Switch off to switch on: the best retreats in Queensland for a digital detox
List
By Jess Pridmore
Feeling like a slave to your smartphone? If your screen time’s eating into your you-time, it might be time to disconnect. More than ever, we’re craving the kind of relaxation only achieved by logging off, and with Queensland as your backyard there’s no better way to recharge body and mind than to swap your social feed for Mother Nature.
No internet, no wi-fi, no reception, no worries. Log off at these perfect Queensland retreats for the digital detox you know you need.
Power down in South East Queensland
Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat
Photo by @soak.bathhouse
Find your balance amongst Gwinganna’s 200 hectares of lush forest in the Gold Coast Hinterland. This award-winning, luxury, eco-certified retreat has everything you could possibly need in your quest for a digital detox; two magnificent swimming pools, dedicated fitness and meditation studios, and the largest spa in the southern hemisphere—in case your idea of downtime includes being face down on a massage bed. Ours definitely does.
For guests wishing to follow a more structured wellness journey, experience Gwinganna’s multi-day wellness programs. Paired with specialty spa treatments and organic cuisine, these intensive programs have a loyal following (and wait list to match). While tech devices aren’t banned completely, you’ll struggle to find signal on the property other than in your room or at the designated ‘phone zone’; a vintage cricket stand with views stretching right across the valley to the ocean. Gives screen time a whole new meaning.
Eden Health Retreat
Australia’s original health and wellness retreat, Eden is the Rolls Royce of wellness packages. Hidden deep within the Currumbin Valley hinterland on the Gold Coast, you’ll struggle to find a more luxurious location to disconnect from the outside world and focus on your self-development.
Surrounded by nature, seven days here without life’s little habits (this is a phone and laptop-free zone, as well as no alcohol, nicotine or caffeine) will seem blissful; its 380 acres boasts a multitude of bushwalks and hikes, a tennis court, bespoke spa facilities, swimming pool, and a fitness pavilion offering yoga, meditation, Zumba and Qigong.
QT Gold Coast
While the bright lights and late nights of the Gold Coast hardly evoke the ideal location for a digital detox, a weekend-long power down might be the perfect middle ground.
Book a night at QT Gold Coast for its infamous ‘power down’ package. Upon check-in, QT’s friendly staff will ‘confiscate’ your phone for a minimum 12-hour period, giving you more time to recharge the (inner) batteries and lessen your average daily screen time.
The package includes a number of in-room detox treats to help you through your device power down including healthy snacks and a yoga mat, as well as access to the QT Wellness Guru to clear the mind and nourish the body. As a guest of QT, you’ll naturally have access to all the hotel’s luxury amenities; pool and spa time are a no-brainer.
Spicers Peak Lodge
To digital detox without even a hint of deprivation, Spicers Peak Lodge in the Scenic Rim is your ticket to countryside luxury. Sitting on 8,000 private acres, picture an award-winning boutique homestead, huge open fireplaces, spa, manicured grounds, and pristine World Heritage-listed national park views that just don’t quit. Phone? You’ll barely remember your login details by the time you’re done.
Choose from 10 luxury suites and two private lodges to unwind. Stays are fully inclusive at Peak Lodge, with every meal taken care of, courtesy of Peak Lodge’s award-winning restaurant. Choose to spend your days hiking along the Scenic Rim trail, book a private yoga or meditation class, join one of the masterclasses offered on the property, indulge in campfire canapes at sunset, or just plonk yourself poolside with a good book for the duration of your trip. Seriously, how’s the serenity?
Nightfall Camp
Surrounded by historic Scenic Rim forest and skirting Lamington National Park’s abundant natural treasure, sits Nightfall Camp; Queensland’s answer to luxury glamping. Less is most definitely more, here, but you’ll want for nothing. Phones, tablets and laptops won’t be necessary; signal is limited this far in the forest, making it the perfect Queensland retreat for a digital detox.
Luxurious safari tents are the accommodation du jour, befit with king size canopy beds, fireplaces and stand-alone bathtubs. Days are spent exploring the magnificent wilderness, and time is always made for a bespoke spa treatment beside the site’s waterfall. Meals are cooked fireside, and with only eight guests staying at any time, it’ll feel like a home from home.
Nights under the stars, drinks around the campfire, and nature all around you; it really doesn’t get better.
Go off-grid in the outback and tropical north
Haggerstone Island
There are wellness retreats, and then there’s Haggerstone. This insanely beautiful, completely remote private island complex off the far north Queensland coast is more than just a luxury island getaway—this is a world all its own.
While not ‘technically’ classed a digital detox retreat, Haggerstone Island oozes Robinson Crusoe-esque accommodation (each ‘room’ is unique; beachside cabins and treetop digs come as standard) and a tropical island paradise location designed to kerb the scroll. Daily boat excursions, snorkeling, multi-night camping trips on the island, and a number of water sports on offer make for an action-packed island getaway.
Lotusbird Lodge
If you’re going to hit pause on the trappings of everyday life, make it somewhere extraordinary. 480 kilometres north of Cairns in Tropical North Queensland, Lotusbird Lodge in Cape York is the perfect place for a digital detox, reconnecting with Australia’s most ancient and wild of landscapes.
Stay in one of the rustic wood cabins beside the property’s crystal-clear billabong, the air is scented by the surrounding eucalypt forest and birdsong. Situated nine kilometres from Rinyirru (Lakefield National Park), only 20 guests are at the lodge at any one time, meaning you’ll get the peace and quiet you crave while having the chance to get to know your fellow tech-toxees.
Over 200 bird species reside along the billabong and nearby National Park, with Indigenous culture dating back to the Dreamtime. The magic here is palpable.
Cockatoo Hill Retreat
Upon completion of a three-night ‘digital detox’ at Cockatoo Hill retreat in the Daintree Rainforest, you’ll ask yourself why you never switched off sooner.
Slap-bang between Cape Tribulation and Port Douglas, this luscious treetop paradise feels remote—a million miles from anywhere. Daily activities here take complete advantage of the incredible outdoors; guided moonlight walks, hikes through the ancient rainforests, and a tropical pool worthy of the chicest holiday resorts, you’ll forget you even had the latest show to binge or email to send.
Thala Beach Nature Reserve
Perched on the softest sands of Oaks Beach just 15 minutes south of Port Douglas, Thala Beach Nature Reserve is a veritable paradise to take a digital hiatus. Take in dazzling views of the Coral Sea and native forest that hugs the coastline of the property’s private 58 hectares, with each of its 83 luxury eco-designed bungalows carefully constructed to seamlessly blend within the canopy of the native forest.
How you soak up Thala’s soul-replenishing energy is up to you; relax along the 2km stretch of private beach, dine in the treetop restaurant or soothe weary muscles in the luxury spa. Alternatively, immerse yourself in the tropical flora and fauna that grace this tropical wilderness. Daily guided walks of the forests are offered, as well as afternoons with elders from the local Kuku Yalanji people. Learn about the history of their ancient Indigenous culture while listening to the stories of the land passed down by previous generations. this is rejuvenation for body and soul.
Mt Mulligan Lodge
The homestead stay to mark all homestead stays, Mt Mulligan Lodge offers palatial outback digs in the remote Atherton Tablelands. 28,000 hectares of heritage bushland is perhaps the ultimate setting for a digital detox, with this iconic Queensland retreat yours for the exploring.
Private suites and pavilions offer incredible luxury; king size beds, a sumptuous lounge room and sweeping deck with panoramic views, plus a standalone bathtub on your private viewing platform to, quite literally, soak up the epic views. Walk the land, hang with fellow guests or just spend your days lazing by the pool or sipping cocktails at Sunset Bar, at this home from home you’ll want for nothing.
Trek West Hiking Tours
You’ll barely have time to glance at your phone when embarking on a hiking tour with the small but mighty team at Trek West. Whether you’re looking to push yourself, physically or mentally, trails through some of Queensland’s most remote landscapes will stir you to go walkabout. A rejuvenating spa treatment this may not be, but it will have you scaling hikes and trails the likes straight out of Nat Geo.
Choose between Trek West’s classic Big Loop Trail, Stockcamp Hike or Weekend escapes, either solo or with a group of family and friends or request a customised hike itinerary tailored to you. Every detail is taken care of (including all your supplies carried for you) so all you have to do is focus on the land and sky. And putting one foot in front of the other.
