WISH UPON A SPA

NEED TO DISAPPEAR FROM LIFE FOR A FEW DAYS? THIS SECLUDED FIVE-STAR SANCTUARY IS YOUR TICKET TO TRANQUILLITY ON THE TWEED

Isuspect I may have stumbled on the universal source of spa soundtracks. The realisation came to me chin-deep in bubble bath, only flickering tealight candles to soften the call of the night flooding in through open windows.

Deep in the Tweed rainforest, the soothing symphony starts with the splash and bubble of a waterfall, building to birdcalls and the breath of wind through a leafy canopy.

It works its magic on busy minds as effectively as the heat of the spa melts away muscle aches.

There are plenty of properties that spruik the serenity of seclusion, but Mistere Spa and Retreat is one of the rare few that deliver so close to the comfort of civilisation.

Just 30 minutes’ drive from the glitter of the Gold Coast or 10 through the canefield portals to Murwillumbah, this newly transformed five-star sanctuary is set in 130 acres of time-stalled rainforest at Urliup.

It’s currently home to just three, individually themed villas, although there are some more special places in the works.

I stayed in the Fountain View Villa, propped in the treetops overlooking the waterfall-fed lily pond.

If your intentions are to hibernate, it couldn’t be better equipped.

I spent a fair bit of time in the aforementioned double chromotherapy spa bath, which is equally blissful by day when you can appreciate the leafy view suspended in the canopy.

The stunning bathroom also includes a rainfall shower.

I also made a permanent indentation in one particularly broad armchair in front of the wood-burning fire, within lazy grasp of a bookshelf stocked with well-loved tomes.

An open-air kitchen and dining area on a sun-splashed deck is the perfect place to unload a breakfast basket brimming with local goodies.

While it would be a shame to spoil the opportunity to embark on nothing more strenuous than an in-room massage, I’m assured it’s worth the effort of budging from my bubble … although not too far.

There’s a waterfall a few metres from the front door and nature lovers can easily get lost amid the towering turpentines, discovering everything from emerald-spotted tree frogs to echidnas and eagles.

The property’s ever-evolving sculpture trail adds another element to explorations. It’s a natural gallery and you’ve got good odds of getting it completely to yourself.

The serene Buddha surveying valley views from the Zen garden is in stark contrast to more startling pieces.

An intimidatingly detailed Predator, pulled straight from the screen of the 1987 sci-fi screamer, lurks in all its 230cm glory. Made by artist Namfon Suktawee from car scrap

metal, it’s one of several additions movie buffs will want to take the time to find.

Murwillumbah is the closest option for dinner. I would have driven right past it none the wiser, but Mistere’s on-site manager points me to Nam Yeng Vietnamese Thai Food. I’m still dreaming about the duck pad Thai and massaman curry.

The next morning I joined Mt Warning Tours to discover hidden pockets of paradise.

It’s tempting to spend the full day in Tyalgum alone, a hub of artisan galleries and studios, beguiling bookshops, cute cafes, gardens and guesthouses that opens up babushka doll like the longer you spend poking around.

This weekend the town hosts the O’Heart Festival, devoted to conscious living and indie folk music, and from September 7-9 it sets the scene for Tyalgum Music Festival. But there’s always something happening, from Shakespeare in secret gardens to Flutterbies’ famous strawberry-kissed butterfly cakes. The writer was a guest of Mistere Spa and Retreat