Gwinganna goodness

For many people – including myself - a week spent in the Queensland rainforest paradise of Gwinganna is both one of the hardest in their lives, and the most rewarding. A Lifestyle Retreat in every sense of the word, Gwinganna nurtures as equally as it punishes, and helps set you up with the essential tools needed to take your health to its optimum level of well being.
Only twenty minutes from Gold Coast airport, Gwinganna is a real elysium of health, wellness and beauty, and a place that really deserves the accolade “this changed my life”. I travelled there to spend a week completing a programme that goes by the name “Optimum Well being Plus”, which is a six-night long journey that gives you the space to breathe, relax, revive, nourish and reenergise.
It involves motivational lifestyle workshops, blissful spa treatments, exercise classes that begin at 6:00 am (holy hell!) and some of the healthiest yet most delicious food you have ever eaten, all experienced in a breathtaking bush setting that is so close to a city yet light years away when it comes to peace and isolation.
From your first orientation talk in the on-site clubhouse the information overload begins, but small but vital pieces of nutritional information do appear to go in one ear and take root, and these will remain with you for the rest of your life. Your no-sugar, no-caffeine, no-dairy and naturally, no-alcohol regime starts from your first evening and you begin to suffer the consequences of a life well-enjoyed by day two, but perseverence pays off, and the feeling of calm that begins to settle in by day three is definitely a reward in itself.
To distract from the detox jitters the best thing to do is hit Sanctuary Spa, which opened late in 2007. In conjunction with their recently released Signature Spa Suites, this uniquely designed spa offers guests a complete holistic spa experience, and even a Bath Butler if you so require it. The 33 room structure features a stunning waterfall entry, and has been built in the shape of a sweeping arc and was inspired by the surrounding landscape, including three towering Australian eucalyptus trees. The complex comprises three buildings connected by glass covered walkways that weave elements of nature into the building. I spent more than my fair share of blissful moments there, trying out the massage therapists, facialists and pedicures, all in the name of “quality research”, of course.
For many a trip to Gwinganna has become the beginning of a romance, and they return every few months to relax, retreat and regroup, taking away another set of positive tools each time they leave. Plan a visit and see what over 180 hectares of heaven really looks like!