Adults-Only Wilderness Wellness Escape on the Hawkesbury River

Marramarra Lodge is a luxury wilderness escape on the Hawkesbury River, about an hour from Sydney's CBD. It's adults-only and surrounded by native bushland, with the river on the doorstep. The property describes itself as Sydney's newest luxury lodge retreat.

The wellness offering is the Iyora Day Spa. Iyora translates from the local Dharug language to mean "people", and the spa's focus is the wellbeing of guests. Therapists use the Australian-made Sodashi spa care range across a menu of aromatic treatments.

The signature treatment is the Lodge Luxury Indulgence: a 45-minute Marramarra aromatherapy massage, a vanilla and sandalwood body polish, a 45-minute Sodashi facial, and an aromatherapy and hot stone foot massage to finish. It's the longest option on the menu and the one to book if you only have time for one treatment.

The Sodashi Soul to Sole Massage starts with an aromatic steaming head wrap and a scalp mask and massage, then moves to a scrub and massage for the hands and lower arms, and finishes with a foot and leg massage. The Transformation Mineral Mask Facial is a French facial massage covering the neck, shoulders and decolletage, with a mineral mask, double cleanse and enzyme exfoliation.

Two body treatments round out the menu. The Contouring Marine Body Polish and Wrap uses finely ground pumice and volcanic clay for a full-body exfoliation, followed by a wrap with marine extracts, plant essences and algae, then a shower and application of Sodashi contouring gel and lotion. The Back Exfoliation and Massage can be booked on its own or added to another treatment, using a salt polish and rhythmic massage strokes.

This is a lodge stay with a spa attached, not a structured fitness programme. There's no timetable of classes or training sessions in the listing. What you get is a quiet property on the Hawkesbury River, a spa menu, and the space to do very little.

What's included

- Overnight stay at Marramarra Lodge (adults-only, on the Hawkesbury River) - Access to the Iyora Day Spa treatment menu as a guest - Use of the lodge's on-site facilities during your stay

What's not included

- Spa treatments (booked separately from the stay) - Meals, unless stated in your rate at the time of booking - Travel to and from the lodge - Travel insurance - Personal expenses