ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS

Wellbeing enjoyed in style at Elements of Byron

Over decades of travel, I’ve failed to walk into a spa I haven’t liked. But the Osprey wellness cocoon at Elements of Byron truly dazzles from the moment you arrive.

I could have spent hours in the relaxation lounge, replete with dramatic pavilions reminiscent of four-poster beds – only fashioned from fallen timbers and embellished with gum and casuarina nuts. They create quite the artistic statement beside a curtain-like crystal chandelier, suspended from a skylight and with nature’s other elements (water, stone, plants) all around. I’m here for the ‘Rainforest Revival’ ritual, which begins with a lemon myrtle body scrub and ends, 90 minutes later, with a massage using oils infused with eucalyptus and arnica. But there’s so much else on offer to salve my soul.

The journey toward better being has always been a priority at this retreat on the outskirts of Byron Bay – there is, after all, no other destination in Australia that embraces healthy living quite as whole-heartedly as this coastal town in northern New South Wales. From the moment the 20-hectare resort opened back in 2016, morning yoga sessions overlooking the ocean became a standard rate inclusion. More recently, the focus has expanded to cover everything from star-gazing sessions to aqua classes, flotation therapy and horse riding.

Relax, rebalance, revive

Designed to help guests ‘relax, rebalance and revive’, the resort’s new portfolio of grounding experiences were thoughtfully compiled to not only enhance wellness journeys, but also allow guests to fully discover this patch of paradise, along a two-kilometre stretch of Belongil Beach and enveloped by native forest. A lot of it.

When Shane Thompson Architects took on the project to create Elements, the firm surveyed every tree on the property and made the decision not to lose a single trunk while erecting the rooms, of which there are now 202 including 193 villas reminiscent of traditional fibro beach shacks. On the contrary, the goal was to re-establish the ecology of this pocket of Byron, working with not-for-profit WetlandCare Australia to introduce 65,000 native trees and plants across the grounds. Perhaps the ultimate measure of success is in the fact that 19 endangered floral species have been recorded on-site, and bird and animal life is flourishing once again.

“It’s one of those places that captures your soul and quietens it right down,” says Thompson, whose design vision for the resort was to re-interpret the wilderness that surrounds – its dunes, native trees, oceans and lakes – in his structures, while leaving a minimal building footprint on the land.

Going green

It’s this leafy backdrop that inspired Elements’ ‘Wellness Experience’ – think of it as a health retreat, without anything being forced. You check in for five nights, choose activities that appeal, and set off on a bespoke journey.

In addition to at-leisure diversions like bird watching and sunrise beach strolls, suggested experiences encourage you to get boxing, go hiking through rainforest with a nature guide,