Home and Away, Stephanies Ocean Spa features in The Australian

By Susan Kurosawa
 
Peppers Noosa Resort and Villas is not the easiest place to find. There are two entrances, at either end of a sprawling estate, and the three people I stop to ask for directions give me wildly different replies.

I am running late for an appointment at Stephanies Ocean Spa. A serene Robin answers my frantic call and beams me in. Then it takes less than five minutes to totally relax at this 11-suite haven, which has all of the wellness world’s must-haves, from a flotation pool to Vichy showers that rinse and refresh urban-lagged clients as they lie on an acacia cedar platform bed.

A Shiro-abhyanga head massage, based on Ayurvedic principles, seems like a shot or massage with hot stones or herbal poultices. The Sole Suite is fun to book for mani-pedi parties and the relaxation lounge (pictured) is a lovely spot to loll, with a Berry Boost tea to hand, full of antioxidants.

Spa owner Stephanie Shepherd started her career with a two-room salon and now runs six day spas in Queensland, including an award-winning retreat at Sofitel Brisbane and, in the Brisbane suburb of Cleveland, the Vintage Spa in an 1852 Queenslander with heritage features and shabby chic interiors. I have been in safe hands - my drive back to Noosa proper is a much calmer proposition.