11 of the best health and wellness retreats in Australia

You’ll find more than 50 bathing experiences at Victoria’s first geothermal mineral springs and day spa. The award-winning natural hot spring houses shared thermal mineral pools, wet and dry saunas, a hydrotherapy pool, Turkish and Moroccan hammams, and the frequently Instagrammed hilltop pool, which boasts 360-degree views over the farmlands of Fingal. In 2018, the spa underwent a $13 million expansion, which welcomed an Australian-first ice cave and a deep freeze chamber, plus a food garden that services the onsite café, as well as nine new pools. Treat yourself to an easy day trip from Melbourne. 

If a digital detox is what you’re after, then take a much-needed weekend offline at this ecotourism-certified wellness destination. Hidden in the Tallebudgera Valley, Gwinganna houses the largest spa in the Southern Hemisphere with 33 treatment rooms covering everything from reiki and acupuncture to naturopathy and organic facials. For a complete mind and body experience, there’s Gwinganna’s Somadome meditation pod, which is one of only two in all of Australia. The nature sanctuary hosts two-day wellness weekends through to full seven-day detoxes, with stylish suites where you can fall asleep to the gentle sounds of water and bird song. 

Escape off-grid and reconnect with mother nature in Australia’s healing heartland of Byron Bay. This tropical hinterland oasis is one of Australia’s most awarded boutique lifestyle wellness retreats offering four signature stays – Revive, Renew, Refresh and Restore. You’ll have complete flexibility to tailor your holistic journey with morning restorative yoga sessions, plus two or more daily activities of your choice. Gaia’s deluxe day spa also welcomes guests for astrology and tarot readings, natural therapies like cupping and hypnotherapy, energetic healing, clay facials and specialty massages, with all treatments including complimentary use of its pool, hot tub and sauna. 

Situated on a secluded beach in the heart of the Margaret River wine region, this luxurious spa retreat offers wellness journeys for solos and couples. You can melt away any stress with a relaxing Swedish-style massage, nourish your skin with a hydrating glow facial or relax in the infrared sauna with your loved one. Go all in with an overnight stay in one of Injidup’s ten adult-only villas, each with its own private plunge pool and panoramic ocean views.

This Russian-inspired bathhouse and eatery in the bohemian town of Mullumbimby is the perfect place to unwind, dine and socialise, all at the same time. The Banya dining room opens seamlessly onto the plant-flanked atrium, where magnesium-enriched pools (one cold plunge, two hot mineral pools and one longer lap pool) bubble beneath strings of warm bulbs suspended between the roof. To the left, a sauna and steam room await, and upstairs, you’ll find a sun-drenched rooftop space, home to plush leather daybeds and five massage treatment rooms. The best part? You can spoil yourself with smoothies and shucked oysters post-relaxation. 

Heaven really is a place on Earth – and you’ll find it at this world-class wellness oasis on the Mornington Peninsula. Having opened in early 2023, this sustainable, $90 million wellness sanctuary boasts a collection of geothermal pools within its perfectly manicured 15-hectare grounds. There are an impressive 31 thermal pools dotted around the undulating landscape, including geothermal pools, herbal-infused botanical pools, invigorating rain pools and cold plunge pools for the daring. Alba also houses a private rooftop salt pool that allows you to experience total weightlessness, plus steam rooms, saunas and a day spa. 

Recharge your batteries with a three-, five- or six-night wellness retreat in Tasmania’s tranquil and bushy southern mountains. The focus at Harmony Hill is on healing and stress relief, with all packages inclusive of a private villa, detox vegan meals, daily meditation, and two-hour sessions of healing and natural remedies, such as Ayurveda, sound and quantum healing treatments, plus organic facial and body detox mud therapies. Harmony Hills only welcomes a maximum of three guests per week, ensuring that you’ll receive a super-tailored treatment.

If you’re seeking a complete escape into opulence and luxury, then look no further than the Spa at Crown Towers in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney. Treatments by La Prairie and Subtle Energies offer the usual facials and massages, along with other therapies such as the Detox and Adrenal Boost Journey, which begins with a foot ritual and meditation, before ingredients such as tulasi, wild turmeric and Indian lime are applied via an invigorating body scrub, mud wrap and massage. Every treatment longer than one hour is complemented with time in the Aqua Retreat, which consists of a steam room, vitality pool and therapeutic rain shower. The white fluffy bathrobe and a relaxation lounge with snacks and refreshments add that extra bit of wow factor that makes parting with your dollars a little bit easier.

Tucked away in the basement of Lilianfels Resort and Spa, this modern-day spa offers luxury spa, facial, massage and body treatments. Lilianfels’ signature package, the Outer Beauty Inner Health Retreat kicks off with a relaxing hot bath, followed by an exfoliating salt body scrub, essential oil-infused mud wrap, aroma massage, personalised facial, volcanic foot therapy and scalp massage. No detox break is complete without a leisurely swim, and Lilianfels has indoor and outdoor pools nestled in two acres of rambling English country grounds. You can even turn it into a wellness weekend by booking a night in one of the spa’s charming, boutique suites.

Stress less and thrive more with a day workshop or overnight retreat at this wholesome yoga sanctuary. Hidden in the treetops just a 45-minute drive from Sydney CBD, the boutique resort specialises in yoga and meditation, with a side of spa treatments and organic, vegetarian cuisine. A typical day might start with a 7am yoga practice, drawing meditation before lunch, a massage in the afternoon, and a discussion about nutrition before a healthy dinner. For those who choose to stay the night, a chorus of cicadas will soothe you to sleep, with water cabins, treehouse rooms and terrace suites available.

Fun fact: 80 per cent of Australia’s mineral springs are in Victoria’s Daylesford region, which makes it perfect for spa treatments and easing tired muscles with long, hot soaks. The Hepburn Springs Bathhouse has been a centre for wellness and social bathing since 1895, so you can be pretty sure they've got it down pat by now. There are two areas for soaking, with heated pools, a magnesium salt bath under a gorgeous skylight, a spa couch bath, a rainfall shower, two saunas, a cold plunge pool and an outdoor spa. Feel like even more pampering? You can book numerous spa treatments, including a mud or milk bath, an exfoliating spa, or a hot stone massage. You aren't going to feel like driving anywhere after that much relaxing, but luckily, Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa also offers accommodation options, so you can make an indulgent weekend of it.