WELLNESS - TIME TO (RE)TREAT YOURSELF

TIME TO (RE)TREAT YOURSELF

It’s been a tough year. Thankfully, Australia has some of the best wellness retreats on offer, ready to welcome you and help you heal. Nadine Dilong explores four retreat options perfect for recharging after a busy 2021.

Gaia Retreat & Spa

Gaia Retreat & Spa is nestled on 20 acres in the breathtaking Bundjalung Country, often referred to as ‘the healing heartland’ of Australia, and enjoys endless stunning vistas of the Byron Bay hinterland. The property offers unsurpassed spectacular views over the horizon, from the Pacific Ocean to the Nightcap Ranges. The wellness retreat, which was co-founded by Olivia Newton-John, is majestically poised on the highest point in the shire. Unlike any other property, Gaia’s sacred healing energy is attributed to the powerful song lines that cross through the highest point of this summit. Traditional custodian elders speak of song lines guiding those who traverse the land to ensure they stay on the right path.

Gaia offers eight unique retreat packages and five styles of accommodation which guests can choose from. All packages allow you to check in any day and simply surrender to the healing energy. Drawing on holistic wisdom, Gaia has developed unique specialised treatments, fitness and health programs, as well as alternative therapies for both men and women. The packages allow guests complete freedom of choice and flexibility to tailor and personalise their experience.

The large Day Spa is the pure heart of the Gaia experience, with 10 treatment rooms and over 35 healers and therapists who lure you into a profound state of blissful repose. Gaia offers a sophisticated and extensive choice of healing treatments, using their very own luxury range of skincare, Retreatment Botanics. The Day Spa has won many global awards, and in 2020 was crowned ‘World’s Best Day Spa’ for a sixth consecutive year by the World Spa Awards.

gaiaretreat.com.au

Byron Bay Hinterland, NSW

From $1,950 for two nights

Samadhi

Located near the world-famous Hepburn Springs in Victoria, the healing waters that surround Samadhi Retreat rise out of volcanic basin 450 million years old with each spring acquiring its own unique blend of health giving minerals. With over 40 years of background in the healing professions, hosts Annah and Wayne welcome you to their private, bespoke retreat designed for the discerning guest who needs a comprehensive emotional and cognitive reset.

2021 marks their 20th year in business, which means they have seen tens of thousands of guests experience various levels of life change. Wayne suggest three to four days as a minimum stay to achieve the best outcomes. Beautiful accommodations, healthy meals and a wide range of therapies on offer from experienced practitioners will help you heal from whatever life throws at you.

Our suggestion? The Nurture Retreat, which is designed for those who have pushed the boundaries of stress and excess and need to return to loving balance again. The program includes a wellness consultation, pranic breathing exercises, heart healing meditation sessions, Samadhi’s signature relaxation massage, and a selfcare healing session. Instead of a food menu, Samadhi offers an individualised service where they choose the freshest organic local produce on a daily basis, to create a unique culinary experience for guests to enjoy.

The retreat also offers sound therapies. “We see sound medicine as being at the cutting edge of healing. It adds to and enhances a persons vibrational resonance. We see this positive effect continually enhancing our guest experience as part of our healing programs. Like yoga and meditation we see sound therapy as mainstream,” the Samadhi team say.

samadhiretreat.com.au

Daylesford, VIC

From $1,940 for two nights

Eden Health Retreat

Just 20 minutes from the glittering Gold Coast beaches, Eden Health Retreat is a world away in terms of rest, relaxation and restoration, perfect for those seeking a post-pandemic escape. Nestled in the Currumbin Valley, Queensland, Eden is Australia’s longest-running retreat and the winner of Australia’s Best Wellness Retreat at the World Spa Awards.

“Eden has always offered for guests a chance to pause, reflect, reprioritise, focus and gain a renewed sense of purpose,” says General Manger Chris Van Hoof. “For many, Covid, and the subsequent lockdowns, encouraged people to slow down and reprioritise their work-life balance. Eden can help people focus on goals they may have made and help bring them fruition, within a supportive environment.”

At Eden, your stay is determined by your goals. If fitness is high on your post-Covid heath agenda, you can enjoy workouts designed to suit all abilities and preferences. Choose from boxing, yoga, Pilates, stretching, class workouts and more.

Or simply lose yourself in the beauty of the rainforest – there’s almost 400 acres of rainforest and natural beauty to explore – and soak in the benefits of biophilia. Then wind down in the resort-style pool and hot tub, or simply lie back and drift away in the healing environs of the steam room and sauna. The spa staff are available to fulfil your relaxation and treatment needs – choose from the blissful Hawaiian style massage, hot stone therapy, or simply work your way through the extensive spa menu, including bespoke beauty treatments.

If relaxation is your top-priority, then don’t miss the mediation and mindfulness classes, and stretch out those tight muscles at the yoga and Pilates classes, or simply sit on your balcony and enjoy the breathtaking views.

edenhealthretreat.com.au

Where? Currumbin Valley, QLD

From $2,340 for three nights

Gwinganna

At Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat in the Gold Coast hinterland, guests can fully immerse themselves in a safe and spacious environment, surrounded by nature. Disconnecting from technology also helps compound the benefits from a retreat and with the largest wellness team of any Australasian retreat, Gwinganna can offer more diverse experiences and services.

One of the key elements that separates Gwinganna from other retreats is the range of emotional wellbeing services on offer, including the popular equine therapies. Having a dedicated Emotional Wellbeing Manager on the team, ensures that the sessions on offer are suitable for each guest and fitting to the retreat experience. Demand for these services grew significantly even before 2020 happened, said Public Relations Manager, Tracy Willis.

Embracing nature in a stunning environment is also a key element of stays at the award winning property. With more land space than any retreat, the team can ensure guests have plenty of places to explore, surrounded by native wildlife including

koalas, towering ancient trees and views out to the valley and Pacific coastline. "We know the significant healing power of nature and it is something so many people have missed during this time. Its ability to help calm the nervous system and slow the mind is invaluable."

gwinganna.com

Gold Coast Hinterland, QLD

From $1,210 for two nights