Two Days to Unplug and Escape

Switch off the stress and slip into holiday mode with an invigorating escape in our blissful backyard. Whether you're looking to recharge the batteries, shift into a healthier gear, get a good dose of nature or just kick back and relax – we’ll have you dialling downtime, in no time. Here’s how to spend 48 totally chilled hours on the Gold Coast…

BEACHSIDE YOGA AT BURLEIGH HEADS

Is there a more serene way to start the day than with a magical morning yoga class just meters from the sea? Roll out the mat at Justin’s Park beside Burleigh Heads Beach, and connect with heavenly surroundings in an hour-long hatha yoga sesh. Running each Saturday from 8am, Yoga Asanas by the Sea, is suited to all levels of yogis and is just $2 – ommm-my god! Listen to the waves wash up on the sand and feel the warm, glowing goodness of the sun against your skin as you strike that warrior pose in arguably one of the best settings in town…Namaste!

BREAKFAST AT COMMUNE, BURLEIGH HEADS

Refuel your body post-yoga with a finger-lickin’ feed from Commune, an adorable café known across the Coast for its vintage décor and organic eats. Relish over the ridiculously tasty brekkie options – think stacked coriander corn fritters, acai bowls dressed to the nines and moreish house-made Bircher. If you’re down to really spoil yourself, the stacked banana pancakes dripping with fruit and coconut ice-cream are the way to go. Wash it all down with a cold-pressed juice or a “Jumping Jimmy” – a hybrid concoction of espresso and banana, worshipped by locals and visitors alike. If a morning Kombucha is on the cards – Commune serves the bubbly brew on tap, donned with fresh fruit and mint to boot.

SPA TREATMENTS AT GREENHOUSE ‘THE BATH HOUSE’, BURLEIGH HEADS

Keep the Zen vibes rolling with a decadent soak in the rad new rejuvenation facility, ‘The Bath House’. This stylish, soothing space is equipped with two hydrotherapy spas, a red cedar sauna, stream room, and a magnesium plunge pool with adjoining sundeck – just perfect for lapping up the rays. Prepare to be blissed out to the max with the Luxe Massage Package, and enjoy a 60-minute rubdown with organic, cruelty-free products. Back it up with a 90-minute soak session and let those worries wash away. Lunch is served at the Botanical Bar, where you’ll be treated to fresh, flavoursome food creations whipped up by the vegan cooking virtuosos behind the Greenhouse Canteen.

AFTERNOON HEADLAND WALK, BURLEIGH HEADS NATIONAL PARK

Pop that active wear back on and head outdoors with an arvo stroll through Burleigh Heads National Park. Wander our winding ocean view walk that wraps the headland, or follow the rainforest route through the National Park itself. You’ll be swooning over the sweet seascapes of deep turquoise, rugged foreshore and emerald flora (don’t forget to snap a good pano). Follow the track around to the idyllic inlet we call ‘Tally Creek’, and if you’re game, cool off with a quick dip at Echo Beach. Make your way back to John Laws Park by dusk to catch a candy-coloured sunset over the coastline.

DINNER AT PÓKE PÓKE, MERMAID BEACH

Set your watch to island time and take a trip to the tropics at Mermaid Beach’s Hawaiian style eatery, Póke Póke. Dishing up fresh bowls of nutritious goodness in a setting just as colourful as the fare itself (think bananas, flamingos and palm trees-galore), this venue will satisfy your inner healthie, as well as your eager taste buds. Try a traditional style bowl with sashimi-grade tuna and avo, or salmon with zucchini noodles, dished up on brown rice with wasabi mayo. Not a fan of raw fish? Say ‘Aloha’ to the Pow Pow Chicken Karage bowl, or to the Carribean-esque curry roti, or slurp down one of the menu’s smoothies served with fresh fruit and cacao – in a coconut shell.

STAY AT AMBIENCE ON BURLEIGH BEACH, BURLEIGH HEADS

Tucked in the heart of the Coast between Miami and Palmy (Palm Beach), Burleigh is a must-stay for those looking to get amongst our healthy seaside lifestyle. A balance of fun and fit, Burleigh has the best of both worlds. Once you’re done yoga-ing it up under the morning light, or working up a sweat on the sand, make like a local and slow it down a notch.

Enjoy a well-deserved wine overlooking the water, devour a pizza piled with cheese, or lie back on the headland’s hillside, and soak up the seriously stellar views. Stay in a location where dreams are made of at Ambience on Burleigh Beach, smack bang on the beachfront.

HOT AIR BALLOON GOLD COAST

Up, up and away! Tick hot air ballooning off that “basket” list and embark on an airborne adventure over the Gold Coast. If you’re anything like us, you’ll be imagining yourself in a movie scene, drinking in the unbelievable sunrise as the wind whips softly through your hair – only this isn’t a movie, it’s real life! Float in the breeze as you take in 360-degree views across our stunning shoreline, hinterland and rolling countryside. Finish off the morning living it up in style, with a champagne breakfast overlooking a vintage-inspired vineyard – talk about a ‘pinch me’ moment!

OUTDOOR GLAMPING, LAMINGTON NATIONAL PARK

So you love sleeping under the stars, but aren’t such a fan of the whole pitching-a-tent thing? We can relate. Opt for the lazy traveller’s answer to camping with Nightfall, who take care of the dirty work for you; from booking a spot to setting up your sweet digs. We suggest staying in these safari-style tents in the midst of the magic in Lamington National Park. Surrounded by subtropical rainforest and charming countryside, this luxurious spin on camping will quench your thirst for getting up close and personal with the great outdoors – without the hassle or hard mattress!

WATERFALL WALKS, TAMBORINE MOUNTAIN

A trip to the hinterland is never complete without chasing a waterfall or two.  If a relaxing route is right up your alley, take the 1.5km track to Curtis Falls. Stroll down the tree-strewn track lined with lush eucalypts and piccabeen palms, to the jewel of a cascade flowing at the bottom. Keen to step it up a level? Head over to the Witches Falls walking track. This 3.1km circuit does require a little more, shall we say, motivation, but trust us, it’s well worth the effort.

WINE AND DINE, NORTH TAMBORINE

Parched after your adventures? Throw back a well-deserved vino (grapes are fruit, right?) and drool-worthy cheese platter down the road at Witches Falls Winery. Still peckish? Pop ‘round to Mason Wines Estate for an idyllic lunch set against the countryside, minus the price tag. Sit on the verandah and soak up the views as you feast on BYO lunch or picnic and stretch out on the deck or rolling lawns.