash are superb local products.

I loved the autumn sunlight streaming through oversize windows, and the window seats – the perfect spot to snuggle up with a book.

Standing on the private deck, look out for wild kangaroos on the lawn and an array of birdlife. Take a walk through the seven-acre property, across the winter creek and follow firebreaks past peppermints, marri trees and ancient Balga (grass trees).

Getting out in nature is the best medicine, and we saw mother kangaroos with their joeys, splendid wrens, Western whistler and a scarlet robin. Dozens of ring-necked parrots noisily roost in the trees at Bina Maya, and we suspect white- and red-tailed black cockatoos would fly through the property, stopping to feast on gum nuts from the marri trees.

Take a longer walk to collect loaves hot from the oven at Yallingup Woodfired Bakery – savoury loaves are ready by about 2.30pm and the fruit bread around 3.30pm, Monday to Saturday.

At sunset we lit the fire pit and toasted marshmallows, much to the girls’ delight. Just like the Nordic fireplace, the fire pit had been prepared with kindling and wood, ready for us to light.

Sara and Tim are thrilled to welcome guests back as travel restrictions are eased, although a down south getaway might look a bit different to usual. “Indulge in plenty of bushwalks, trips to the beaches and Yallingup sunsets” says Sara and be sure to plan meals ahead. “It will be a different experience – lots of restaurants and wineries are open for takeaway including nearby Goanna Café and Chow’s Table.”

During current Stage 2 restrictions, some cafes and restaurants are re-opening with a maximum 20 patrons at a time allowed to dine in. Many are offering takeaways and ready meals to re-heat at home.

Staying in such glorious surrounds with a beautifully equipped kitchen, it made sense to ‘dine in’. Sara organised a luscious breakfast platter piled with fresh fruit, homemade granola and berries and croissants, delivered by the fabulous Art of Grazing, who also whip up wonderful grazing platters. Treat yourself to a daily brekkie delivery and a decadent cheese board for later.

Sara is a passionate foodie and will happily recommend local providores and farmers markets, and help organise ready meals, restaurant bookings or a private chef to cook for you. Additionally, ask her about in-house yoga, pilates and remedial massage.

Bina Maya Gallery opened in early 2020 as a satellite gallery for Japingka Aboriginal Art in Fremantle, and sadly, the gallery space is temporarily closed. Sara and Tim look forward to re-opening it and once again showcasing Indigenous West Australian fine art.

As the world returns to normal, Sara will once again revel in recommending all the wonderful winery restaurants

A weekend at Bina Maya confirmed what so many of us have learned in 2020; that nature brings so much joy. Watching my children collect gum nuts, hearing squawking parrots, roasting marshmallows on a fire – what an absolute privilege.

Photo credits: Rachel Claire @fieldnotes__