The good life

VICTORIA'S SPA COUNTRY

Known by Australian Aborigines as a place of healing; Victoria's Daylesford is known as 'Australia's Spa Country', and home to the largest number of natural mineral water springs in the country. Combine relaxation with fresh regional produce and you have the perfect recipe for revitalising your team's energy.

The 33 country-style rooms of Lake House look over Lake Daylesford and are set on six acres of native bird-filled orchards and gentle walking tracks which lead down to the lake shore and the nearby Wombat State Forest. The regions' famous mineral springs bubble up right on Lake House's doorstep, and its Salus Spa is regarded as one of the best in the region.

Lake House is also considered one of Australia's best restaurants, with co-owner, Alla Wolf-Tasker, championing regional seasonal cuisine long before it became a mantra for others.

The intimate space of The Cellar can host private dinners for up to 16 guests featuring its award-winning wine list. The Terrace Room overlooks the gardens, and can cater for up to 150 seated guests or 300 cocktail-style. A new Waterfront Pavilion features glass walls that can be opened to the water and can seat up to 40 guests.

Lake House can also arrange tailored team building activities, such as food foraging hunts in the surrounding countryside, cooking demonstrations and classes, bee keeping, clay pigeon shooting, trout fishing, and farm gate tours.

Location: 80 minutes' drive
from Melbourne

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MOUNTAIN HIGHS

If you're looking to incentivise your staff and develop them at the same time, My Adventure Group offers adventure-based team-building programs in the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains.

Known for their extraordinary beauty, the Blue Mountains are a landscape of ancient cliffs, eucalyptus forests, and villages dotted with luxury retreats, galleries and gardens.

Led by renowned Aussie adventurer James Castrission, as well as being a fun day in the outdoors, programs include rock climbing, caving, and abseiling, while tackling the 'Nature Deficit Disorder' we get from spending too much time indoors. They can cater for groups of up to 50 people.

The former management consultant is well qualified to share his knowledge after a decade of surviving expeditions in some of the toughest environments on earth. He now applies the same survival techniques to the business world. Along with best mate Justin Jones, he was the first person to kayak across the Tasman Sea, braving high swells and winds and severe food and sleep deprivation. Four years later they made history by completing the longest unsupported polar expedition on record, walking from the South Pole and back without assistance. His adventures have made Castrission one of Australia's most highly sought corporate speakers.

And you don't have to be mountain climbers or marathon runners to participate, they will tailor a program based on a group's fitness levels and appetite for adventure.

Location: Two hours' drive from Sydney.
Groups can also travel to the Blue Mountains
by helicopter.

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GOLDEN DOOR TO WELLBEING

It might sound unusual to have a health retreat in a famous wine-growing region, but then again, perhaps that's the perfect place for one. The Golden Door Health Retreat in New South Wales' Hunter Valley, has more than two decades of experience in offering getaways for hard-working executives.

Corporate wellness programs here are not designed for businesses to plan and strategise.

Instead, it's about getting the team away from the office and daily distractions, and immersing them in an environment that optimises their wellbeing, and prepares them to perform at their peak when they return to work and their daily lives.

To achieve that, flexibility and personal attention are key, so the retreat specialises in small groups of up to 16 people, and creates programs tailored to an individual groups' needs.

There are three and five night programs, where your team will eat nutritious food; engage in fun indoor and outdoor activities; and hear talks from fitness experts. There's a heated indoor pool for laps, tennis and basketball courts, and a fully-equipped gym and cycle room. If that all sounds too energetic, group members can just relax with a massage at the Elysia Day Spa.

Team exercises such as bush walks, wellness and mindfulness coaching and group tai chi lessons, will leave your group fit, focused, and stress-free in no time.

Location: Two hours' drive from Sydney.

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THERE'S ONLY ONE WHITSUNDAYS

With year-round warm temperatures, impossibly-blue seas, and one of the world's best aquatic playgrounds, the 74 islands of the Whitsundays, in the north of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, are sure to recharge your team.

One&Only Hayman Island is a natural choice, with 160-rooms overlooking the ocean or pool. Your group can wake up with sunrise yoga or a class in the gym; before engaging in many revitalising resort activities, such as team tennis; sailing an America's Cup yacht; or flying to nearby Dent Island for a round of golf. There's snorkelling on the reef, culinary classes, and a wide choice of pampering spa treatments, which can be tailored for small or large groups.

An Entertainment Centre caters for meetings or banquets of up to 300 people, with cocktails served on a private beach. There's a variety of other indoor and outdoor venues and restaurants, including the resort's signature 'Fire', celebrated for its impressive cellar, and which can host up to 200 guests for drinks, or dinner for 14 in the private dining room.

In the 'Enchanted Forest' experience, 300 standing or 50 seated guests, are wined and dined in a tropical rainforest. Or you could choose to take 80 guests sailing on the Coral Sea at sunset aboard One&Only's luxury cruiser.

Location: Flight time Brisbane to Great Barrier Reef Airport is 1 hour & 40 minutes, with transfers to Hayman island by seaplane, helicopter or yacht.

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