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The Ultimate Guide to Brisbane for Women

In this article you will discover the best places for women to catch a break and relax in Brisbane.

Where do you go when YOU need a little TLC, pampering, some alone time or you just wanna have fun?  We’ve put together a list of the top chill and relax hot spots in Brisbane for women.

Each of us has our own unique way to unwind, chill out and stay sane in today’s fast-paced and busy world.  From day spas through to just sitting under a tree and not talking for a few hours. Share this information with someone who needs to know… or book it yourself! Check out our favourite top Brisbane experiences for women!

Best Brisbane day spas

brisbane for women day spa cleveland
Stephanie’s Spa Retreat Cleveland

If hands-on pampering is what you need to destress and handle life as a mum with some ease and grace then you’ll be very pleased to discover that Brisbane women have a very fine assortment of quality day spas to choose from.  The best news is that they’re not all in Brisbane CBD.  So why not request a day spa gift voucher for Mother’s Day, your birthday or as a great present for your own mum, sister or best friend. Some of the best-reviewed and award-winning day spas throughout Brisbane include:

Stephanie’s Spa Retreats | Multiple locations across Brisbane 

Stephanie’s Spa Retreats can be found at the Sofitel Hotel Central Brisbane, Bulimba, Cleveland Clear Mountain, Gold Coast, and Noosa. Winners of numerous awards, they also offer a spa rewards program.

Petrichor Day Spa | Hawthorne

Petrichor Day Spa started because the founder couldn’t find a spa that was organic, vegan and had extra services beyond the other spas in Brisbane. Situated in a 100-year-old renovated Queenslander, the Day Spa features fresh Scandinavian interiors equipped for facials, massages and body treatments, plus a vichy spa for relaxation and muscle tension release. They are certified organic, vegan and cruelty-free, support fair trade and are a carbon neutral company. 

The Healing Stone Spa | South Bank

The Healing Stone Spa is a place to relax, enjoy and rejuvenate – Japanese style. Located on the 21st Floor of the Emporium Hotel in South Bank, they offer a unique blend of services including ganbanyoku, shiatsu, oil massage, facial acupoint and reflexology. Plus the views are spectacular! 

Inertia | Mobile Service

Inertia is a day spa that comes to you. Offering a full range of spa treatments and massage in your own home including ‘mummy and me’ services.

Best places to wine and dine in Brisbane

If extreme happiness for you is a glass of fine wine or two and some exquisite little morsels of delicious food in a quirky, trendy, stylish or low key wine bar then perhaps the ideal gift for Mother’s day or your birthday is a baby sitter for the night so you can check out one or more of Brisbane’s best wine bars. Brisbane mums are spoiled for choice with some truly awesome wine bars.

Some of the best-reviewed wine bars by Brisbane women are:

  • Eagles Nest Rooftop Bar is located in Kangaroo Point the Bar offers panoramic views of the Brisbane River with a great range of tapas, cocktails, champagne, wine and craft beer. 
  • Zero Fox Craft Beer and Japanese Kitchen has a small wine selection of Australian and NZ reds and whites but this is really for lovers of quality beer and great sushi. Found in the inner city suburb of Tenerife.
  • Gerties Bar & Lounge in Newfarm is famous for cocktails, tapas served on cake stands and it’s quirky and funky décor.
  • Blockhouse in Nundah is part coffee lounge and part bar. Offering a great assortment of delicious share meals and a boutique good wine list, champagne, beers and cocktails.
  • Riverbar & Kitchen (previously Mr and Mrs G) is located on Eagle Street meaning it has great views of the Brisbane River and Story Bridge. They offer food, signature cocktails, wine and much more!
  • If retro is your thing then you’ll love, Can You Keep a Secret? wine bar and lounge in Woolloongabba.

Brisbane’s best places for high tea

There’s just something about sitting down to high tea that brings back nostalgic feelings of anticipation not felt since Christmas Eve as a 6 year old. Just imagining what delectable petit fours and exquisite little triangular cut sandwiches will be wheeled out on the tiered cake stand to tempt your tastebuds is a huge part of the fun.  A glass or two of sparkling and you’re set for an orally indulgent afternoon with a group of friends or family. High tea isn’t just for bridal showers and hens parties, it’s a valid form of self-care and should be on your short list of Mother’s Day and birthday present treats at least every few years.

The top reviewed places to have high tea in Brisbane include:

  • Customs House High Tea. Enjoy stunning views of the Story Bridge and Brisbane River over high tea.  Customs House Tea is for a minimum of people and Champagne High Tea is minimum of two.
  • French and Mor in Albany Hills serves up a modern French-style high tea. Bookings essential.
  • Room with Roses is located in Brisbane Arcade and serves up different varieties of high tea as well as breakfast and lunch.

Best Brisbane yoga retreats

Brisbane mums rejoice, if yoga is what keeps your happy place happy you’ll be very pleased to know that you don’t need to go to Bali or Byron Bay to attend a yoga retreat.  If you love yoga and want more time on the mat then don’t be shy about requesting a one day or longer yoga retreat for Christmas, Mother’s Day or your birthday.

  • Gwinganna is more Gold Coast than Brisbane but if you’re looking for the indulgent version of a yoga retreat then this is the place for you.
  • Sunshine Health and Yoga offer yoga retreats or ‘Time Out Days’ in various locations.

Best places in Brisbane for quality alone time

If your idea of heaven is sitting under a tree and not talking to anyone for a few hours in order to recharge your batteries and cope with a busy and demanding life then you should make a point of visiting each of these Brisbane parks at least once a year for a mental health break.  Take your shoes off, walk barefoot on the grass then get comfy under a shady old tree for as long as you can.

  • Roma Street Gardens
  • Brisbane Royal Botanical Gardens
  • Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens

Best places in Brisbane to dance

If you’re a dancing queen and only feel alive and free on the dance floor how about grabbing your BFF and heading out for a night of dance floor freedom. Here are some of the best Brisbane venues to head to when the need to dance arises.

  • Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall in Petrie Terrace is described by Concrete Playground as a cross between Deadwood and Trueblood. Dance to country and rockabilly music to the warm soft glow of candles and chandeliers.
  • No Lights No Lycra in West End and Carina Heights is a dance movement and community that started up in Melbourne in 2009. It’s a safe space where anyone can dance without judgement or ego – and there are no lights so you really can dance like no one is watching.
  • Cloudland in Fortitude Valley has live music from 7pm on Thursday nights with free salsa classes from 7-9pm. Wednesday nights from 8pm there are free swing dance lessons and live 30’s inspired music.

Hot spots in Brisbane for women

Life as a Brisbane mum is busy and often exhausting. In an ideal world, we’d all do something every single week to nurture ourselves: from an evening of dancing or a weekly yoga class through to having a regular facial and massage. But the reality of family, work and finances often make this unrealistic. One way to ensure that you’re able to at least occasionally do the things that YOU love – leverage special occasions like Mother’s Day, birthdays, Christmas and even anniversaries as opportunities to request experience gifts that really mean something to you.

There are plenty of amazing places where Brisbane women – both mums and non-mums – can go to hangout, have fun and recharge so that you’re operating at your very best throughout the rest of the year.

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Janine Mergler

Janine Mergler is a veteran Queensland teacher, graduating from QUT with a BEd majoring in Social Sciences. After many years in the classroom, Janine moved on to academia. She has proudly trained new generations of teachers in her role as a lecturer at Queensland University of Technology Faculty of Education. She has also worked in the Queensland Government as an education specialist, developing education resources and delivering community awareness programs to help families conserve water. Currently she is the owner and editor of Families Magazine, a publication specifically targeted at parents who value a quality education for children.  Janine leads a team of professionals who write about family lifestyle, early childhood, schools and education information and family-friendly events.

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