A weekend of wellness in Sydney: Best healthy cafes, spas, facialists and studios

Boat ride in Sydney Harbor next to the bridge Enjoy the wellness mecca that is Sydney, Australia. Photo / Supplied

Brimming with ambition and blessed with a balmy climate, it’s no surprise Sydney has cultivated a thriving wellness scene. Here is how to make the most of it during a quick trip to the city, writes Sarah Pollok

DAY 1

Holidays mean sleeping in, so I begin the first morning with a lazy lie-in and breakfast at the hotel. Fortunately, I’m staying at the Crown Sydney, which has several deliciously healthy breakfast options including blue spirulina smoothies, pistachio bircher muesli, Greek yoghurt and fruit.

Cycle to Bondi Beach

Fueled up and ready to see the city, I download the Hello Bike app, which gives me access to the hundreds of blue rideshare e-bikes scattered around town. The day pass is just $17 and includes unlimited one-hour rides; perfect for a day of exploring. Grabbing a bike right outside the hotel, I spend a little time riding around The Rocks, a little suburb full of historic laneways right beside the Sydney Harbour Bridge, before pulling up a map of Bondi.

The Rocks is a charming suburb well worth an explore. Photo / Supplied

The 10km route winds through charming suburbs, bustling cafes, and boutique-lined streets and takes a delightful 40 minutes. Once at Bondi Beach, I realise it’s a little more Surfers Paradise than Byron Bay, with dozens of chain stores bustling with weekend crowds. Without enough time to check out Slow House, a new bathhouse locals rave about, I snap some photos of the iconic iceberg pools, hop on a new bike and leisurely pedal back towards the city.

Cycling is the perfect way to visit multiple suburbs and spots around the city. Photo / Supplied

Grab lunch at FishBowl

Along the way, I stop at FishBowl, a healthy, fresh and delicious salad chain with several spots around town. Born in Sydney and specialising in Japanese-inspired poke bowls, you can order from a pre-set menu, but I select to make my own and get a deliciously filling brown rice, tofu and avocado combo with a tasty miso vinaigrette that hits the spot for $18.

Unwind at SpaQ

Wellness, for me, will always involve getting the stress kneaded out of my muscles and I look no further than the quirky and stylish QT Hotel downtown for a luxurious treatment. Like the hotel, the spa has a refreshingly quirky look, replacing the classic minimalist spa aesthetic with a vintage apothecary theme, featuring black cabinets full of large glass decanters and beakers, antique wooden countertops and warm pendant lighting.

The spaQ at QT Sydney Check out SpaQ in the heart of the city for a relaxing treatment. Photo / Supplied

With 25 minutes to spare, I grab a thick terrycloth bathrobe from a locker in the changing room and sweat off the day in the Hamman steam room where I fully relax before the treatment has even started. There are dozens of ways to be pampered, from a coffee and sea kelp body scrub to a Chemical peel facial. I opt for a stock-standard Relax Massage, and it delivers on its promise to “ebb away tension” using a combination of fragrant essential oils and deep muscle massage.

Work up a ‘mindful burn’ at BodyLove

Limber and relaxed, there’s no better time to stretch and strengthen the body with a Pilates class and no better place to go than BodyLove Studio. At 7pm, the setting sun floods through the floor-to-ceiling windows of its NYC-style penthouse studio.

Fire up the body with a class at BodyLove Studios. Photo / Supplied

Despite the undeniably “cool” branding, I’m relieved to see the class is full of real people, which is to say, it doesn’t feel like I’ve missed a memo about an unofficial activewear uniform. Instead, we’re a mix of ages, stages and shapes, especially in the Foundations class, led by a petite yet insanely strong instructor who quickly demonstrates the parts of the reformer, leads us in several mindful breaths then cracks into class. Set to bouncy pop hits, we move through a creative series of movements, using the springs, carriage and props to set fire to my quads, hamstrings, biceps and abs for 50 sweaty minutes.

Indulge in waterfront dessert

After a day of treating the body like a temple, it’s time for a treat. Making the most of the warm evening, I walk back to the hotel along the Darling Harbour waterfront, which is alive with packed restaurants and busy bars. Along the way, I dip into YoChi, a trendy frozen yoghurt chain where you can choose from several flavours and dozens of toppings ranging from virtuous to indulgent. Spoilt by choice, I grab a mix of protein-high vanilla, organic coconut and chocolate topped with nuts and take it to a set of waterfront benches to tuck in.

Indulge in some YoChi at the Sydney location. Photo / Supplied

DAY 2

Hit a morning pilates class

I kick off the day with another BodyLove pilates class, which cuts out the foundation chat and gets straight into things. By things, I mean glute pulses, overhead presses and micro-movements that make the dainty 1kg dumbbells feel like 10kg kettlebells. At several points, I wonder if maintaining certain moves is even physically possible till I glance at the teacher who squats, pulls, lunges and scooters (a beloved pilates move designed to set fire to your quads and glutes) with unbelievable ease. Thankfully, the playlist is as fiery as the routine, and the steady, funky tunes keep motivation high.

Brunch at Industry Beans

Post-class it’s time for brunch at Industry Beans. Located on bustling York St, the minimalist eatery takes its coffee seriously and has a brunch menu full of healthy and indulgent options such as overnight oats, cheesy toasties or a classic avocado smash. One street over from George St, it’s easy to drift into the beautiful Queen Victoria Building after; home to dozens of boutique shops and beauty labels you can’t find in Aotearoa.

Industry Beans is a top spot to visit for brunch. Photo / Supplied

Get a unique facial at Luna Naturopathy

The afternoon involves a sunny 30-minute walk to Luna Beauty & Apothecary, in a petite two-storey villa in the leafy suburb of Darlinghurst. As a naturopathy clinic and beauty parlour, Luna offers a range of consultations and treatments and today I’m trying their Essential Facial; a treatment personally tailored to detoxify, hydrate and stimulate my face for $180. I’m welcomed by Lucy, a naturopath and facialist, who pours me a glass of pink magnesium water and leads me upstairs to the cosy treatment room. We chat about my skincare (it pays to know exactly what products you’re using), and I’m surprised how much she cares, asking further questions before offering up a few routines to try or products to ditch.

Relax and unwind with a treatment at Luna Beauty & Apothecary. Photo / Supplied

Then, I hop between the crisp white sheets of the treatment bed, close my eyes and, over the next 50 minutes, enjoy the best facial I’ve ever had. Rather than just layering oils, serums and lotions onto my face, Lucy applies each product with a firm, luxurious massage of my face, neck and decolletage and steamy hot towels between which almost lulls me off to sleep. Even better? As I float down the stairs and prepare for the typical post-treatment sales pitch of expensive products, she simply slips me a note of skincare tips and Auckland naturopaths and wishes me a delightful rest of the day.

Kick back with a book in the Botanical Gardens

Friends enjoying a picnic in the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Relax by the waterfront with a few of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Photo / Supplied

Suitably blissed out, I stroll back to the Botanic Gardens and copy many locals by plopping down beneath the trees by Harbour View Lawn and pull out a novel, soaking up the last sunny hours before it’s time to grab my bags and head to the airport.

Details

Direct flights from Auckland to Sydney depart daily from Auckland International Airport. For more inspiration for things to do in Sydney.

sydney.com