Gaia Retreat & Spa

This review of Gaia Retreat in Byron Bay is taken from our guidebook Mr & Mrs Smith Hotel Collection Australia/New Zealand.

 

You can’t mention that you’re visiting Gaia Retreat & Spa without someone saying ‘Olivia Newton-John owns that you know.’ Indeed the singer is one of the directors, and I’ve also noticed that the warm and fuzzy feeling that seems to wash over people at the thought of her is pretty much the same sense of happiness that Gaia delivers. This gorgeous retreat, which has earned itself an excellent reputation since opening in 2005, is set in the lush, subtropical hinterland of Byron Bay. It’s positioned atop the highest point in the area, meaning the views are spectacular; just green rolling hills that meet a broad blue sky.

 

Retreat experiences are different for all I suppose, but I am definitely of the mindset that they are better shared with a good friend than a husband. To me, they are one of the ultimate female bonding rituals. Mr Smith doesn’t particularly appreciate it when I bang on for hours about the products used during a facial, ask which variety of tea I should choose, or what colour my toenails should acquire during a pedicure. My friend Ms Smith, on the other hand, has visited many a spa with me. In fact, we consider ourselves connoisseurs. Once, in Thailand, we talked for three days about the reflexology session we’d had. Yes, Ms Smith is the perfect partner for a weekend stay at Gaia.

 

This isn’t a clinical, hi-tech retreat or an over-designed luxury resort. Gaia is much more laid-back than that. A group of bungalow-style villas surround Kukura House, a spacious Samoan-inspired longhouse with soaring ceiling and a large deck that overlooks the gardens and is used for dining when the weather sparkles. This is the central meeting place for guests, housing the reception, the dining area and the relaxation lounge. The decor is a rather haphazard mixture of styles: a little bit Sanskrit, a little bit Pottery Barn. I’m more used to super-slick styling, but after a while I can’t help but go with the flow. It’s all so unpretentious and comfortable – there are plenty of DVDs, books and board games to borrow if you’re one of those people who always needs something to do – that you can’t help but relax.

 

Before long it becomes patently obvious that the majority of guests are women, some in groups but many travelling solo. The cosy mood of Kukuru House means you don’t feel any pressure to impress or even mingle – you can just make yourself a cup of tea and curl up with a good book. The overall ambience of Gaia is very female, in an organic sense – the physical landscape is soft and undulating, and statues of nudes and goddesses dot the property. There is an easiness and a friendliness, from all the staff, and from the guests, which is very comforting, and just the ticket when you need to be nurtured.

 

We also found the bungalows very user-friendly, although the aluminium sliding doors and holiday-house style kitchenettes are a little incongruous considering how upmarket Gaia is. There are a few too many knick-knacks for somewhere soul-soothing – an edit could sharpen up the decor.

 

That aside, not a great deal of time really needs to be spent in your room, as there is the incredible day spa to enjoy. Warm, pristine and fragrant, this pocket of pampering is located next to a beautiful heated outdoor pool. Given that Gaia is situated in an area of Australia that tends to attract those with an ‘alternative’ spirit, the hiring process has clearly been stringent. The therapists are wonderful, each chosen for their skills in a particular field. And there’s a particularly impressive esoteric menu, offering treatments as diverse as cupping, reiki, sound healing, astrology and tarot. I opt for the facial release and kidney cleanse. I think it does the trick, but I can’t be entirely sure as I was asleep within five minutes of the treatment starting. When I awake an hour later (I hope there was no drooling), the therapist tells me she thinks I’m probably adrenally exhausted, which makes a lot of sense since, at the time, I was super-stressed. But who’d have thought that someone simply placing their warm hands on your kidneys could send you off into space? When I come to, I am both relaxed and refreshed. Ms Smith chooses a four-handed body rub, a hot-oil head massage and a deep-tissue pummelling, all of which she declares as heavenly. That woman cannot be kneaded enough and, since she prefers just a little light exercise, she’s the ideal spa buddy.

 

The staff at Gaia might be professional but there’s also a wonderful casualness that lets you explore at your own pace. The gym is unattended, meaning you can just go in and do whatever you feel, whenever you feel like doing it. You can opt to join group activities, such as t’ai chi or cooking classes, or not. You are being watched over, but don’t feel it. On one occasion, I confide in a staff member that I’m booked for a massage during lunch, so did that mean I was going to miss it. ‘We are like a plane,’ she replies with a smile, ‘we won’t take off without you.’

 

I mention lunch because the food at Gaia is wonderful: organic, inventive and delicious. In fact, most of my days are spent looking forward to the next meal. What is it about fresh air and massage that makes you ravenous? Breakfast is spectacular and a good many resorts would do well to follow Gaia’s guilt-free guidelines, with a variety of cereals, fruits, grain breads, juices and hot dishes.

 

It appears Gaia has a pro-choice policy, which I find liberating – you can choose to have wine at dinner or ask for an organic coffee if you so desire. Given that you are in such nourishing surrounds it is highly unlikely that anybody is really going to abuse those particular toxins, but I like the fact you are treated like a grown-up and given the option. Morning meditation on the hill, a deep-tissue massage, an afternoon nap, a bracing walk, a tasty organic meal and a glass of pinot. Did I say bliss?