Eden Retreat review:

Be transformed by the rainforest surrounds and unique wellness offerings served up at the award-winning Eden Retreat.

The rain is gently landing on my head, sending up steam from the upper valley hot tub I’ve sat in for several blissful hours this afternoon, watching over the valley below and the mountains in the distance as the rain and mist roll in. Undeterred, whipbirds and magpies continue their occasional calls. Eden doesn’t begin to cover it.

I’m at Eden Retreat for the weekend, a wellness retreat that combines luxury accommodation, holistic spa therapies, wellness experiences, nutritious cuisine and nature immersion. It’s a craft they’ve honed well, as the oldest and longest-running health and wellness retreat in Australia. And there’s no more glowing report I can give than that I entered feeling exhausted and a little ground down by the everyday, and I left feeling more myself than I had in months.

Where is Eden Retreat?

eden retrat upper valley pool aerial — Reset inside the World Heritage-listed Springbrook National Park.

Set in the heart of Currumbin Valley, World Heritage-listed Springbrook National Park sets a gorgeous natural scene for guests to slow down and reconnect with themselves. Enjoy uninterrupted views from the upper valley, which quickly became my favourite place on the property, but feel the rainforest around you everywhere.

Step mere metres from the front gates and walk for 10 minutes through the rainforest itself, stopping to swim at gorgeous natural rock pools. Longer trails nearby are also very popular with guests.

All this, and only a 30-minute drive from Gold Coast‘s Coolangatta Airport, or a 90-minute drive from Brisbane. Many guests arrived in their own cars, while others booked a shuttle service from the airport right up to Eden Retreat’s reception.

Style and character

Eden Retreat Dining Room View — There’s an indoor-outdoor flow to every building.

Much like the activities, architecture at Eden Retreat is designed to integrate into the rainforest it sits in. Think matte-black, timber-clad cabins which blend seamlessly into the cleared green hillsides. While clean lines and contemporary style elevate the luxurious, almost Scandinavian feel.

Whether in your room, taking a yoga class or sitting down to dinner, there’s an indoor-outdoor flow to every building, thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows and large sliding glass doors. Lofty ceilings, stone features and brass fixtures continue the natural feel inside.

The rooms

eden retreat Cascade Chalet interior — Spoil yourself with Cascade Chalet.

Rooms range from standalone chalets and cabins to lodges and suites. They’re all positioned across the retreat’s landscape, divided into Lower Valley and Upper Valley. But what do they all have in common? They’re intentionally free of televisions and styled with freestanding tubs, indoor-outdoor fireplaces, and neutral, calming tones so that guests can stay unplugged and present in the moment.

Those wanting to really indulge can book into the Cascade Chalet, featuring a king-size bed, a custom open fireplace and a separate lounge area to unwind in. It also offers a larger bathroom, with the same free-standing tub, but additional dual showers, creating a spa-like space. And, of course, a private balcony is the perfect place to while away an afternoon.

Elsewhere, cabins include a queen-size bed, a freestanding bathtub and a private balcony. Suites are similar but offer a little more room, with two queen-size beds.

In the upper valley, the Lodge upsizes the bed to a King, with Twin bay windows that draw in soft natural light and incredible valley views. It’s another great option for guests wanting a little extra room.

My personal pick? Find me anywhere in the Upper Valley (are you picking up on a theme?).

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

The facilities

Pools

Eden Retreat gold coast Lower Valley Pool — Find plenty of space for a dip in the Lower Valley Pool.

There are two main pool areas, each equipped with a heated spa, a larger pool and a sauna.

The largest of these amenities can be found in what I’d call the main area of the property – where you’ll also find the gym, spa reception, plus the nearby dining room and activities hall. Here, the lap pool is kept at 25 degrees, the spa bath and sauna are both a little bigger, and you’ll find the addition of a cold plunge bath.

To me, though, it’s the amenities found up the hill, near the on-site cafe, that really steal the show. The infinity pool may be unheated, but its views over the rainforest, valley and mountains are unparalleled. Except, of course, for those provided by the very toasty spa bath, where I spent my time. The barrel-shaped sauna here is more suited for two at a time.

Daily activities

piilates class at eden retreat on the gold coast — Activities range from exercise classes to cooking to the the more woo-woo.

Every evening, guests receive a full daily program of activities for the following day. These activities are designed to enhance the experience, ranging from getting your body moving – like fitness classes with a PT at the sizeable on-site gym, Pilates and guided walks to the nearby natural rockpools – to self-improvement workshops – like sound healing, breath work, guided hot and cold therapies – to hands-on fun – like pottery classes and cooking demos.

Fill your whole day trying everything on the schedule, or pick and choose the ones you find most appealing.

The spa

spa treatment at eden retreat — Put your mind-body reset over the edge with an additional spa treatment.

In need of a little extra healing? Book a one-on-one treatment at the on-site spa. Here, you can book everything from regular spa offerings, like relaxation or hot stone massages. Or, you can really delve into the wellness of it all, like cryotherapy and breathwork/meditation sessions.

My personal favourite? Of the signature offerings that you’ll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else, I had the absolute pleasure of being paired with Rachelle Kerr for a Ka-Huna Bodywork treatment. Rachelle lends the cultural practices of her Hawaiian roots to blend rhythmic bodywork with music, meditation and breathwork. All I can say is that it must also involve a little magic, of the best kind. It’s a beautiful blend of massage and therapy – leaving me feeling more like myself than I had in months. I cannot recommend it enough.

Right now, the spa and treatment rooms sit in that main area of the retreat, but construction has begun on a new Treehouse spa, which will be perched high above the Currumbin Valley and is expected to welcome its first guests later this year. Views and life-altering therapies. Sign me up.

Dining

chef preparing lunch in the kitchen at eden retreat — Dine of chef-prepared, healthy meals that don’t skimp on taste.

Stays at the luxury wellness retreat include all meals prepared by award-winning chefs using local ingredients. Meals are fresh, tasty and, of course, healthy. The seasonal menu focuses on being high in protein and using gut-friendly ingredients, alongside fibre-rich whole foods, plant diversity and fermented ingredients. Many of the fresh herbs, leafy greens and vegetables are harvested from the Retreat’s own market garden, as a nice touch.

Think sashimi-grade tuna poke bowl with pickled carrot and radish, avocado, house-made furikake, yuzu and miso dressing. Or grass-fed beef fillet with beetroot and raspberry purée, crispy potato pavé, roasted and charred baby beetroot, pickled shallot, horseradish crème fraiche, hazelnut and market garden herb crunch, finished with bone broth reduction. Dietary needs are catered for; as a vegetarian, I received a variation of the regular dishes.

Hot, cold and sparkling waters are on tap, along with the most intriguing library of teas. But don’t worry, plunger coffee is available at breakfast.

Eden Retreat Nourish cafe — The matcha latte at Nourish Cafe is elite. (Credit: Kassia Byrnes)

If that’s not enough, pop up the hill to the retreat’s on-site cafe, Nourish, where you can purchase barista-made coffee and other hot drinks (hello, matcha latte), as well as a small range of snacks. It’s actually just such a beautiful space, with comfy couches and tables looking out onto the rainforest-clad valley below, that we also found it a wonderful place to sit, chat, birdwatch and play some board games.

Unless guests request a picnic, all provided meals are taken in the shared dining room. Here, you can choose to join other guests at large tables and get social, or enjoy your own orbit at smaller tables. For the anxious among us (myself included), I know the first thought with an option like this is whether you’ll be judged for choosing to dine alone, or with your own party. The answer, I found, was absolutely not. Join in when you feel like it, enjoy your own peace when you feel like it – it’s your journey, and everyone will respect that.

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Is Eden Retreat accessible for guests with disabilities?

Thanks to its steep, rainforest terrain, Eden Retreat has limited accessibility. Contact the staff directly before booking to discuss your specific mobility needs.

Is Eden Retreat family-friendly?

While there are plenty of couples, sisters, friends and even parents with their adult children, this is the kind of place where you really need to be able to focus on your own self-improvement. Which is why the retreat is restricted to adults 18 and older only.

Details

Best for: Adults seeking a reset in beautiful surrounds.

Address: 1815 Currumbin Creek Road, Currumbin Valley, QLD 4223

Phone: 1800 074 157

Cost: Prices start around $2600 for a three-night stay, reaching upwards of $4690 for longer seven-night packages, per person. Prices do include all meals and the daily roster of workshops and activities.

Where to book: Find more details and make a booking on the Eden Retreat website.

From poolside bites and tasting flights to seafood plates and dry-aged steaks, a foodie adventure on Hamilton Island is worth every bite.

Hamilton Island’s sun-lacquered shores have long magnetised travellers craving an escape from reality. But what’s less expected – and more interesting – is just how assuredly this Whitsundays idyll delivers on the culinary front. Dialling up the flavour as much as the barefoot allure, the Hamilton Island food scene offers world-class dining and drinking options, spanning slick fine-dining moments to just-caught seafood served within sight of the sea. Let’s dig in.

Catseye Pool Club

Framing the electric blues of Catseye Beach from The Sundays hotel, Catseye Pool Club is Hamilton Island’s latest culinary prodigy. Shown to our table, we thread through rattan chairs, Zellige tiles and tumbling greenery that opens up to Coral Sea shimmer.

The poolside restaurant is the brainchild of Sydney-based chef duo Josh and Julie Niland, who have brought their relaxed yet elevated dining ethos north. The menu – designed to bring people together – is made for sharing, each hero ingredient orbited by a palette of sides to mix, match and layer as you please.

My thyme cocktail – woody with scotch, lifted by lime leaf – pairs perfectly with the charcoal grilled prawns entree, which is served with tumeric and lemongrass marinade, macadamia satay sauce and a thai-leaning sour green mango salad. Each forkful lands differently, but all are a delight. Then comes the coral trout. True to Josh Niland’s ‘scale-to-tail’ philosophy, the fish is presented whole in a theatrical crescent, a tiny fork stuck into its cheek in a nod to Niland’s declared prize cut. Ribbons of zucchini resembling gauzy curtains bring brightness and snap, while kasundi lends depth and warmth. It’s tongue-tantalising, special occasion dining with humanity.

Sails Restaurant

A more casual poolside dining scene awaits at nearby Sails Restaurant, where Eastern Mediterranean flavours are dished up with an island twist. Chermoula chicken skewers and barramundi souvlaki lie on the more filling side of the menu, while the sumac squid and stone-bread flatbread with za’atar – arriving alongside pomegranate molasses, beetroot hummus and crushed macadamias – are perfect light bites after a dip in the pool. And don’t miss the garlic lemon scallops.

The setting is equally part of the draw. Sunlight floods the high-ceilinged dining room, while outdoor tables look out across the glittering expanse of Catseye Beach. Holidaymakers in oversized sunglasses sip spritzes beneath umbrellas, the gentle clink of plates mixing with splashes from the adjacent pool. It’s the kind of place you’ll want to linger long after lunch.

Bommie

Tucked into a sleek curved wing of the Hamilton Island Yacht Club, Bommie delivers experiential fine dining with a sense of occasion. Led by award-winning Executive Chef Ryan Locke, the seasonal menu champions local and native Australian ingredients whipped up into a modern display of creative precision.

Inside the dim-lit dining room, guests can choose between the Tasting Menu or Chef’s Signature Degustation. Sourdough with pine oil sets the tone for the six-course tasting menu, beautifully presented in a bed of pine needles alongside smoked paperbark butter. I love how the squid ink choux pastry is served with flavour-popping native finger lime, which our waiter encourages us to eat caviar-style. Standout moments continue with the wattle-seed-crusted venison elevated by red fruit and pickled beetroot swirls; the meat is perfectly pink in the middle and an homage to the island’s history as a deer farm.

Pebble Beach

Exclusive to qualia Resort guests for lunch and dinner, Pebble Beach is Hamilton Island’s most serene expression of seasonal island dining. Ocean-facing chairs dot a timber deck that spills straight onto the resort’s private beach, while crystalline turquoise waters stretch to meet distant islands – a scene far prettier than any postcard could capture.

The recently refreshed menu doubles down on seasonality and bright, layered flavours. While the more substantial T-bone steak with hazelnut honey carrots tempts, we go lighter: Coffin Bay oysters with Champagne foam and keffir lime dust kick us off splendidly, followed by Byron Bay burrata served with balsamic and caramelised figs. The fennel and orange salad topped with succulent grilled chicken is utterly delectable, but it’s the zingy, oh-so-fresh soft shell fish tacos that I can’t stop thinking about. It all goes down a treat with a glass of delicate Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve Champagne.

Beach Club Restaurant

A lunch or dinner table at Beach Club Restaurant is best booked in advance – and it’s easy to see why. Looking out over the hotel’s palm-fringed infinity pool, the restaurant spotlights elegant contemporary Australian cuisine with a stellar (also Aussie-leaning) wine list to match.

I am completely enamoured by the grilled Queensland prawns, which are brought to life with a smoked compound, local fried curry leaves and lime. Digging into the butter-soft lamb rump served atop pea ragout and parsley Paris mash feels like a warm, nostalgic hug. And dessert – vanilla bean ice cream drizzled with hot salted honey and apple gel – ends the night on a high note.

Expect warm and discreet service; our waiter Marco tells us that the tiny decorative starfish on our table are there to help the staff remember whether we prefer sparkling or still water, so they don’t need to bother us by asking multiple times.

Talk & Taste with Courtenay Morgan-Fletcher

There’s more to Hamilton Island’s foodie scene than restaurant reservations alone. For wine-curious travellers seeking something a little more immersive, Beach Club has recently introduced Talk & Taste – a tutored tasting hosted by Bommie Assistant Manager and wine enthusiast Courtenay Morgan-Fletcher. Held twice weekly for a maximum of eight guests, the experience explores Australian wine culture through four thoughtfully selected drops paired with native-inspired bites.

We opt for the white wine and seafood option. Alongside pours from Eden Valley and Launceston, a nibbling platter arrives featuring sashimi, salmon roe, Mooloolaba prawn ceviche and palate-cleansing ginger. The seafood is pristine and pared back, allowing the wines to take centre stage.

The real highlight, however, is discovering just how nuanced winemaking can be. Courtenay speaks of viticulture as both art and science: harvest grapes a week too late and ripeness tips into ruin; plant the same varietal on different elevations and the sun, slope and water flow will shape entirely different expressions. Pinot noir, she explains, with its delicate skin and high water content, yields lighter fruit-forward wines, while thicker-skinned shiraz delivers depth and structure. I leave feeling fascinated and inspired by Courtenay’s evident passion.

coca chu

Sweet and hot. Sour and salty. Dining at ever-popular coca chu is a sensation-swirling experience that’s not to be missed if you’re a sucker for punchy Southeast Asian flavours. Located at the Main Pool end of Catseye Beach, this lively hangout is all swaying lanterns, driftwood, high beamed ceilings and giant open windows that let in the balmy ocean breeze.

Drawing from hawker traditions, the grilled betel leaf is a neat, vibrant mouthful of chilli fried cashews and spiced beef. The tofu surprises – soft beneath a tumble of dill, mint and coriander, and glossed in moreish peanut sauce. The massaman curry is pure comfort: creamy, fragrant, fall-apart meat. It’s generous and expressive cooking that I, for one, cannot get enough of.

Marina Cafe

Sometimes, all you crave on holidays is a bacon and egg roll done properly and a creamy fruit smoothie. Boasting harbour views, an easygoing atmosphere and clean modern interiors, Marina Cafe is a popular local haunt for a reason. The casual menu lures families and couples alike with its all-day brekky, seasonal salads and sandwiches – from a roasted pumpkin bowl to prosciutto and rocket on herby focaccia.

The acai bowl, topped with toasted nuts and berries, is a refreshing start to my day. Whether you sit in or takeaway, it’s a good-vibes-guaranteed place to refuel before or after your Whitsundays adventures.

Discover your foodie getaway now at hamiltonisland.com.au.

Finding Eden: What it’s like to stay at Australia’s original wellness retreat

Be transformed by the rainforest surrounds and unique wellness offerings served up at the award-winning Eden Retreat.

Where is Eden Retreat?

Style and character

The rooms