Sonja Sorich

Sometimes you just need to take a time out – and here at Time Out Australia, we’re the experts at doing just that. We’ve scoped out the very best wellness retreats around Australia where you can soak away your worries and be pampered like absolute royalty. From an award-winning natural hot spring with 50 bathing experiences to the Southern Hemisphere’s largest spa with one of only two Somadome meditation pods in Australia, these places will cater to all your relaxing desires. Make a day trip of it or sneak off for a dedicated week-long detox – whatever you choose, you’ll leave feeling like a whole new person.  RECOMMENDED: Live the luxe life with a stay at one of the top luxury hotels in Australia.

Aurora Spa has been a long time favourite with many Melbourne locals, and what you can expect here is well-trained staff that will deliver high-quality massages, facials and spa treatments. The space is a little dated, but Aurora is easy to relax into. Packages range from two to six hours so you can escape and retreat for a good part of the day. The Signature Kitya Karnu massage ($225) is done in your own private steam room and includes a walnut and wattleseed body scrub, with a nourishing hair mask, facial cleanse and facial mask to boot. 

The dark moody tones of the Chuan Spa invite a sense of relaxation the moment you enter. Try the Chuan Harmony or Chuan Balancing Massage (both start at $110), which targets traditional Chinese medicine acupressure points during the treatment. You can also try the Muddy Elements (from $279), a wrap treatment that combines a salt scrub and mud wrap – it’s the complete opposite to Tough Mudder as all you’ll need to do is lie back and let someone else do the dirty work. The Tri-Bathing Ritual is complementary with another treatment and you can sit out on a deck that overlooks the Melbourne skyline while you jump between the salt water pool to the jacuzzi, heated sauna and river stone snail shower.  

Tucked away in Hawksburn Village on Malvern Road is the very pretty Blanc Spa. While this is not a day spa with extensive facilities, the luxury touch points have certainly been considered. Blanc Spa has a lovely team of skin and body experts, and a spa menu that is surprisingly extensive. The venue offers performance facial treatments (including an AlpPure Facial for $180), bespoke massage, deluxe body and bathing experiences, alongside premium beauty services. If short on time you can enjoy a 30-minute rhassoul ritual or make a day of it and indulge in the five-hour Mont Blanc for $800 (it includes a hydro soak, alpine herb exfoliation, detox body wrap, swedish massage, facial, pedicure, manicure and a drink).

Wine and wellness is always a good idea in our books so if you are headed to the Gippsland area, schedule a stop at the day spa at Brandy Creek Estate. The spa sits on the top of the ridge and takes in the scenic surrounds of the vineyard. First, take some time to chill out at the hammam before donning your bathrobe and relax in the lounge with herbal tea. We opted for the Tension Tamer (from $125) which pinpoints specific areas on your body that are causing you discomfort or added tension. The spa also offers express treatments (30 minutes or so) for those short on time, as well as therapies targeting just feet and hands.  

Flying under most spa-seeker radars is the One Spa at the Healesville Country Club. The staff are dedicated to pampering guests to the highest degree. The spa offers a similar menu to the other One Spa venues on this list, but also offers some private bathing options like the hydrotherapy tub and waterfall steam shower. We tried an Aromasoul Scrub ($110 or $99 for RACV members), a Monticelli Mud Wrap ($150 or $135 for members) and a Sacred Nature Facial ($140 or $125 for RACV members). You can then spend your time sitting in the zen lounge and taking in the scenic views.  

Holism Retreat is all about radical self-kindness and unifying mind, body and breath. So much so that you’ll feel relaxed just reading the menu. Here, it’s all about personalisation and creating the journey you want and need. Upon the advice of Pauline, the owner, we joined the 9am yoga class, followed by breakfast and a refreshing swim in the hotel’s rooftop pool. Then we were treated to the Reset Ritual ($420, and includes an hour massage and an hour facial) and added some extra time in the Wellness Light Lounge.

The One Spa at RACV Torquay is everything a day spa should be – a beautifully appointed space of generous proportions with additional facilities to enhance your chosen spa experience. Upon entering the gorgeous reception area, you will be ushered into the changerooms which connect through to a spacious relaxation lounge and hammam that overlook green rolling hills. You’ll be spoiled for choice with One Spa’s extensive spa menu. We chose the Escape Ritual ($450 or $410 for RACV members) which is a total top-to-toe relaxation experience, paired with some time to soak, steam and dream in the hammam.

To get to this place you’ll find yourself weaving through a countryside road, over rolling hills that look out over the ocean. Just getting to this resort is part of the experience. Upon arrival you are guided through to the luxurious changing rooms and through a door into the contemporary Hammam bathing space. After some time soaking, steaming and showering you are invited to refresh in the zen lounge before your treatment. We opted for the Mornington Melt ($265 or $240 for RACV members) which is a two-hour treatment that includes a full-body exfoliation, body wrap, full-body massage and a scalp massage.

If you’re heading out to horse country, otherwise known as the Goulburn Valley, then you shouldn’t miss a stop at Mitchelton Winery, which is now home to a hotel and day spa. The moment you step into the day spa you’ll be greeted by the signature scents of USPA, a locally made skin and spa range, before wrapping yourself in a cosy bathrobe to enjoy the view from the relaxation lounge. We opted for the two-hour Escape Ritual ($225) which included a customised massage, a nourishing facial and a hair and scalp mask and massage. Post-relaxation you can head to the winery for lunch and a tour of the cellar and art gallery.

If you’re seeking a complete escape into opulence and luxury, then look no further than the Spa at Crown Towers. 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 ($400), which begins with a foot ritual and meditation, before exotic ingredients such as tulasi, wild turmeric and Indian lime are applied via an invigorating body scrub, mud wrap and massage. Every treatment over one hour is complemented with time in the Aqua Retreat, which consists of a steam room, vitality pool and Swiss 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.