| When compiling a list of things to do on a luxury travel | | | | and adaptation of the Dreaming. Luxury travel has |
| itinerary, a visit to an organic spa would come | | | | now found its newest pasture-one that has fresh, |
| somewhere close to the top and generously | | | | natural, and least processed products that your skin |
| interspersed throughout, depending on the length of | | | | and soul will be grateful for. The other side of luxury |
| your travel. Well, the choices are many at most luxury | | | | travel is now undoubtedly sustainable travel. It's time to |
| travel destinations. Here's why a trip down under to | | | | show the door to petrol guzzlers, and institutions with |
| Australia is worth serious consideration. Ask anyone | | | | monstrously big carbon shoe prints. In the world of |
| who has travelled to Australia and they'll have tales to | | | | personal care, now is the time to bid adieu to |
| tell of the tough immigration policies that won't even let | | | | parabens, petrochemical bi products, dimethicones, and |
| you bring along a wad of gum from abroad. While | | | | a variety of chemicals also used by morgue |
| immigration officials are not the friendliest of folks, they | | | | technicians to preserve dead bodies. You have an |
| most certainly do not derive any perverse pleasure | | | | alternative that is pure, natural, and not tried on some |
| from denying you the right to bring along a pretty | | | | poor guinea pig in a cage. Organic spas guarantee the |
| orchid from Singapore or your pet tarantula from | | | | use of such clean products. Organic spas are all the |
| Africa just to see the gloom flood your face. They are | | | | rage in major Australian cities such as Sydney, |
| merely doing their job. And it is their job to protect the | | | | Melbourne, and Brisbane which are also big time luxury |
| fragile ecosystem of this unique landmass, down under, | | | | travel destinations. A commitment to the well being of |
| from foreign organic matter that may disrupt or even | | | | the planet and the welfare of the customers makes |
| destroy the delicate balance. For 50,000 years or | | | | these ventures a strong link in the chain of |
| more, the aboriginals have inhabited this part of the | | | | sustainability. Some of these spas have extended |
| world and lived in harmony with the land, the water, the | | | | businesses where they grow their own raw materials. |
| vegetation, the seasons, the wildlife, the rain, and the | | | | Great care is taken to preserve intact the goodness |
| rock. They left no footprint on any of these elements | | | | of all materials used. Fair Trade practices are followed |
| unless it was a playful hop, skip, or jump that benefited | | | | wherever possible when goods are sourced from |
| both ways. They lived off the land, on the land, and by | | | | abroad. Active collaboration or advice from the |
| the land, as one with the land. They didn't have | | | | aboriginal people is a great way of enhancing lives in |
| hypertension, strokes or diabetes. What they had was | | | | more ways than one. Organic farming of source |
| clear skin and eyes that shone. They were Dreaming; | | | | vegetation required to create creams and emollients |
| the eternal truth that links the past, present, and future, | | | | becomes a source of employment for aboriginal |
| and the people to their land. Now what would this have | | | | communities. In return we get the invaluable in terms of |
| to do with luxury travel, you might well ask. Having | | | | ancient wisdom. Luxury travel in search of authentic |
| come to the sad conclusion that the faster the rat | | | | relaxation and spa treatments, where all side effects |
| race the wearier the soul, people embark on luxury | | | | are of the benevolent kind, are made for each other |
| travel as a means of solace away from it all. They | | | | concepts. 'Have money will spend' will have better |
| eagerly look around for new outlets, fresh pastures, | | | | outcomes when that money is spent responsibly. |
| and healthier alternatives to achieve that nirvana. The | | | | Giving back to nature might not be on everyone's |
| good news for all is that the Dreaming has been | | | | good deed for the day list. Mainly because most |
| re-discovered here in Australia. More and more people | | | | people don't think that far, or if they do, they can't think |
| are turning to the ancient earthy wisdom of the | | | | of many ways to do it other than refusing the odd |
| aboriginals to figure out modern ills. What was once | | | | plastic shopping bag. Organic spas are where you can |
| considered good at best for some novelty value has | | | | give as good as you get. And down under is where it's |
| now come to be recognized for its intrinsic truth. Now | | | | at right now. Let's sustain this blue marble we call |
| isn't that the final destination of all travel? The wisdom | | | | home and replenish the natural glory as best as we |
| of the aboriginal way of life is now increasingly | | | | can. |
| adapted to main stream life, but nowhere as much as | | | | Justine has been a journalist for 20 years and is a |
| in the world of luxury spas. The word organic that was | | | | contributor to Just The Planet, the online luxury travel |
| bandied about as casually as bananas by monkeys, | | | | magazine for independent travellers. Read more about |
| has now assumed its true significance. It has taken on | | | | luxury spas around the world and discover more |
| its authentic avatar in the organic spas that are now | | | | luxury getaways here. |
| standing apart from the crowd with their understanding | | | | |