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Eight of the best health and wellness properties in Australia
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Here are the eight best health and wellness properties in Australia, as voted by our readers in the 2017 Gold List Awards.
These eight health and wellness properties in Australia were voted among the best by our readers in the 2017 Gold List Awards
Gwinganna Retreat & Spa, QLD
Hidden among protected bushland in the Gold Coast hinterland, Gwinganna Retreat & Spa offers fully inclusive wellness programs designed to support healthier living, stress reduction and positive ageing. Retreats range from two-night wellness weekends to the signature seven-night Ultimate Wellness program, alongside specialty retreats focused on areas such as sleep, nutrition, mindfulness and women’s health.
Programs combine organic wholefood cuisine, wellness seminars, spa and wellness therapies, movement sessions and nature-based activities. Set across 200 hectares in Tallebudgera Valley, the retreat also features bushwalking trails, varied accommodation and the Spa Sanctuary.
Elysia Wellness Retreat, Hunter Valley, NSW
Set among the vineyards and rolling landscape of the Hunter Valley, Elysia Wellness Retreat offers all-inclusive stays ranging from one to seven nights. Programs combine nourishing meals, daily wellness activities, educational seminars and spa credits, allowing guests to shape their stay around relaxation, movement and personal wellbeing.
Accommodation is offered in private villas, with suites featuring a spacious lounge, balcony, king-sized bed and ensuite with a deep bath. The day spa offers more than 50 treatments and therapies designed to support physical and emotional wellbeing.
Gaia Retreat & Spa, NSW
While Byron Bay is mostly known as a trendy beach destination, high above the shoreline in the Bundjalung hinterlands lies an isolated bush retreat which was once Aboriginal women’s birthing land. It is here that you will find Gaia Retreat and Spa. The property draws on the healing energy of the sacred land, offering retreats centred around yoga, massage, organic meals and spa treatments using the resort’s own specially created GAIA products. The spa features a salt water pool, sauna, and 14 treatments rooms as well as over 30 spa therapists offering a range of Gaia speciality massages such as The Royal Kahuna that is a combination of movement, dance, energy and rhythm.
Eden Retreat, QLD
Surrounded by the lush landscape of Currumbin Valley in the Gold Coast hinterland, Eden Retreat offers a secluded setting in which to disconnect from daily life and reconnect with nature. Its thoughtfully curated wellness experience combines accommodation, nourishing cuisine, activities and treatments intended to support rest, reflection and improved wellbeing.
Alongside its spa and beauty therapies, Eden’s Vitality Centre offers treatments including cryotherapy, infrared sauna, ZeroBody dry float therapy and oxygen therapy. Guests stay in suites overlooking the surrounding greenery, while meals are created by the retreat’s chefs and nutritionists using wholesome ingredients.
Billabong Retreat, NSW
Just 45 minutes outside Sydney, family-run Billabong Retreat is the passion project of husband and wife team Paul and Tory von Bergen. The retreat offers a selection of yoga and mindfulness retreats for guests looking for a city reprieve. Guests spend their days attending yoga and meditation classes, swimming in the billabong, stopping by the spa for a treatment, hiking through the bushland or relaxing in the communal outdoor living space by the fireplace. On Friday mornings, the retreat holds naturopathy seminars that aim to teach guests strategies to improve their health.
At mealtimes, guests dine together on the balcony overlooking the property, choosing from a buffet-style selection of curries, soups and hearty salads prepared by chef Angie Cowen. Every meal is gluten free, vegetarian and made using local and organic produce.
Yala Yallingup, WA
Set between Yallingup and Dunsborough, Yala Yallingup builds on the legacy of Empire Retreat & Spa, which was established in 1994. The secluded estate encompasses bushland, farmland and a 12-acre vineyard, offering boutique accommodation and a luxury day spa within easy reach of the Margaret River region.
Accommodation ranges from suites and studios to villas and the spacious Farmstead, with each option designed to provide a calm connection to the surrounding landscape. Guests can complement their stay with restorative spa treatments or tailored packages combining accommodation, spa experiences and dining with partner venues.
Mineral Springs Hotel, VIC
Originally built in 1935, Mineral Springs Hotel is a boutique hotel, restaurant and spa in the heart of Hepburn Springs. Its original Art Deco character is complemented by elegant interiors and picturesque gardens, including formal Italian gardens and a miniature hedge maze.
Accommodation ranges from heritage and garden rooms to one-, two- and four-bedroom self-contained villas. The heritage-listed Villa Parma, built in 1864, accommodates up to eight guests across four bedrooms. At the Mineral Spa, guests can experience mineral bathing, saunas, a steam room and treatments including massages, facials, Mineral Rituals and body cocoons.
Samadhi Retreat, VIC
Eight minutes outside Daylesford and Hepburn Springs in the heart of Victoria’s spa country lies Samadhi Retreat, a two-wing building that caters to just one guest or party at a time. The retreat’s philosophy is to heal and nurture the body, mind, and spirit.
Samadhi offers a variety of different programs and can tailor them to guests’ needs. The retreat specialises in Life Enhancement and Health programs that help guests with lifestyle changes. Guests can also choose a one or two-night spa or rejuvenation escape package for a weekend at the spa. Samadhi’s JPS Magnetic Field Therapy treatment uses technology to pinpoint the causes of pain and generates a low magnetic field that helps speed up the body’s natural healing process. For those looking to alleviate emotional troubles, the retreat uses guided imagery, an alternative treatment involving imagination and interpretation.
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