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Bliss! The Botanica Spa – Byron Bay, Australia

Journalist, author and Holiday Goddess Handbag Guide editor Anneli Knight beats a retreat to the Botanica Day Spa – tucked away near Byron Bay.

Escape to Botanica

More than a million visitors pass through Byron Bay on the north cost of NSW every year and many of them miss one of the area’s most luscious attractions: the rainforest hinterland. When you are paddling in that sparkling ocean you can’t miss those layers of mountain ranges that frame the coast, with Wollumbin (Mt Warning) standing majestically at the core.

Next time you are visiting this part of the world, make sure you don’t overlook this incredible aspect from the hills. And in case you need an excuse to get there, here’s a delicious one: a half-day retreat at Botanica Day Spa.

Botanica is located in the far reaches of the rainforest in Upper Wilsons Creek and the journey to this exclusive private spa (where you will be the only guests during your four-hour stay) is as much a part of the experience as the Finnish wood-fired sauna, the luxurious massage and spa treatments and the infinity pool that drops away to a valley of ferns and eucalypts, overlooking waterfalls that cascade over the Koonyum Ranges.

To get there you pass through the bustling but hidden away town of  Mullumbimby, where you might visit Art Piece Gallery to get a taste of the vibrant local art scene or enjoy a coffee at the cruisy Poinciana Café and spot the resident bearded dragon lizard that saunters through the courtyard.

Once you’re out of Mullum (that’s what the locals call this town), you’ll find yourself very quickly threading through the rainforest on a fast ascent that eventually takes you across a series of trickling causeways. Keep your windows down so you can smell the rainforest and feel the quality of the air change with the subtle shift in altitude.

Pampering in the Australian bush

When you arrive at Botanica Day Spa you will be greeted with a warm welcome from your hosts, Gemma Brown and Stefano Canuto – the couple who have created this magical oasis. Stefano, who grew up in a large family in Venice, originally built the spa area as his own retreat to watch Italy play in World Cup Soccer matches. Around the same time Gemma was doing remedial massage training, and the idea came together to create a day spa retreat in their rainforest space.

There are a variety of treatments on offer at the spa at very reasonable prices – including massage, body treatments and skin care. There is also the option to simply spend time in this space without a treatment, where you can enjoy the misty hills of the hinterland, inhaling the untainted air as you listen to the coo of the Wompoo Doves, and flit between the wood-fired sauna and the infinity pool with not another person around but yourselves.

This is a perfect goddess retreat – gather the girls and get out there to the rainforest for this very special excuse to roam into the hinterland.

Go to Botanica Day Spa at http://www.botanicadayspa.com for information on all the spa treatments and the looming launch of the overnight accommodation packages in the studio that adjoins the spa.

Read more from Anneli in The Holiday Goddess Handbag Guide (HarperCollins).

Photos:

Anneli Knight

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