Canadian travellers can experience Queensland's wellness offerings
Tourism & Events Queensland says vacationers who blend in with the lifestyle in the Australian jurisdiction it promotes may return home in better shape than they were when they arrived.
Laura Jones, director of the Americas for the tourism promotion body, says Queensland residents have enthusiastically embraced healthy lifestyles and visiting tourists are welcome to as well.
Among noticeable changes in Queensland are locals adopting an earlier-to-bed, earlier-to-rise philosophy, Jones reports.
“It’s reshaping Australia’s social fabric,” she says. “Not long ago, Brisbane claimed the title of the world’s earliest rising city (thanks to an average wake-up at 6:29 a.m. and bedtime of 10:57 p.m.) according to TIME, while simultaneously ranking among the globe’s most livable cities.
“The movement has its own manifesto: 8 a.m. coffee raves where fully sober, caffeine-fueled dance parties flood the streets on weekend mornings. It’s considered ‘conscious socializing’ — swapping hangovers for endorphins and sunrise victories. Young Brisbanites are pioneering a lifestyle that treats morning as the new midnight.
“The ripple effects are everywhere. Travellers will be inspired by the cycling pelotons threading through dawn-lit streets, run clubs along the water that finish before most cities have coffee, yoga sessions that catch first light. Those who aren’t as ambitiously fitness-minded will have their place, too. There’s ‘croissant crawling’ — the distinctly Brisbane phenomenon of chasing the city’s finest pastries while they’re still warm. We’re hearing bakery tourism is a global trend on the rise.”
Changing social mores have also led to a shift on how people view alcohol, with Jones stating what she calls a fascinating cultural evolution meaning that people aren’t abandoning Australia’s social drinking culture, but reimagining when and how it happens.
“The shift isn’t from beer to abstinence but from night-centric drinking to day-conscious living,” she states. “Communities seem centered on ‘intentional drinking’. Quality over quantity, daylight over darkness. Beach picnics with craft lace bar crawls. Brewery tours become morning activities followed by afternoon recovery time. Social drinking remains deeply embedded in Queensland culture, but it’s now balanced against early morning commitments that people genuinely don’t want to sacrifice. The result is a population that’s more energized, more connected. This isn’t just a wellness trend. Brisbane is an example for how modern cities might live better. While many in the world burn the candle at both ends, Queensland is proving there’s profound power in simply starting earlier.”
Spa treatments are easily available in Queensland but Jones says healthy experiences there can differ markedly from those in other parts of the world.
“Looking beyond an idea that traveling for health means jet-setting for exclusive or elusive spa treatments, in Queensland it’s about immersion in landscapes and botanicals that evolution created, only in Australia,” she continues. “When your treatment room is a World Heritage rainforest, you’re accessing healing environments that took millions of years to perfect. Queensland offers wellness tourism that exists nowhere else on earth — where World Heritage rainforests become your spa ceiling, and million-year-old landscapes provide therapeutic backdrops impossible to replicate.
“For instance, Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat in the Gold Coast Hinterland harnesses native botanicals evolved in isolation for millennia. Their organic living and detox programs use indigenous plants and Aboriginal wellness wisdom that literally can’t be found elsewhere. Eden Health Retreat sprawls across 400 acres of pristine rainforest, and the Daintree Eco Lodge and Spa positions visitors within the world’s oldest surviving rainforest —140 million years of evolution creating the ultimate biophilic wellness experience.
“But, we realize many travellers still seek a quick fix in city life, so we’re seeing a slew of bathhouses in Queensland booming. It’s creating a fascinating counterpoint to the likes of Finland’s iconic sauna culture — a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage experience that emphasizes communal ritual in harsh Nordic conditions. Where Finnish saunas embrace the austere beauty of cold, wet environments and the democratic levelling that comes from shared endurance, Queensland’s bathhouse culture celebrates abundance: sun-warmed skin, stunning natural settings, and a more luxurious approach to the same fundamental human need for communal cleansing and connection. The essence remains the same: community, ritual, and renewal. Queensland just happens to offer it with golden hour lighting and ocean breezes.
SOL Elements is a luxurious new bathhouse on Tamborine Mountain
“Queensland translates this reverence into its own spectacular landscapes. Here, the ritual becomes one of conscious socializing amid subtropical beauty, where the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast provide dramatic backdrops for cleansing both body and mind. It’s simply Queensland’s interpretation of an ancient human practice, adapted to a climate where the sun itself becomes part of the healing.”
Jones says despite shifting cultural norms, night owls will still find plenty of bars and clubs open late.
“Australia’s largest live music precinct, Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, as well as the Gold Coast comes alive long after dark with live bands and pumping nightclubs” she reports. “Or if you’re looking for places to dine, find the culinary action over at Howard Smith Wharves, Fish Lane or Eat Street Northshore. Stop in at one of the city’s many rooftop bars for a cocktail while looking over a sea of twinkling lights, or get lost down an alleyway lined with boutique bars for a cheeky whisky or sophisticated wine bar. Brisbane still has late-night venues in its CBD offering “proper late-night dining.”
Meanwhile, Jones says Queensland is making inroads in the Canadian market, welcoming around 63,000 Canadian visitors annually with an impressive 19-night average stay, “proving that once Canadians experience Queensland’s winter warmth, brief visits simply won’t suffice.
“The game-changer came in 2022 with Air Canada’s first-ever nonstop Vancouver-Brisbane service, eliminating the traditional Pacific crossing marathon. This direct access has transformed Queensland from a once-in-a-lifetime destination to a practical winter escape strategy for Canadians seeking more than just warm weather. They want transformative experiences that justify extended stays.
“Our strategic partnerships reflect this shift toward long-stay ‘snowbird’ tourism: Goway’s 29-night Gold Coast packages cater to Canadians who understand that true winter escape requires commitment, while Flight Centre’s 16-night “Reefs & Retreats” combinations recognize that Canadians don’t just want sun but seek adventure depth. Air Canada Vacations 9-night self-drive experiences appeal to those who prefer independence over itineraries.
“Canadians are staying long enough to adopt our early-rising culture, discover local coffee roasters, and understand why leaving after a week feels criminally inadequate. Winter avoidance has evolved into lifestyle immersion.”
Wellness opportunities in Brisbane include 8 a.m. coffee raves [pictured bottom row centre] where fully sober, caffeine-fuelled dance parties flood the streets on weekend mornings
Meanwhile, Goway’s commercial manager, South Pacific is quick to praise Queensland’s tourism attributes.
“Goway’s customizable product line to Australia’s state of Queensland is defined by its breadth and depth, and the company’s long-standing relationships,” says Meghan Boyd. “As the No. 1 to Downunder with 55 years’ experience customizing trips to Queensland and other parts of Australia, Goway covers the entirety of the state. Travel advisors will find trips to Queensland’s most popular attractions, including the Great Barrier Reef, the Whitsunday Islands, and the Gold Coast, as well as hidden gems such as the Daintree Rainforest, Fraser Island, and Moreton Bay. Goway can help travel advisors craft trips to anywhere their clients want to go.
“Furthermore, Goway offers a depth of experience in its product line to Queensland. Goway helps travel advisors tailor trips to their client’s individual interests with a wide range of travel themes that personalize the travel experience. Trips are not surface level nor are they cookie cutter with Goway. Rather, they pair the traveller’s passions with the diverse wonders of the state, helping travellers to explore the bounties of nature, connect with the diverse local culture, or experience the culinary pleasures of its dining and wine scene.
“Also, when partnering with Goway, travel advisors reap the benefits of strong relationships forged over 55 years. Goway offers exclusive products and deals borne from long-standing relationships with hotels, tour operators, and transportation providers. It has the infrastructure and connections to customize every element of the journey, and the experience to provide a seamless travel experience. Every trip is also personally curated and takes advantage of Goway’s local connections and the support of its office in Sydney.
“When you plan a trip to Queensland with Goway, you experience a better way to travel.”
