Taking off mid-week for an evening away from my family chaos to soak poolside was a welcomed break away. Trudi Brewer discovers a resort a few hours from Auckland where you will totally rewind and recharge.
The entrance and restaurant area at The Lost Spring
When I suggested to my dependable beauty director Sarah Simpson that we were going off the grid for a day, packing up the office and driving southeast, to Coromandel, she was keen.
Our destination: Whitianga. To a place I had never heard of - The Lost Spring - here's what we found.
What is it?
Natural thermal spring water in handmade hot pools, surrounded by tropical and native bush and a top flight day spa - what's not to love. Our agenda - a day of total relaxation with a heavy dose of pampering. Greeted on arrival by the lovely team, we were whisked off to the change area where we slipped into swimwear and robes, and then headed out for a tour of the springs. Wandering through the crystal caves are hidden gems - steamy hot pools laden with minerals that possess amazing skin healing properties. There are three to choose from, the first a comfortable 32ºC, and then further into the property, you will find the warm 38ºC amethyst pool, and bathtub terraces, heated to 41ºC. Finally, our choice, after a few hours indulging at the spa was the crater lake pools. Heated to a comfortable 41ºC, to help you feel even more inspired to take this trip, this is where we sipped champagne and enjoyed a delicious antipasto platter while we watched the sun go down.
Poolside with a platter, Sarah Simpson did not need to be told to relax.
The treatment?
There is a real difference between a beauty spa and a health retreat. And I would consider The Lost Spring Spa a combination of both. We went for top shelf on this trip. Pure Decadence a face and body treatment that is the top of the range. Which, while an investment it will leave you feeling like a new woman. While we sip champagne, we slip our feet into a Pure Fiji Coconut Milk Bath Soak, which is swiftly followed by a Mango Sugar Rub exfoliation on feet and legs. Off to our very own buree, (which you can share as a couple) sitting sky high in the treetops, you can hear the birds singing and the cool coastal breeze in the open air room. With my feet smothered in Mango Body Butter and wrapped in warm booties, I prepare to melt into a full body massage, made even more intoxicating by the warm Coconut Exotic Oil. Finally, with the bubbles having taken full effect, I drift off to sleep, woken by the next step in this blissful ritual, a Pure Fiji facial, which ends with a firm oil infused scalp massage. Even if a spa treatment is not within your budget, a long hot soak will ease the pain of a busy lifestyle and the effects of the mineral-rich water drawn 644 metres beneath Whitianga, is so pure, it leaves your skin feeling totally and utterly reinvigorated.
Why do we like it?
The water is divine. This resort has been lovingly planted and restored. From the gentle island sounds of the ukulele music playing as your wander around the property, to the mineral-rich water and Pure Fiji products used in the treatments, in my opinion this is the jewel in Whitianga's crown. You could easily escape the reality of life here, and forget the stresses of kids and work for just one day. Yes, the treatments were the icing on the cake, as far as our girls trip went but treating ourselves to some down time from the demands of being online every day, to soak and sip champagne, felt like we had been out of the office for an entire week.
The Beauty EQ team at The Lost Spring and the treetop treatment buree.
Costs?
Allow at least two hours and 30 minutes for the Pure Decadence treatment, which includes a day pass to the pools. Expect to pay $320 per person.
For an all day geo-thermal pool pass, expect to pay $68 per person, plus robe and towel hire. Facials are priced from $75, view the full spa menu here