Find your next experiential off-site...
Berrima, NSW Berrima Vault House berrimavaulthouse.com
Launched last month, this five-star work-awayfrom-work space was built from the remains of a convict-constructed former inn dating back to 1844. The space, in the Southern Highlands, less than two hours from Sydney, has two parts: a restaurant that’s open to the public and a private members’ club and three-room accommodation that can be hired by corporate groups. The concierge can arrange additional places to stay, fitness and wellness instructors, wine tastings and cheese making.
Avon Valley, WA Deepdale Farm privateproperties.com.au
Just 20 minutes out of Perth by helicopter or an hour by car, Deepdale Farm is an accessible escape that still feels like it’s in the middle of nowhere. With eight elegant guestrooms across two heritage buildings, there’s plenty of room for solitude as well as collaboration. There’s a separate meeting and dining space, The Barn, that’s ideal for winemaking tutorials or wellness classes. Guests can make friends with the farm’s llamas and lambs or explore the valley from the sky with Windward Hot Air Balloon Adventures.
Dunkeld, Victoria Royal Mail royalmail.com.au
The restaurants are a major drawcard for companies booking off-sites with this charming retreat at the foot of the Grampians, about three hours drive from Melbourne. The rewards are many – 31 guestrooms, eight cottages and two houses, plus a dégustation at the two-hatted Wickens At Royal Mail that’s sure to provide a conversation point for teams who’ve lost the art of small talk. Wine tutorials, wildlife feeding and hiking tours with an eco-certified guide can all be tailored to a group’s specifications.
Maleny, Queensland Spicers Tamarind Retreat spicersretreats.com
All of the Spicers properties throughout Queensland and NSW include the sort of attention to detail that makes them a good choice for small-scale executive escapes or even whole-resort book-outs. But if you’re after roll-up-your-sleeves experiences, the 22-room Tamarind Retreat, 90 minutes north of Brisbane, is the pick. A group class at the on-site cooking school is a wonderful way to get reacquainted with colleagues, as is a tour of the local dairies or craft breweries.
Barossa Valley, SA The Louise thelouise.com.au
The Louise in the Barossa Valley has recently added a host of wellness experiences to its food-and-wine-focused offering (although the latter is still a major attraction, particularly after the refurbishment of the property’s fine-dining restaurant, Appellation). A typical Louise corporate itinerary might include sunrise yoga sessions, morning meetings and then a private gin tasting hosted by Seppeltsfield Road Distillers before guests retire to the hotel’s 15 spacious suites.
Cradle Mountain, Tasmania Cradle Mountain Lodge cradlemountainlodge.com.au
The connection to nature happens as soon as guests put their bags down in any of the 86 timber cabins at this mountain retreat a two-hour drive west of Launceston – each suite overlooks the lake, the Pencil Pine River or the surrounding myrtle forest. There are several meeting rooms if required but executive groups usually choose to expand their horizons beyond their laptops with fly-fishing, nocturnal wilderness tours and guided hikes.
Whitsundays, Queensland Elysian Retreat elysianretreat.com.au
With a limit of just 20 guests, the private Elysian Retreat is regularly booked out by small groups looking for that sweet-spot blend of work and play. The Elysian team can arrange a schedule of yoga, cooking lessons, kombucha brewing and spa therapies around the group’s meetings or presentations. The Ngaro Cultural Tour, which includes a visit to local Aboriginal rock art and a spearfishing lesson, is also a favourite with executive guests who want to learn about the Whitsundays’ Indigenous history.
Victoria Great Ocean Road walk lifesanadventure.com.au
If the aim of your next corporate retreat is to step away from the spreadsheets completely, a bush hike with Life’s An Adventure may be the answer. Highlights of this three-day trip include koala spotting, overnight stays at the Glenn Murcutt-designed Alkina Lodge (above) and, as a breathtaking finale, a helicopter flight across the Twelve Apostles.
Kakadu National Park, NT Bamurru Plains bamurruplains.com
All 10 bungalow tents can be hired at the same time at this Top End safari camp. The main lodge is available for meetings or seminars but the real team-building begins when you step into the wildlife-packed wilderness around the property. Birdwatching and barramundi fishing along the floodplains and savanna will give work-weary executives the chance to reconnect with nature and each other.
Byron Bay, NSW Crystalbrook Byron crystalbrookcollection.com
Top-tier teams tired of gazing at their own four walls will welcome the chance to meet and reconnect surrounded by rainforest and birdsong, which are a given at each of the airy office and conference spaces on this 45-hectare property in Byron Bay, on the NSW North Coast. For a break from meetings, activities such as surf lessons, whale watching and golf can all be organised.