Revitalise with a Wellness Getaway to the Reef House

“Take a deep breath and hold it for a moment, therapist Marissa prompts in her soft voice. “Release your breath gently, centre your thoughts and feel yourself relaxing with each exhalation,” she intones.  Sinking deeper into the table as Marissa’s soft hands run up my spine, I surrender to blissful moments, losing track of time as tension ebbs away. Wrapped in a cocoon of tranquillity, candles shimmer, soft harmonies drift across the room while beyond the louvre shutters, palm fronds create a  soothing coconut-infused soundtrack.

I feel my body yielding to her touch as Marissa places warm stones beneath my shoulder blades. My mind wanders off into inane self-chatter, and I bring my focus back to my breath, allowing myself  to succumb to total bliss.  By the time I rise 45 minutes later, Marissa’s skilled hands have worked their magic. In fact, I’m so relaxed that it takes me a few moments to remember where I am. Rehydrating over a chilled peppermint tea in the louvre-sided lounge, I wonder why I don’t do this more often and start planning another appointment. Though I can’t decide between the 120-minute-long Ocean Spa Ritual promising marine indulgence from head to toe, or a ‘drift into dream-time and exquisite pampering’ with the 150-minute-long Botanical Bliss.

These thoughtfully created journeys into body-nourishing bliss are just one of the attractions of an extended stay at The Reef House. On another day I sip chilled Mimosas while learning how to care for my own skin in a complimentary Skincare Talk with Swiss-born, French-trained Spa Director Isabelle. With staff impeccably skilled in the fine art of pampering and hospitality (somewhat of a rarity in Australia), it’s easy to imagine I’m anywhere but north Queensland. Palm-fringed Palm Cove itself is somewhat of a hidden secret, just 20 minutes from Cairns yet it feels like a tropical enclave for a select few who have the key to its sultry heart.

Ensconced within the white-walled charms of the historic Reef House, over seven days I find little reason to leave its welcoming embrace. Though I make an exception for a treatment at MAASS hair salon and to join in yoga classes at the beachfront palm grove a short walk away. One day we work sequentially through a Vinyasa Flow session, aligning our inhalations and exhalations with each new pose. On another we increase the pace a little during a Hatha Flow class, then reduce energetic expenditure markedly during a Slow Flow class on another day. It’s during each meditation segment that our serene surroundings truly resonates. Supine on a mat beneath towering palm trees, the soothing soundtrack of beach sand being gently pushed around by wavelets proves irresistible. It’s all I can do to stay awake, despite sleeping soundly each evening, lulled asleep by the soft sounds of the sea.

Back at the Reef House adjacent to the Tranquillity Pool, I manage to stay awake during an entire Stretch and Breathe class, no mean feat, when you’ve been completely lulled into tropical submission.

On another day I increase the tempo somewhat, sliding into the Mineral Pool for an Aqua Aerobics class. Though to be honest, I’m not expecting to raise my heart rate too much, given the class is only 30 minutes long. Led by a chiselled instructor who manages to keep us laughing simultaneously while working out with foam dumbbells, it’s a deceptively invigorating session. Reluctant to leave the pool after the class ends, my fellow classmates and I chat in the palm tree-shaded pool before slipping into the spa pool and ramping up the bubbles.

Later, lolling on a sunlounge reading About Turns by Judy Thomson, with its intriguing stories of Reef House’s origins, a waiter stops by with a tantalising coconut sorbet one day, mango another, and raspberry on still another day. This delicious ritual becomes a much-anticipated time-stamp each afternoon as I ensure I’m poolside to partake in sanguine sorbets. An enticing sorbet seems the perfect prelude to a cocktail, and I won’t deny putting my own stamp on this much-loved Reef House tradition,  with a kaffir lime-infused Kaprioska deemed my favourite after 6 days of intense research.

These traditions with tendrils in the Reef House’s early days are undisputedly a significant part of the hotel’s charm. With Brigadiers’ punch and canapes bringing guests together in convivial surroundings at twilight, an honesty bar originating from Brigadier Thomson’s Officers Mess and framed stories about celebrity guests adorning the tongue and groove walls of the original cottage, it’s the kind of place that feels like home. So much so that I’m already planning my return as the taxi whisks me to the airport and beyond, to cool days awaiting me in southern climes.

How you too can experience wellness and relaxation at the Reef House

If you’ve been craving an opportunity to escape your ordinary world and truly reconnect with your mind, body and soul, the Reef House is the perfect destination for you to do so in.

The Reef House has curated a Wellness Spa Retreat that allows you to experience not only complete relaxation and rejuvenation, but also the chance to take part in so many of the Reef House’s signature traditions that have spanned decades.

The Wellness and Revitalise Spa Retreat is a 4-night, 5-day package where you can make the most of the stunningly paradisiac Palm Cove, the award-winning Day Spa and of course, the incomparable Reef House.

For three days of your time here at the Reef House, you will enjoy the exclusive experience of Phytomer Marine Vitality spa treatments that have been curated just for you. As the only Day Spa in Queensland to offer Phytomer treatments, you will discover the many amazing benefits of these unique treatments that can help to improve circulation, metabolism and detoxification.

You can also indulge in the world-famous fresh produce of the region with a candlelit three-course a la carte dinner under the Melaleucas of the Reef House Restaurant; an in-room seafood platter; and daily a la carte breakfast with a spectacular view of the Coral Sea.

And just like every guest of the Reef House, you will also be able to enjoy the variety of Signature Inclusions and Traditions that the Reef House has become legendary for. Afternoon poolside sorbet, beachfront yoga, indulgent pool days, and Brigadier’s punch and canapes every day at 5pm.

The 4-night Wellness Package has been designed to let you step outside of the real world and join a tropical oasis for some much-needed time away. Whether you’re planning a girls trip for a special occasion, a romantic couples getaway, a mother-daughter holiday, or you’re travelling solo, the Reef House is a welcoming destination where you can let go of it all and indulge.

Learn more about our 4-night Wellness and Revitalise Spa Retreat here.