A taste of the spa high life

RELAX at one of Australia's best spas that sit in rainforests and national parks and where activities also include bushwalking and birdwatching.

spa dec 1 escape daintree lodge

WHILE the name Lost World might conjure up images from the Jurassic period, fear not: there's not a dinosaur in sight at O'Reilly's.

O'Reilly's Lost World Spa

There is, however, a beautiful, ancient rainforest teeming with wildlife  - as soon as you see it, this mountain spa's name makes perfect sense.

Said rainforest and spa are in Queensland's World Heritage-listed Lamington National Park, about two hours south of Brisbane. The O'Reilly family arrived in the area four years before national park status was declared in 1915, so you can be assured your hosts know the area intimately.

They pass their knowledge on through various guided activities, including bushwalking, wildlife interactions and birdwatching.

Such encounters with nature will set your soul soaring  -  just like the peregrine falcons you might be lucky enough to see.

But back to that intriguingly named spa  - a wonderful space overlooking the natural beauty outside will no doubt enhance your own natural beauty after a massage, facial, body scrub or mask.

The Soul to Sole therapy is the answer for aching feet after a day trekking through the mountains, and if you're here with your beloved, some time in the Couple's Suite, with its lovely wooden tub from which to soak up verdant valley views, is a must.

Also arguably a must is curling up in front of the library's fireplace post-treatment, or perhaps you'll be ready to hit the hay.

There are various grades of accommodation at the retreat  -  from motel-style rooms through to canopy suites with wondrous views. About 500m from the retreat are newer, luxury villas, rounding out the 21st-century mod-cons in this lost-world paradise. 

Lamington National Park Rd, via Canungra, Queensland, ph [phone], see oreillys.com.au

Facilities: 66 rooms and suites, 48 villas (self-contained); on-site restaurant, cafe, bar and mini-mart; complementary morning and afternoon tea. Activities: Bushwalking, jacuzzi, plunge pool, sauna, steam room, swimming pool, treetop walk.

Rooms from $325; 60-minute massage from $129.

Hayman Spa

IT'S always much more thrilling arriving somewhere by speedboat, especially when that somewhere is a luxury resort on a dreamy private island in Queensland's Whitsundays. This is how most people arrive at Hayman, via Hamilton Island's airport.

Upon arrival, all you need to do is decide how to spend your time. You can be as active or as blissfully lazy as you like. There are dozens of activities and outings, the most obvious being to the Great Barrier Reef.

If you're here specifically to reboot your health, though, you can book in for a tailored wellness program, which combines healthy eating, exercise and, what we're really here for, plenty of time relaxing at Hayman Spa.

Treatments at the spa cover the full head-to-toe gamut, and include options such as Tough Love  - tennis instruction followed by a massage (for those of us who need to justify sitting still).

However, the ultimate would have to be the ocean massage, where you float on a li-lo on the Coral Sea, water lapping at your side, tropical fish cruising by, massage therapist working their magic.

That's the great thing about this decadent spa and resort. You can pretty much have anything done anywhere, from spa treatments in your room or in outdoor pavilions with beach and rainforest views, to private candlelit dinners just about anywhere on the island.

Accommodation options abound, too, from standard guest rooms or suites, to knockout penthouses and beach villas complete with private pool. The only problem about a holiday here is getting back on that boat when it's time to go home. 

Hayman Island, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, ph [phone], see hayman.com.au.

Facilities: 210 rooms, suites, beach villas and penthouses; Azure, Fontaine, la Trattoria and Oriental restaurants. Activities: Diving, gym, meditation, sailing, sauna, snorkelling, squash, steam room, swimming pools, tennis, water sports, yoga.

Rooms from $590; 60-minute massage from $170.

Daintree Eco Lodge & Spa

IF YOU'RE having trouble sleeping, a stay at this eco lodge in the World Heritage-listed Daintree rainforest should fix you up. There's nothing like the soothing sounds of nature to help you off to sleep.

The tree houses -  like rooms on stilts  - here all have flyscreened balconies, so you can leave your door open at night, letting calming sounds in, while keeping critters out.

Some of the rooms have jacuzzis on the balcony, and it's definitely worth paying the bit extra to stay in one of these. Special, too, are the spa treatments, which incorporate Aboriginal spiritual and healing wisdom, and certain ingredients, such as ylang-ylang, sourced directly from the property.

The literally transformative signature treatment walbul-walbul (butterfly in the local Aboriginal dialect) does indeed make you feel like fluttering away afterwards. This two-hour delight incorporates a warm-oil and desert-salt massage, full-body exfoliation, mud wrap and head treatment.

Then there's the memorable wawu jirakul (your spirit cleansed), which takes place outside in the rainforest next to the retreat's private waterfall. A massage with locally sourced mud is followed by an invigorating waterfall rinse  -  a sure-fire way to remind you you're alive. The rinse is for women only, because this is a sacred women's site for the local Kuku Yalanji people.

This connection to indigenous culture sets this nature spa apart. 

 Daintree Rd, Daintree, Queensland, ph [phone], see daintree-ecolodge.com.au.

Facilities: 15 rooms; Julaymba Restaurant; complimentary breakfast; Jacuzzi, swimming pool.

Rooms from $550; 60-minute massage $130. 

-- This is an edited extract from Michelle Bennett's new book, Relax: Australian Spa Retreats (Explore Australia, $22.95, exploreaustralia.net.au).