Eating-the Australian Way 158
Chamomile, Soy Milk and Strawberry Smoothie 159
Apricot, Orange and Ginger Smoothie 159
Nigiri Sushi 161
Scallop, Crab and Mango Salad 162
Grilled Swordfish with Herb Dressing 163
Salmon and Shrimp Fettuccine with Sweet Thai Chilli Sauce 164
Pan-fried Fish with Polenta and Spinach 166
Prawn and Vegetable Tempura 167
Grilled Tuna with Greek Salad 168
Lobster Salad with Melon and Sweet Chilli 169
Fresh Oysters in a Tangy Sauce 170
Steamed Fish with Salad and Honey Lime Dressing 171
Baked Fish with Herbs, Mushrooms and Vegetables 172
Pasta with Fresh Seafood and Tomatoes 173
Chicken with Asparagus and Saffron Risotto 174
Chicken and Vegetable One-Pot 175
Miso Soup with Tofu 175
Chicken with Wild Rice Pilaf 176
Grilled Tofu Teriyaki 177
Zucchini Risotto 178
Gazpacho 179
Pavlova with Fresh Summer Berries 180
Passionfruit Jelly with Fresh Berries and Honeydew Sorbet 181
Native Australian Healing Ingredients 182
Homegrown Spa Products 185
Simple Guide to Spa Etiquette 189
Australian Spa Directory 191
The spectacularly lit, mosaic-tiled pool at the glamorous Park Club Health and Day Spa, Park Hyatt, Melbourne.
SPA GUESTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE TIME TO LISTEN TO THEIR SOULS AND THEIR BODIES
- JANE SEGERBERG
Health, Relaxation and
Wellbeing Australian Style
Alittle pampering can go a long way. Imagine lying in a fragrant rainforest spa while a gentle, warm rain drums a hypnotic rhythm over you. You roll over and someone hands you a divinely soft bath robe and delicious iced tea, which you sip while your feet and legs are massaged. That pesky ache in your shoulder has vanished after expert attention from your therapist's nimble fingers and the essential oil blend mixed especially for you has worked its heady aromatherapy magic on your mind and body. You feel deeply relaxed and blissful....
Step away from the stresses of daily living and see life from a different perspective. Exotic escapes and sublime indulgences that will leave you looking and feeling your ultimate best await you in Australia's multitude of spas.
Getting there is definitely part of the fun. Your journey to inspiring locations will take you through magnificent national parks, to sparkling oceans and sandy beaches, across breathtaking harbours, into glamorous cityscapes and remote landscapes rich in ancient wonders.
Even if it were possible to visit a different spa each month, it would take several years to experience the varied delights of every Australian spa. From just four spas in the late 1990s, there are now over 300, with a dozen more opening in 2005. The figure continues to rise, as spa visits become an essential component of many holidays and we utilise spa treatments as a method to reduce stress, feel good and live longer.
Australia is blessed with a mind-boggling array of spas in a multitude of shapes, sizes and locations. While not able to include even a quarter of the wonderful spas available in every corner of the country, this book highlights the best quality spas that await you in premier locations, from Queensland's palm fringed golden coastline to Tasmania's wild mountain wilderness. It also provides recipes to allow you to indulge in, or at least reminisce about, a few of the blissful and pampering body treatments and deliciously healthy spa cuisine you will encounter, at home.
A spa's treatment menu and design are strongly influenced by it's location-for example warming treatments and plenty of steam rooms and hot spa baths are available in cool climate locations such as Cradle Mountain in Tasmania, Lilianfels in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales and Breathtaker Retreat at Mount Buller in the Victorian Alps. Spas in warmer tropical locations specialise in developing innovative ways to keep you cool, soothe your sun-kissed skin and make it glow. There's nothing like a body polish, massage or perhaps even a spray-on tan to make you proud to show a little flesh.
At The Dome Retreat in Brisbane, guests are taken to another world that is simply divine.
In our society of abundance-peace of mind and personal time-out to relax, reflect and rejuvenate have become precious, often elusive treasures. Restorative and balancing treatments provided in a peaceful spa environment are an effective counter to the pressures of our modern lifestyle. Whether your spa visit is a treat or a regular date, for an hour, a day or a week, the combination of traditional methods with the best scientific research, latest equipment and pure natural products makes today's spa experience an indulgence that is good for you.
Apart from the obvious physical benefits, a spa visit can be a spiritually euphoric experience. With all the laying of hands, cleansing and renewal, sensory stimulation and heightened awareness of our physical presence, the effect of submitting to treatments designed to deliver ultimate pleasure can be mind altering.
The spa experience is your time to relax, reflect, revitalise and rejoice. As international spa professional Jane Segerberg elaborates, "Spa guests have the opportunity to take time to listen to their souls and their bodies. Personal issues are resolved, new horizons are identified, a new perspective and understanding is achieved, new friendships are established, and old relationships are reconfirmed. Spas achieve these miracles in a number of ways, from relaxing treatments to mountaintop experiences, experiental walks, water therapies, clairvoyant readings, meditation, yoga, hikes, lifestyle balancing and nature."
It has become de rigueur for many holidaymakers to plan at least one spa visit during their vacation, and hotels and resorts are often chosen because of the spa facilities available. Couples are well catered for, with treatments providing an intimate opportunity to share a sublime experience so rarely available within our normal workaday routines. So popular are spa visits at many hotels and resorts that guests are advised to book their treatments before they arrive, to avoid the disappointment of finding the spa fully booked.
While a nurturing touch will always be at the heart of any great treatment, the latest spa trends include more energy healing treatments like Reiki massage, and steam faci lities such as the amazing hydrostorm-a glass cocoon for two where water jets of every strength can be angled to every part of your body while aromatic steam and coloured lights tantalise your senses. Exotic steam environments like the often beautifully decorated and domed Middle Eastern Rasul are appearing in new spas and there is an awareness of the need to
