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Our guide to every dreamy day spa in the Hunter Valley

Kristie Lau-Adams Kristie Lau-Adams
Cheese is certainly appetising but a day spa in the Hunter Valley serves as the ultimate pairing to top-shelf wine.

Romantic retreats, girls’ getaways or quality family time – no matter which getaway calls, the cherry on top is dedicated me-time at a Hunter Valley day spa. As an added incentive, each unique space is encircled with rolling vineyards to instantly soothe my frazzled brain ahead of wine o’clock revelry. From over-too-soon massages and hydrating treatments to wellness programs filled with spoils for the soul, I’ve collated the finest options to get you floating.

In short

If you only have time for one day spa in the Hunter Valley, make it Elysia Wellness Retreat for being the region’s most grand, and beautifully positioned, serenity source ever since the brand rebranded from the former Golden Door in 2019.

1. Elysia Wellness Retreat

the heated indoor pool at Elysia Wellness Retreat
Unwind in the heated indoor pool.

The jewel in the Hunter Valley’s self-care crown is Elysia Wellness Retreat, a magnificent property perched atop a dramatic hill that offers sweeping views of the region and gives serious James Bond villain-home vibes (drama replaced with overwhelming Zen, of course). All-inclusive two to seven-night programs are personalised to individual goals and filled with outdoor and indoor activities, seminars, and workshops with experts including nutritionists, naturopaths and psychologists. There’s also lavish daily meals packed with organic goodness and spa treatments (plenty more on the day spa itself just below). As for your digs, they come in the shape of one, two or three-bedroom suites with balconies, king beds and large bathtubs. Visitors should also note that while there’s a literal valley of grape crushing at Elysia’s doorstep, retreats do not serve alcohol.

Where: 165 Thompsons Rd, Pokolbin

Prices: From $1,510 per person for two nights

2. The Day Spa at Elysia Wellness Retreat

a facial treatment at Elysia Wellness Retreat day spa
Elysia Wellness Retreat promotes holistic treatments.

I can steal a taste of the luxe life without forking out for a multi-day package at Elysia Wellness Retreat’s Day Spa. Located at the centre of the property, this day spa in the Hunter Valley welcomes day trippers and tallies more than 50 unique treatments across 26 wet or dry rooms, making it an ideal option for the group of four I booked during a recent girls’ trip. It’s grand yet tranquil, and that’s despite the waiting area welcoming a steady stream of guests. Except a buffet of massage types, skin health consultations and facials, deeply hydrating body treatments, extravagant spa packages and grooming including waxing, plus an entire menu dedicated to restorative practices spanning breathwork, energy healing, tarot reading, hypnotherapy and wellness coaching. I especially love how beautiful Sodashi and Babor products are utilised so expertly, where relevant, and the staff are utterly professional every time.

Where: 165 Thompsons Rd, Pokolbin

Prices: View the spa menu

3. The Spa at Chateau Elan Hunter Valley

Chateau Elan Hunter Valley from above
De-stress with a view. (Image: Chateau Elan Hunter Valley)

Set against a Greg Norman-designed golf course, The Spa at Chateau Elan Hunter Valley is an extremely chic oasis I’ve also been solidly impressed with during several past trips. A collection of 17 treatment rooms house wellness wizardry in the way of relaxation and therapeutic massages, body exfoliations, facials (including the 80-minute De-Stress Organic Luxury Facial I was last treated to, which included divine scalp and limb massaging), an extensive range of packages, and grooming vitals like waxing, manis, pedis and spray tanning. Make time for the Hydrolounge and Deck area which is fitted with two outdoor mineral spas to detoxify you further. Product-wise, Australian-grown clean beauty label iKou is leant upon, while the staff are endlessly attentive, on hand to whip up cheese platters and glasses of bubbles if you’re feeling peckish.

Where: Vintage Dr, Pokolbin

Prices: View the spa menu

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4. Reflections Day Spa at Adina Vineyard and Olive Grove

Reflections Day Spa at Adina Vineyard and Olive Grove
Cap off your treatment with a cheese platter.

Lovedale’s beloved pit-stop for plump olives and tapenades, right off the Lovedale turnoff along the Hunter Expressway, is also home to an epic day spa in the Hunter Valley. Reflections Day Spa at Adina Vineyard and Olive Grove is an ultra-serene spot dotted with several al fresco spaces to help bring your glorious surroundings directly to your indulgence. Treatments are expertly performed, spanning four styles of massage starting at $129 for 50 minutes, dermablading, sumptuous facials, body polishes, body wraps and affordable add-ons like waxing and tints. Plus, there are platters with cheese and fruit so you can make an afternoon of it.

Where: Adina Vineyard and Olive Grove, 492 Lovedale Rd, Lovedale

Prices: View the spa menu

5. Ubika Day Spa at Rydges Resort Hunter Valley

Ubika Day Spa, Rydges Resort Hunter Valley
Rest and recharge in the sanctuary suite.

One of the most luxurious accommodation spots in the region – centrally located Wine Country Drive – is home to another heavenly day spa in the Hunter Valley. Ubika Day Spa at Rydges Resort Hunter Valley set me on the path to Zen from the moment I stepped through its doors. And while I visited solo, the space is especially perfect for couples. I was very jealous of guests being led to the swish Couples’ Suite fitted with a private spa bath that’s often lit up via candlelight. If you’re like me and travelling stag, however, never fear. Treatments span body rituals with fancy Vichy showers, facials, muscle-melting full-body massages starting at $160, and a range of add-on extras including head and scalp treatments and eye masks.

Where: 430 Wine Country Dr, Lovedale

Prices: View the spa menu

6. Spa Anise at Spicers Vineyards Estate

Spa Anise at Spicers Vineyards Estate
Relax and rejuvenate at Spa Anise. (Image: Spicers Retreats)

Sleek interiors inspired by nature bring the best of the outdoors into Spa Anise at Spicers Vineyards Estate. Located in the heart of one of the region’s most elegant boutique stays, Spicers Vineyards Estate, the day spa in the Hunter Valley is intimate while evoking exclusivity via just two treatment rooms that flow into private courtyards. It’s a magical spot to bring a small group as you’ll have the entire space to yourselves. Treatments utilise Australian-made products from Waterlily and Spaceuticals and include the standout Vino Therapy facial which works to kick start collagen and smooth fine lines as it leans into pure shiraz pressings. Could there be any more fitting a Hunter Valley day spa option? Massages and ‘Extra Spice’ add-ons are also encouraged to indulge every limb.

Where: 555 Hermitage Rd, Pokolbin

Prices: View the spa menu

7. Heavenly Hunter Massage & Wellbeing

a massage treatment at Heavenly Hunter Massage & Wellbeing
Heavenly Hunter treatments and meditation sessions are guaranteed to help you relax.

Nailed your cellar door call sheet and desperate to hibernate already? I feel you. It’s why I must point out the region’s best mobile massage services which start with Heavenly Hunter Massage & Wellbeing. Specialising in the art of Hawaiian massage with a Bodyworks qualification under her belt, owner Amanda Drew leads a team built to facilitate deep in-house R&R. Amanda is also a Reiki Master and qualified in nutrition coaching, so services are designed to be holistic as they melt you. Treatments include a wide range of massages, facials, healing therapies and yoga.

Where: It travels to accommodation within Pokolbin, Broke, Lovedale, Mount View, North Rothbury, Wollombi and surrounding suburbs.

Prices: View the website for comprehensive pricing

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8. Thai Nature Mobile Massage

Another popular pick in the local mobile massage game is Thai Nature Mobile Massage, which operates out of two Cessnock locations in addition to travelling to your Hunter Valley accommodation. If you’re heading to their brick-and-mortar operations, choose from a stack of massages: hot stone, deep tissue, Thai, remedial… you name it, they’ll nail it. There are also packages that bundle several options up and one of those trendy Japanese head spas. The same options are available if you’re ordering in, like I have in the past, as most services (sans the head spa) can be replicated via mobile massage beds. My tip? Make sure you enquire with plenty of notice as these guys are busy.

Where: 40 Cumberland St, Cessnock and 81 Vincent St, Cessnock, and the team travel right across the Hunter Valley

Prices: Visit the website for all pricing

9. Nu Leaf Retreat

a couple's massage at Nu Leaf Retreat, Pokolbin
Nu Leaf Retreat offers relaxing treatments for couples looking to decompress together.

Consider Nu Leaf Retreat a blank canvas to help you craft the wellness retreat of your dreams. Located in the thick of Hunter Valley’s action on Hermitage Road, the picturesque slice of nature caters to groups of up to 24 people. You can BYO experts – chefs (or food), therapists and coaches – but Nu Leaf can also connect you with local wellness and beauty professionals to help facilitate your experience. Ten rooms feature private patios and ensuite bathrooms, plus there’s a communal lounge, an undercover entertaining area with a barbecue, a magnesium pool, spa and steam room and an outdoor pool.

Where: 647 Hermitage Rd, Pokolbin

Prices: Visit the website for comprehensive pricing

10. Miliya

pilates with Elizabeth at Miliya
Strengthen your core with a trained Pilates practitioner. (Image: Miliya)

Another choose-your-own-adventure day spa in the Hunter Valley, Miliya hosts wellness retreats that pack in self-care indulgences and also open the space to guests who are keen to craft their own itineraries. It’s decked out with everything a private group may need including a hot yoga studio with 18 mats and all the gear, a reformer Pilates studio with eight machines, a gym, an ice bath, two treatment rooms with massage tables, an infrared sauna and all the technology to hook up your beats and tutorials. Additionally, the fit out is Instagram-awesome as soft drapes let natural light flood in, and minimalistic styling makes for perfect mirror selfies from every angle.

Where: 283 Wilderness Rd, Lovedale

Prices: Enquire through the website

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Kristie Lau-Adams
Kristie Lau-Adams is a Gold Coast-based freelance writer after working as a journalist and editorial director for almost 20 years across Australia's best-known media brands including The Sun-Herald, WHO and Woman's Day. She has spent significant time exploring the world with highlights including trekking Japan’s life-changing Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage and ziplining 140 metres above the vines of Mexico’s Puerto Villarta. She loves exploring her own backyard (quite literally, with her two young children who love bugs), but can also be found stalking remote corners globally for outstanding chilli margaritas and soul-stirring cultural experiences.
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Art, wine & fireplaces: 8 reasons Bowral is the ultimate winter getaway

(Credit: Destination NSW)

    Carla Grossetti Carla Grossetti
    Continue
    The Southern Highlands earns its title as Australia’s top country town in the cooler months, and it’s worth every minute of the 90-minute drive from Sydney.

    Many Sydneysiders head to the Southern Highlands in spring for the tulips. It’s one of the most stunning spring carnivals in Australia. But the ones in the know come to Bowral in winter.

    The first thing you notice at this time of year is the quality of the light. It catches the tangled limbs of the gums and tints the fields, farms and forests a pretty shade of Granny Smith green. And then, a world-class art museum, an impressive network of walking trails, great shops, cosy restaurants and bars and luxury accommodation take centre stage, making Bowral a place you want to linger as the mercury drops.

    Just 90 minutes south of Sydney, a Bowral winter getaway is the coolcation city folk desperately need. Here are eight reasons to pack a good coat and head for the Southern Highlands.

    1. Check in

    aerial of Ardour Milton Park Bowral in winter
    Check in to the gorgeous Ardour Milton Park Bowral. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    Ardour Milton Park Bowral rises like a hologram in the hazy green light as you turn onto Horderns Road. A $10 million refurbishment of the grand 1910 estate was completed in early 2026, and the beautifully restored hotel now includes 44 guest rooms washed in sage green, cobalt blue and dusty blush. The dining room at Horderns Restaurant continues with a botanical theme – earthy banquettes, floral touches throughout – and a menu that moves with the seasons.

    After enjoying slow-braised Cowra lamb and a second glass of red, move to the Polo Bar, which has a fireplace and views across the estate gardens. Build a grazing board from the dedicated Charcuterie Room and take it outside while the light lasts. If the sky clouds over, use this as your cue to enjoy a next-level spa experience at Èliva.

    2. Hunt for treasure

    couple exploring Dirty Janes bowral
    Find vintage treasures in Dirty Janes. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    Winter is the perfect season to lose an afternoon inside Dirty Janes Bowral. Over 1600 square metres of covered space houses 90 individual sellers of everything from mid-century furniture to industrial lighting, antique silverware, vintage clothing and objects whose previous lives you can only imagine. Enjoy a bit of off-the-cuff banter with your fellow fossickers in between searching for that must-have military jacket or vintage silk scarf.

    Around the corner, find the Instagram-famous front door of FoundAntiques, though the real finds are deeper inside. Bring cash, wear comfortable shoes and leave some room in the boot.

    3. Slow down in a beautiful gallery

    kids posing with donald bradman statue in bowral's The Bradman Museum
    Learn about an Aussie legend at The Bradman Museum. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    Ngununggula – meaning ’belonging’ in the language of the Gundungurra First Nations people – is the region’s first dedicated regional gallery, housed inside the sustainably transformed old dairy building at historic Retford Park. The onsite White Cottage Gallery and restored grounds of the former Fairfax estate reward a slow wander. Find a spot to sit in the courtyard filled with rivulets of winter light and enjoy the plaintive call of a currawong carrying across the heritage-listed grounds. It’s one of the best things to do in Bowral.

    Add Bowral Honey Farm for a hands-on harvest experience, then continue into town to the Milk Factory Gallery to admire eclectic works by local artists in a converted industrial space. The Bradman Museum also knocks it out of the park. Australia’s largest dedicated cricket museum sits beside the heritage-listed Bradman Oval, where a young Sir Donald Bradman first picked up a bat.

    4. A taste of France

    table spread at Lucette bowral
    Enjoy a taste of France at Lucette.

    For a taste of France without the airfare, husband-and-wife team Julien and Romy Besnard – of long-loved Franquette Crêperie – have opened Lucette, a French cafe-bistro with Paris-born chef Guillaume Dubois at the helm. Dubois brings serious pedigree from Michelin-starred kitchens in France and Sydney’s former two-hatted Monopole, and it shows. Start your day with pastries for breakfast and bookend it with boeuf bourguignon for dinner. The chocolate mousse, freckled with Guerande Salt, is the kind of dish that will make you feel smug about the decision to drive south. Join the Sydneysiders dressed in charcoal coats, boots and black tights who’ve already worked this out; the whole scene is worthy of splicing it into an Instagram reel.

    Francophiles should also be across Julien’s Bowral Brasserie – led by Frenchman Julien Viel, who also found his way to the Southern Highlands and stayed.

    5. Indulge in a tipple

    Centennial Vineyards bowral in winter
    Spend time amongst the local vines. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    The drive to Centennial Vineyards passes through a beautiful woodland idyll, the countryside a fuzz of green all around. Inside the Barrel Room, a tasting flight of cool-climate pinot noir, chardonnay and reserve shiraz viognier flaunts how well the Southern Highlands does winter.

    This is a region that takes its cool-climate wines seriously, and the pinot noir is one of the stars – a gentle, easy-drinking style with red cherry aromas. Follow your tutored cellar door tasting with another glass of wine in the Terrace Bar, which overlooks the vineyard and manicured grounds.

    6. Blend your own gin

    Millsheds Distillery & Bar
    Pop into Millsheds Distillery & Bar. (Credit: Mattia Panunzio)

    Millsheds Distillery & Bar is somewhat of a local secret. The award-winning small-batch operation produces gin, vodka and liqueurs using Australian botanicals and has picked up silver medals at both the London Spirits Competition and International Wine & Spirit Competition. Beyond the tasting paddle, the hands-on blending masterclass – where you design and leave with two bottles of your own custom gin – is the experience to book, while the terrace bar that wraps around the courtyard is a fine place to settle in afterwards.

    7. Go for a walk at dawn

    Switch your phone off sleep mode and set your alarm to early. Mt Gibraltar rises to 864 metres just east of Bowral’s main street and offers the best views in town. You will pass a raggle-taggle bunch of hikers on the way up to the summit, all making the same quiet pilgrimage into the crisp high-altitude air. On a clear morning, the bony ridges of the ranges come into sharp relief against the light. The return loop takes roughly 90 minutes. A flat white in Bowral tastes considerably better after completing one of the scenic walking trails.

    8. Cosy up by the fireplace

    Aspinalls Whisky Bar & Lounge at the Berida Hotel
    Get cosy in the Berida Hotel’s whiskey bar.

    A cosy bar is the perfect complement to winter in Bowral, and there are a few worth committing to. Aspinalls Whisky Bar & Lounge at the Berida Hotel is built for long, languorous evenings. Take a seat beside the fireplace laden with gnarled logs and work your way through a few whiskies and bar bites like Rangers Valley beef tartare, or salt cod and potato croquettes.

    At Hickory’s within Peppers Craigieburn, well-dressed waiters in denim and leather move quietly between tables, and the cosy fireplace in the adjoining guest lounge attracts an Escape to the Country crowd.

    Start planning your Bowral escape at visitsouthernhighlands.com.au.