You’d be forgiven for mistaking this timelessly elegant Byron hinterland estate for a Tuscan villa or a chateau in Provence. Outside, pebbled pathways weave through ivy-covered ochre archways and around manicured lawns and lavender-scented gardens. Details within the two guesthouses — think timber beams, frescoed walls and hand-stitched linens — exude an antique luxury that fits the adults-only brief. Additional touches, like a mosaic-lined plunge pool, wood-fired pizza oven and cherub water fountains fill the olde-worlde frame of mind, whereas Wi-Fi, Bluetooth speakers and a DVD library provide contemporary comforts.

A retreat in the fullest sense, Gwinganna is well and truly a wellness destination. Guests choose from a choice of packages that ranges from the two-night Wellness Weekend through to the far more comprehensive seven-night Gwinganna Detox. Begin with a sunrise session of Qi Gong, followed by a walk through the surrounding valley, perhaps with ocean views. After breakfast (which like all other meals is served communally and free of refined sugar, gluten and dairy), activities run the gamut from meditation to cooking demonstrations. Nirvana awaits you at the 33-room Spa Sanctuary — one of the southern hemisphere’s largest.

Bencluna was one of the first homesteads built in the Byron Shire, and dates back to 1893. Situated on six lush acres just 10-minutes’ drive from Bangalow, and fringed by native rainforests, the historic property has been lovingly restored to comfortably sleep 12 guests across five bedrooms. Original features such as pressed-tin ceilings, hardwood floors and a distinctly bucolic wrap-around verandah are the essence of Australiana. Barbecue lit, fireplace roaring and kids bouncing on the king-size trampoline, it’d be close to impossible for a family not to feel at home among the gum trees here.

Life in the treetops has never looked so luxe. Designed exclusively for couples or solace-seeking solo-travellers, these 13 bungalows (each invisible from one another) are nestled amongst 100 hectares of pristine rainforest in the Tweed Valley. Floor-to-ceiling windows and double spa baths are standard across all four types of accommodation, along with indoor fireplaces. Adventurous types might opt for a mountain bike ride or a hike along the eight kilometres of walking tracks, but some may prefer to stay put given the offer of discreetly delivered private meals and a menu of in-room massages.

Perched upon the highest point amidst the rolling emerald-green hills of the Byron Shire, and beneath endless open skies, Gaia has been one of Australia’s most awarded retreats since it opened in 2005. Guests check-in at Kukura House – a Samoan-style longhouse that also serves as the main dining area – before being escorted to one of 20 villas, which also take design cues from the South Pacific. The opt-in, opt-out format allows for as much or as little activity as desired, whether it’s a rigorous day of boxing and Pilates or a dip in the saltwater pool followed by a wattle seed and lemon myrtle body polish.