If your New Year’s resolutions are long forgotten, a visit to a health retreat may be just what you need to kickstart your motivation. We round up the best in the country for some quality pampering.
Escape to Eden
Eden Health Retreat, nestled in the Currumbin Valley on the Gold Coast is Australia’s longest-running health retreat. A winner of Australia’s Best Wellness Retreat at the World Spa Awards, Eden offers luxurious accommodation overlooking the 400 acres of rainforest. Guests are encouraged to choose a bespoke experience, designed and guided by their exceptional healing staff. Choose to sleep in or get up early for some exercise, relax by the fireplace or attend some educational and life-affirming talks, explore the area of outstanding natural beauty or enjoy some pampering and relaxation at the heated pool and spa area. Don’t miss the Hawaiian body massage – it’s an unforgettable session for body and mind. You can do as little or as much as you like, so treat your body to some relaxation with in the state-of-the-art yoga and Pilates pavilion or learn some new moves in the fitness centre. The real star of the show is the nourishing menu, guaranteed to fill your belly and satisfy your cravings. All mouth-watering, organic wholefood meals are enjoyed in the dining area overlooking the beautiful grounds. The magic of Eden will stay with you long after you’ve left the gates. Stay for either a four- or seven-night experience (or longer!) with all meals, accommodation and activities included.
Mountain top escape
If a day on the ski slopes or just being in the mountains ticks your relaxation requirements then gather your girlfriends for a three-day skiing retreat at Perisher Snow Resort with Snowlife Tours. Founded by friends and qualified ski instructors Tennille and Emma, the three-day getaway is the ideal place to enjoy some time on the slopes, delicious meals and a pampering spa treatment to ease those aches and pains. Hit the slopes in the morning before tucking into a gourmet and champagne long lunch. Spend the afternoon in the day spa followed by sunset drinks or hot chocolate. If you’re feeling energised after all that pampering, bar hop your way around Perisher and Smiggins. Groups are kept to a minimum of just three people, so grab your besties and book your girls’ time.
Island escape
If the daily grind is getting you down and you are in need of some one-on-one time with your partner, then a visit to The Reef House Boutique Hotel & Spa overlooking the beach at Palm Cove in Tropical North Queensland, Australia, is just what your relationship may need. The wellness is an adults-only wellness resort designed to help you re-establish connections with your partner and yourself. Guests can join gentle exercise classes, stimulate their minds with an evening talk on the Great Barrier Reef or a game of chess or enjoy a three-day spa package to detoxify and rejuvenate during their holiday. The Reef House has Escape Planning Specialists to customise a personalised itinerary of experiences to ensure total rest, relaxation and rejuvenation for each guest. Look for their new Sleep Easy retreat, a guide to help guests achieve the perfect night’s sleep.
Set goals at Gwinganna
Based in Tallebudgera Valley in the southern Gold Coast hinterland, Gwinganna is the ideal place to help you rest and re-focus on health. Guests can relax and explore over 200 hectares of pristine bushland abundant with native animals and birds including wallabies and koalas. Choose from a two-night Wellness Weekend, through to longer stays. Facilities include two infinity-edge swimming pools, indoor activity studios and pavilions, wellness education complex and the stunning Spa Sanctuary, the largest spa in the Southern Hemisphere. You won’t go hungry with their sumptuous wellness-based cuisine of seasonal, local and organic wholefoods with much of the produce harvested daily from the extensive onsite gardens.
Get some rest
Restful Waters, a wellness retreat in Western Australia, is nestled in the picturesque Perth Hills, offering a tranquil haven for those seeking to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life. This peaceful retreat provides an environment where guests can connect with nature, unwind from stress, and rejuvenate their mind, body, and soul. Whether you’re interested in yoga, meditation, or wellness, they will find a program that’s right for them. Some of the most popular programs include the one- and two-day Meditation and Mindfulness Retreats, perfect for those looking to relieve stress and anxiety. The Urban Unburden Yoga Retreat offers a unique blend of yoga and meditative practice to help guests reconnect.
Relax on the reef
Explore the magic of Ningaloo Reef whilst challenging the mind and adapting your body to the elements of the sea on this five-day expedition. Guests will partake in a free dive course tailored to suit their experience and needs. Each day involves elements of the free dive Course from theory, practical breathing and relaxation exercises, in water static and depth training, whilst exploring the pristine World Heritage listed coral reef ecosystem. All this, combined with the adventure of sailing and exploring the remote surroundings and you’ll truly feel that you’re at one with nature.
Bodhi and mind
The newly opened BODHI Spa Yallingup is certain to be a winner for those in our southern states. The exquisite lake-side wellness retreat works in harmony with the natural surroundings, delivering immersive holistic treatments, to indulge, restore and revitalise mind and body and deeply care for your soul. Fittingly for a spa, the word Gunyulgup means ‘place of rest.’ Highlights on the menu include the exclusive BODHI + Emma Lewisham Brightening Facial – it’s a must-book. For a more holistic experience, the Awakening Spa Journey is a collection of six nurturing therapies, inspired by Indigenous healing, to revitalise the whole being.
Gather at Gaia
Just over the border, Gaia Health Retreat offers luxury and pampering amongst breathtaking scenery and luxury accommodation. Their newly launched Forage & Graze experience is focused around educating guests on Gaia’s sustainable cuisine philosophy. The package includes a 90-minute Private Gardening Class with their Head Organic Gardener, a two-hour Private Cooking Class with the Gaia Culinary Team and nutritional educational. Guests can choose one of six ‘focus add on’ experiences with their retreat package to fulfil their wellness wishes.
Online women’s wellness course
If you can’t find the time to take a break for you, then an online course, designed for women approaching menopause may just be what you need to restore calm to your life. Run by Dr Keri Krieger, Chinese medicine practitioner and acupuncturist, she founded the program after seeing how many women struggle to hold it together while “doing it all” at the expense of their health. The 10-month online group coaching program is her love letter to all women, to create a better way to live and to build a foundation for what in Chinese Medicine is called the “Second Spring”. Each month includes a live class as well as live and recorded practices including breath work, embodiment practices (movement) journaling prompts and so much more.
