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Luxury wellness travel Down Under

Curtis Simmons – Te Arai Lodge, New Zealand

Tailored Luxury Wellness travel in Australia and New Zealand

Luxury wellness travel may feel like a bit of a buzzword, but after the festive season, when we all have a tendency to live a little too well, January is often time of stocktake and new year’s resolutions ..

Eat better, sleep better, be more mindful, move more ..

Learn a new skill, get lost in the landscape or lap up some luxe

.. luxury wellness travel comes in all shapes and sizes but one thing’s for certain Australia and New Zealand deliver in spades. We’ve put together a collection of our favourite wellness experiences for luxury travellers ..

New Zealand Wellness Travel Experiences

In a land of crystal-clear waters and fresh mountain air, majestic peaks and bubbling thermal pools, New Zealand offers decadent spa stays and gourmet getaways, equally breathtaking hot tubs and heli-hikes, mud baths and massages, sunrise yoga lessons and glittering star-gazing sessions.

High on a cliff on the edge of Abel Tasman National Park, Split Apple restorative retreat offers luxury lodgings and individually tailored well-being programmes to nourish the body and soul including personalised health conscious cuisine and cooking lessons, outdoor activities and quiet places to contemplate. Everything needed to unwind and revive: from meditation and massages, to calligraphy and tea ceremonies, hiking and kayaking, all in stunningly beautiful surrounds.

Whilst in the region, take wellness to new heights with this exclusive kayaking and heli-yoga experience in the Abel Tasman National Park. Paddle on crystal-clear waters with the opportunity to spot the resident dolphins and seals before heli-ing to a secluded mountain-top location for a guided yoga session surrounded by spectacular South Island nature. Finish with a cup of locally-made green tea or kombucha before the heli transfer back to Nelson.

Surrounded by the South Island’s stunning West Coast Wilderness, the recently reimagined Maruia River Retreat offers seven self-contained riverside suites set on 500 acres of untouched natural beauty. Here, the real luxuries are in the property’s pristine surrounds (offering fabulous walking tracks in a tranquil bush setting), relaxing and rejuvenating wellness activities (yoga, meditation and massage) and deliciously nourishing dinners created from the property’s kitchen garden and the best that the region has to offer. Committed to wellness and sustainability, the property offers regular yoga retreats and workshops designed to relax, reset, restore and rejuvenate.

If escape from the hustle and bustle of modern city life is what calls, head for the hills. Tucked away in the South Island’s Ahuriri Valley, the Lindis Lodge’s intimate and indulgent new accommodation pods (opened October 2019) blend seamlessly into the landscapes that they showcase through the floor to ceiling glass walls on three sides. Enjoying 180 degree views, indulgent intimacy and perfect privacy each Pod offers king bedding, a luxury ensuite and wrap around private decking with a hot tub, best enjoyed under the star-filled southern skies. Guests also enjoy all the facilities and services of the Lindis Lodge: hiking and horseriding, gliding or star-gazing, mountain biking and in-room massages.

On New Zealand’s North Island, just 90 minutes north of Auckland, the Luxury Lodges of New Zealand have welcomed their newest member to the collection: Te Arai Lodge offers boutique home-stay style luxury accommodation for just 8 guests in four generously proportioned suites. (The whole lodge can also be booked for exclusive use for up to 12 guests). Having been featured on New Zealand’s “Grand Designs”, the striking property also boasts a 20m heated infinity pool, yoga studio, hot tub and sauna. Set amongst 20 acres of native bushland, with panoramic views over the Mangawhai coast, Te Arai showcases the very best of New Zealand: breathtaking natural beauty, fabulous regional food and wine, eco-friendly design and a genuine Kiwi welcome.

Luxury Wellness Travel in Australia

Australia’s diverse landscapes invite you to find joy in the outdoors. Fresh regional produce nourishes and revives; whilst decadent spa rituals nurture and relax. Whether its pampering or privacy, indulgence or escape that you are seeking, you are sure to find your ideal wellness vacation in Australia’s Great Southern Land.

Accessible with a short heli transfer from Hamilton Island, the new (opened May 2019) Elysian Retreat’s ten adults-only (16 years +) oceanfront bungalows combine blissful barefoot luxury and off-the-grid sustainability to deliver pampered wellness in a tropical Whitsunday setting. Lapped by the turquoise waters of the Great Barrier Reef, Elysian Retreat is the place to head for to feel good about feeling great. Powered by renewable energies, serving seasonal produce from the island’s productive kitchen garden and pampering with organic Australian botanicals, this private piece of paradise provides a disconnect from the every day. With daily yoga sessions, top-to-toe spa treatments, a range of outdoor activities (snorkelling, kayaking, hiking and more) and all-inclusive gourmet dining – rest, relaxation and rejuvenation come easily at Elysian.

Olivia Newton-John’s award-winning Gaia Retreat and Spa in Byron Bay’s serene and spectacular hinterland, offers a year-round collection of all-inclusive wellness lifestyle retreats encompassing naturopathy and nutrition, counselling and coaching, massage and movement. The recent addition of the Komala two-bedroom villa – complete with its own saltwater infinity pool, cosy fireplace and private treatment areas – provides a spacious private sanctuary from which to enjoy it all.

Just ‘down the road’, the Byron at Byron Resort and Spa rainforest retreat by the beach is both relaxed and refined. Recently welcomed into the Crystalbrook Collection of properties, the Byron at Byron invites a true connection to its coastal rainforest location. The healing qualities of the rainforest – its scents, sounds and spectacular scenery – are omnipresent in the signature spa treatments and therapies on offer: from sunrise salutations to forest bathing. Whilst the endless stretch of sandy beach and the rhythmic sounds of the rolling surf invite you to stretch your legs and empty your mind from sunrise to sunset. Enjoy private yoga sessions and guided meditation, music therapy, massage and more.

For those who prefer a more active approach to wellness, head for the southern-most reaches of Australia to enjoy the 4 day, fully guided, accommodated and catered Three Capes Lodge Walk (opened September 2018). Fill your lungs with the world’s purest air and feel the Southern Ocean winds in your hair as you traverse some of the highest sea cliffs in the world. Lose yourself in your thoughts or use the opportunity to reconnect with your travel companions. Surrounded by untamed nature and endless ocean vistas, this is a place where you can really unwind .. however, far from leaving any creature comforts behind, hikers also enjoy hot showers and comfortable beds, gourmet meals and fine Tasmanian wines, pampering massages and rejuvenating foot treatments.

Whether the goal is to detox or destress, recharge or reconnect, relax or reboot, contact your Southern Crossings Travel Designer to match you with a luxury wellness travel experience to suit.