The wellness of our family is one of the most important parts of our everyday lives.
Families are seeking ways to relax, reconnect and recharge – in a family retreat destination that understands that a wellness solution is different for every family.
Elements of Byron has re-imagined the family retreat.
By creating a range of self-guided wellness experiences for families, the resort provides not only activities for family members of all ages, but also the flexibility to choose experiences that everyone will love.
We’re recommending some wellness activities both at the resort and in the surrounding Byron Bay area, one of the best holiday destinations in Australia for families.
In curating the best of the best with mindful consideration, our aim is to help your family move through four very important stages of wellness.
- Learn – activating the mind with unique and new experiences
- Play – the freedom to get active and play together
- Revive – discovering how to rejuvenate the soul and feel strong
- Timeout – reconnecting as a family whilst also finding me-time
Elements of Byron brings family wellness into a luxury family resort environment. You’re not just creating holiday memories together but creating habits to fuel a healthy and happy life, long after you’ve arrived back home from your holiday. Read on to find out what your family retreat could look like.
Learn | How to Activate the Mind
Begin your family wellness retreat by activating the mind. Discovering new experiences together, creates memories and opens our hearts and minds.
Enjoy free scheduled guided rainforest walks, with diverse trails located within the grounds of our luxury family resort. Feel the peacefulness and serenity surrounding you and watch your children’s eyes light up as they watch the landscape change through different ecologies and potentially spot native animals in their natural habitats.
Say Jingi Walla (meaning ‘welcome’) and connect to the spirit, bush food and magic of Byron Bay on a guided Aboriginal tour through the history and culture of the Arakwal Bundjalung people.
Open your mind to better possibilities and learn about the world’s first solar train. Catch the train from nearby North Beach Station, take a seat in a fully restored 1949 era heritage carriage and soak in the old-school, clickity-clack charm of this train experience.
Establish the foundation of healthier eating habits by helping your children understand food and its origins better by visiting some local food-focused attractions.
The Farm is an 80-acre working farm and restaurant just off Ewingsdale Road. Wander through livestock paddocks and sign the kids up for fascinating, educational activities.
From farms to farmers’ markets: explore and purchase a variety of mostly organic, locally-grown produce. Don’t forget the two-bedroom villas at Elements come equipped with a full kitchen – so enjoy cooking up something delicious with your fresh market finds.
From feeding the stomach to nurturing the heart, there is a power in caring and contributing to a cause together as a family. You’ll find a wonderful educational experience and worthy cause at the Australian Seabird Rescue in Ballina. Discover how the team cares for sick and injured sea turtles, pelicans, shorebirds and seabird species. This is a family feel-good event.
From the heart to the hands, get hands on and learn a new skill together at one of the Byron School of Clay’s pottery workshops. You’ll end the session with a truly unique artwork.
Activating the mind isn’t just about cognitive ability and alertness. It’s about opening ourselves up to the thrill of new experiences, being excited about learning something new and building shared experiences that your family will never forget.
Play | How to Engage the Body
It’s time for you to learn some lessons from your kids. They are already masters at playing, so take your pick of playtime activities and just have fun.
Start right at Elements of Byron. Hiding amongst the bushland of the resort is a natural, Parkour-inspired adventure playground. Time to get your kid on!
Jump on the tennis courts for a family lesson or friendly game. Or dive into the Central Lagoon Pool for epic games of Marco Polo, swimming races or make-believe mermaid tales.
Hit the Byron Bay Skateboard School (in the nearby Arts and Industry Estate) and learn how to master your balance. Learn some tricks during a private lesson or day camp.
Harness your inner cowboy and take a guided horse trail through the forest and onto the sands of Belongil Beach. Zephyr Horses has stables right next door to Elements of Byron.
Jump into those frothy waves for a family surf lesson. There is no match for the feeling of catching your first wave. Now imagine being able to share that.
Grab an oar and head further out on a GoSea Kayak Tour over reefs, watching fish, turtles and even dolphins come up to say, ‘Hello!’.
Go from the sea to the hinterland chasing waterfalls. There are four stunning waterfall experiences, all within about an hour’s drive of Elements of Byron.
Complete the iconic Byron Bay Lighthouse Walk, spanning panoramic views of Byron’s best beaches before stopping off for a kid-friendly lunch at Top Shop.
Byron Bay is not only one of the best family holiday destinations in Australia, but also an incredible playground to engage your body and create the kind of memories your family will talk about for years to come.
For further inspiration for the active family, click here.
Revive | Relax and Rejuvenate the Soul
We’ve exercised the mind and body, now it’s time to relax and rejuvenate the soul by learning to slow down and opening your mind to possibility.
Start your day with complimentary sunrise yoga sessions or book a private family yoga lesson to learn a new habit that can relax the body and centre the mind for the day ahead.
Byron Bay is an incredible place to learn or improve your meditation practice. With so many pristine beaches available to you, why not use the rhythm of the waves as a soundtrack and delve into the kid-friendly meditations on apps like Headspace.
Slow down and nourish the body with pristine local produce curated into delicious menus. When coupled with the ritual of getting dressed up and sitting down together in a restaurant, the family meal is also a way to nourish the soul.
Delicious family dining options surround you at Elements of Byron, while Byron Bay itself is home to some incredible family-focused dining experiences.
For those pure of heart and sharp of mind, you’ll discover fairy doors within tree trunks and tiny houses swinging amongst the leaves throughout the resort grounds. Simply request a free self-guided Fairy Trail Map from Reception and solve the clues to find the fairy homes and claim your free slushie at Breeze (suitable for all ages, pram friendly and resort guests only).
If you find yourself with fairy fever, you’ll also want to take a drive to explore the Brunswick Heads Fairy Trail. Beautifully sculpted fairy houses are hidden throughout the small town in shop windows, trees and near the footbridge. Collect a clue sheet from The Visitors’ Centre and watch the surprise spread across your kids’ faces as they find these beautiful, tiny homes.
Open your mind to the extra-ordinary. Drive through the beauty of the Byron Bay hinterland to Crystal Castle. Be dwarfed by the world’s largest crystals, sit in an ancient amethyst cave and feel your mind calm as you wander through the labyrinth.
Slow down and celebrate your family and your surroundings amongst the beautiful views of some of Byron Bay’s best family day trips locations.
End each day by bringing a little wellness to every bath time. Luxury bathtub amenities are part of your wellness package.
There’s a little bit of magic to being still and a little bit of wonder to travelling together on a journey of discovery. You’ll find plenty of opportunities to do both. That’s why Byron Bay is one of Australia’s best family holiday destinations for mindfulness retreats.
Timeout | Reconnect to Each Other and Self
The time a family spends together is invaluable. However, there is an integral balance that must be struck between family time and having the space to centre in yourself and reconnect with your partner.
Elements of Byron marries an incredible diversity of activities for children of all ages, with professional supervision through the Kids’ Club and personalised babysitting services.
While the kids are concentrating on nothing but fun, take the time to remember what it was like to holiday together when it was just the two of you.
Sip cocktails in the serene and cool vibes of the Adults Exclusive Pool, or step from the pool into the oasis of Osprey Spa to rejuvenate the body and strengthen your connection with a couple’s massage.
Wear those heels that have been in the back of the cupboard too long and pull out that little black dress. It’s time to gaze into your partner’s eyes across a romantic dinner.
From Elements of Byron’s pinnacle dining experience in the Azure Dining Room to some of Byron Bay’s most romantic restaurants, you’ll find delectable food, impeccable cocktails and a little love on the menu.
Explore Family Wellness. Discover Your Happy.
Wellness is a journey. To create sustainable positive habits as a family, you need the flexibility to choose experiences you’ll enjoy and a playground of wellness offerings that will work for every member of your family.
Located in one of Australia’s top family wellness destinations, Elements of Byron offers self-guided mindfulness and wellness retreats that address the mind, body and soul.
Strengthen the body, train the mind and nourish the soul. Build a holiday experience that fosters long term benefits for the wellness and happiness of your day-to-day family life.
Our five-night, self-guided wellness package challenges the rigid construct of traditional wellness retreats. This unique journey combines the ease of a self-guided experience with the sheer diversity of activities on offer for all ages.
Our quad share room is perfect for families, this wellness package will see your family make incredible memories and positive habits that you can take home. Find out more about the Elements of Byron wellness package and its inclusions here.
For more inspiration on what to do in our special part of the world check out our Ultimate Guide to Byron Bay.