Olivia Newton-John to sell her Byron Bay wellness resort Gaia

“Over these blessed years, co-owners Gregg Cave, Ruth Kalnin, Warwick Evans and myself have helped make Gaia ‘heaven on earth’ by creating a healing and loving place that has become so important to us and our guests from all over the world,” Ms Newton-John said.

“Having won so many humbling and outstanding awards, we have decided it is time to ‘pass the baton’ to new custodians so they can continue our positive message that Gaia is ‘your timeout to reconnect, breath and surrender’.

“It’s bittersweet, but as a team, we always agreed that we would ‘go out on top’.”

The 22-room boutique wellness retreat includes a day spa and restaurant set on eight hectares, and the listing includes two residential titles. The hotel has won awards including the Global Chairman’s Award for the Best Global Spa & Wellness Retreat in 2020 and Global Hotel of the Year in 2018 at the World Luxury Hotel Awards.

It’s being marketed by Karen Wales and Gus Moors of Colliers. Mr Moors said he was expecting an influx of interest but the current owners wanted to pass it on to “likeminded visionaries who are inspired to continue their ‘G.R.O.W.’ ethos – gratitude, respect, organic, wellness”.

Mr Moors said he thought the public’s interest in health and wellness would only increase as a result of the pandemic.

“Byron Bay has grown in prominence as destinations where health, wellness and/or spiritual activities converge have attracted a unique and growing visitor type,” he said.

“The global health pandemic is only expected to exacerbate this trend as people become more health-conscious and interested in how to lead healthy lifestyles.”

The Byron Bay boom

The listing comes as the Byron Bay market booms.

“The arrival of Hollywood in Byron Bay and the global buzz this has created over the past year has fundamentally changed the region forever. It has fuelled domestic and international interest in the region’s property market,” Mr Moors said.

Arthur Laundy has just bought the Illawong Hotel south of Byron, and Laundy Hotels bought the Lennox Hotel in February.

There have been a string of seven-figure sales in the tourist town over the past two years, including the Byron Bay Holiday Village Backpackers, The Bower Byron Bay, Byron at Byron, The Farm Byron Bay and the Byron Beach Hotel.