Tweed Valley spa retreat offers quiet and tranquility just half an hour from busy airport
It’s just 35-minutes from the Gold Coast but as this traveller discovered there’s a lot that’s noticeably missing from this stunning retreat.
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There’s a lot that’s noticeably missing from Mistere Spa and Retreat in the Tweed Valley, NSW. Those things include, but are not limited to, neighbours with a propensity for blaring (insert offensive music genre of your choice) at 2am, colleagues so annoying they make persistent mozzies seem enchanting, telemarketers with a knack for interrupting dinner, and parking inspectors who wedge a ticket beneath your wiper just as you arrive flustered and red-faced at your car.
In fact, even for the most irritability prone, there’s nothing about this retreat surrounded by rainforest that could cause distress. Unless you’re offended by sweeping views of Mt Warning (Wollumbin), rolling valleys in gradient shades of amber and green to milky blue, and the invitation to switch off, unplug and power down.
Arriving at Mistere after what seemed like endless weeks of minimal sleep and jam-packed days, I was ready to take the challenge. Trying to live life as a modern Superwoman had left me feeling (and looking) like a deflated balloon. But the only goal I had now was to relax and I was going to achieve it if it killed me.
It takes about 35 minutes to reach Mistere from Gold Coast airport but the rainforest retreat feels a world away from the glitter strip of sparkling high-rises and blinged-up meter maids. Passing fields of sugar cane and sleepy hippie town Murwillumbah, I arrive at my destination after a somewhat bumpy drive up a long, windy drive.
My home for the next few days is The Mountain View Premium Villa, a wooden, pale green homestead that blends perfectly into the natural surrounds. Of the three one-bedroom villas, this is clearly the masterpiece, positioned with unfaltering views over Mt Warning – a momentous volcanic remnant from the Tweed Volcano that erupted 23 million years ago.
‘I WAS TRAUMATISED BY MY HOLIDAY SPA TREATMENT’
The villa is framed by a glass deck, ideal for an afternoon vino and a spot of navel/mountain gazing or, as I decided to use it, for an open-air massage. As a borderline massage addict, I’ve indulged in more variations of muscle relaxing techniques than most and this was one of the best.
Standing up from the table, albeit slightly drooling, it was all I could do to clamber into my private spa.
Perched among trees, motorised blinds surrounding the spa can be opened, giving the impression you are bubbling in the treetops. The room itself has a dreamy, comfortable kingsize bed, a fireplace and well-stocked bookshelf, and a small equipped kitchen. The most notable feature, though, is no one’s around, there’s no obligation to talk to anyone, no reason to leave if you don’t want to.
TEN AMAZING SPA HOLIDAYS AT SEA
The villa is stocked with a picnic basket packed with supplies, as per my dietary requirements. There’s gluten-free muesli and coconut yoghurt, plus bacon, eggs and juices for breakfast, and an antipasto choice for the afternoon. For dinner, there’s a platter of meats and salads that can be cooked on the villa’s barbecue.
Of course, an essential – aka a bottle of bubbles – is also included.
I spend the rest of the day watching the sunset over Mt Warning, champagne in hand.
The mountain, known as Wollumbin to the local Aboriginal people, is considered a highly sacred spot and is still used for ceremonies and initiation rites, and its majestic presence does seem to wield a magically calming effect.
YOU’LL DIG THIS NATURAL KIWI SPA
After a gloriously restful sleep, I rise the next morning to wander the various walking tracks that twist around the property, past the tranquil creek and a Zen garden complete with giant Buddha statue.
Being here really is like pushing the mute button on the outside world.
There’s nothing to do here but slow down, rest and recharge.
The town of Murwillumbah is an easy 10-minute drive and shows the influence of the nearby alternative mecca of Byron Bay, with several yoga studios and a tasty vegetarian eatery.
However, unlike Byron, which crawls with backpackers in the summer months, the less fashionable Murwillumbah has a distinctly local feel.
Stumbling across the weekly farmers’ market (every Wednesday), I find good, hot coffee and an abundance of fresh, locally grown fruit and vegies and flowers. The stallholders are overwhelmingly proud of their town, and their produce, and the sense of community here is a refreshing change from the anonymous existence of big city living.
After three days at Mistere, I notice a more relaxed, less irritable version of myself emerge.
Admittedly, I still don’t like neighbours with poor music taste, parking tickets or telemarketers but I do feel slightly more able to cope.
ESCAPE ROUTE
Getting there
Mistere Spa and Retreat is a 35-minute drive from Gold Coast Airport.
Staying there
Room rates start at $250 a night for a one-bedroom villa
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