The big chill
With no phones, alcohol or caffeine, a stay at Gwinganna is truly a stress-busting retreat to a world of exercise, healthy food and spa bliss
‘Alot of our guests come here to escape phones, so if you see someone with one – you can gently ask them to put it away from view.” And so begins our introduction to the jaw-droppingly gorgeous Gwinganna hinterland retreat, nestled 230m above sea level in the Tallebudgera Valley, about one hour’s drive from Brisbane.
This is just a two-day weekend stay for myself and the other 50 or so guests, but during that time you are expected to limit your use of vices such as alcohol, caffeine, sugar, junk food and mobile phones.
For some, the latter can be the hardest to give away, our host Kaye informs us, but the reception is so poor at Gwinganna that even if you can’t bear to part with it, you are not able to really use it.
Gwinganna is Australia’s largest ecotourism wellness retreat and spa, made famous by high-profile, part-owner, Hollywood star Hugh Jackman and its bevy of high-profile celebrity guests (Lisa Wilkinson, Megan Gale, Joel Edgerton to name-drop a few). It’s all about stillness and restoration – two things you don’t realise you are utterly in need of until you arrive.
Owner Tony de Leede – founder of the Fitness First empire – along with Jackman, have recently put the 200ha property on the market. As he approaches 70, de Leede – who opened Gwinganna in 2006 – wants more time to enjoy the retreat as a guest without the responsibility of running the business. Expressions of interest close next month. Until then, it’s business as usual.
The principle behind the property is to withdraw from the busyness of the world, shut off external distractions and stress, eat well, unwind and breathe. Nourishing meals are served in a communal space three times a day, with snacks provided in between. “Outside food” is not allowed and will be confiscated until the end of your stay if located, we are warned.
There is plenty of meditation, exercise and activities on offer but the mindset here is participate as much or as little as you wish. Our days at Gwinganna start at dawn with a 30-minute practice called Qi Gong, on top of the mountains facing the Gold Coast hinterland. It’s a peaceful, calming start to the day. Breathing exercises slow the mind and body, and the sunrise and view across the hinterland make this a pretty special experience.
After Qi Gong, breakfast is cauliflower toast with smashed avocado, lime, poached eggs, lemon, spinach and garlic balsamic mushrooms one day, coconut chia porridge the next. Both are delicious.
One of the things you are told at Gwinganna is to chew your food. Forget you are what you eat, you are what you digest, they tell us – and if you don’t slow down and properly chew and absorb your food, you might as well not bother. When
it tastes this good, though, it can be hard to take your time.
After breakfast, the activity list is endless – a bushwalk, a yoga flow or core class, followed by boxing, hot sauna/cold bath treatments, resistance training in the pool or a stretching class.
Activities are not provided in advance, as the Gwinganna team wants you to listen to your body and choose the activity your body feels like on the day. The itinerary is provided verbally at breakfast for you to make a decision on the spot.
Once the morning activities are done, and an appetite has been worked up, another unbelievable lunch is served, then the afternoon is yours.
Most take the opportunity to visit the award-winning spa sanctuary. With 33 treatment rooms over 1500sq m, it is the largest spa in the southern hemisphere – and a tranquil space surrounded by nature. Treatments range from more traditional marma point relaxation therapy and extreme hydration facials, to adventurous treatments such as the spirit of sound – using a fusion of massage techniques, live percussion from drums and heated basalt stones to “wake up” your cells.
The afternoon can be spent wandering, or reading, or napping. The heated infinity- edge lap pool, with views across the Gold Coast, or the walk to the ancient fig tree are great ways to spend this time.
I’ve never slept, exercised or relaxed so much in a weekend since I became a mum. If you can’t relax at Gwinganna, you’re not really trying.
At night, dinner is served at 6.30pm. On longer retreats alcohol is banned, as well as sugar and caffeine, but we are allowed 100ml of organic wine with dinner, and we savour it – slowly, as recommended. Dinner is done early, leaving you to unwind in your room or enjoy an outdoor bath under the stars.
At each retreat, up to 50 per cent of guests are return travellers, which tells you everything you need to know about this special place. I know I’ll be back, and I won’t bother packing the iphone.