Wellness can look like exercise, goal-reaching, careers and more, but it can also look like taking a well-deserved break when you truly need it. Where in Australia are the most soul-cleansing and genuinely relaxing holiday destinations found?
A new study by leading wellness provider, Simply Nootropics, has calculated Australia’s top soul-cleansing destinations, based on holidaymaker reviews on Trip Advisor spanning sentiment across sleep quality, area peacefulness, comfort and amenities, service and hospitality, natural beauty, refreshing local activities and other metrics of soul-cleansing fulfilment, in a bid to find the most relaxing destination based on genuine opinions.
The results reveal that, although Queensland destinations dominate the top five, it is Crescent Head in New South Wales that takes the trophy as Australia’s most soul-cleansing destination of 2025:
Dr Brian Ramos, a neuroscientist and researcher at Simply Nootropics, weighs in on the results. He says:
"This study offers Australians and those looking to visit Australian holiday destinations, a cheat sheet on where to go for the biggest slice of downtime, peace, plus a seamless, stress-free experience. I am not surprised coastal towns such as Crescent Head and Noosa rank so high in this year’s list of soul-cleansing destinations. Being near the coast and in nature is a great way to wind down and disconnect from the stresses of daily life, plus these areas are known for great hospitality towards visitors.”
Crescent Head, New South Wales Wins Title of ‘Most Soul-cleansing Destination’
Crescent Head, a Mid-north NSW coastal town, is sandwiched between Maria National Park and Goolawah National Park. Tourists visit here for the scenic hikes, beachside nature and spaces to relax and enjoy refreshing activities such as surfing, fishing and more. All these factors underscore its impressive rank of 83.85 out of 100 on the leaderboard.
Delving into the data, the beachside destination was marked 5.9 out of 10 for reported good sleep quality, 7.9 out of 10 for peaceful surroundings and, its most commendable score, it ranked a whopping 10 out of 10 for both quality and value of attractions in the area - ensuring guests enjoy a seamless, stress-free visit.
Noosa, Queensland Takes Second Place
In second place is Queensland’s rival beach town, Noosa. From great food, markets, clearwater shorelines and limitless outdoor experiences, this destination scores a solid 82.95 out of 100 for being a soul-cleansing destination. Noosa’s overall score is backed by its service and hospitality in the area (7.98 out of 10), being peaceful location (7.5 out of 10), and its good value for the experiences (9.9 out of 10).
It falls slightly below Crescent Head when it comes to providing visitors with good sleep quality (5.56 out of 10), but the area makes up for it in every other way.
Rounding Out the Top Five are Hunter Valley NSW, Marcoola and Palm Cove Qld
The Hunter Valley, known for world-class vineyards, also ranks high on the leaderboard in third position with an overall soul-cleansing score of 82.90, shortly followed by another two beachside Queensland hotspots, Marcoola in fourth place (81.91) and Palm Cove in fifth place (81.57), making the odds of a relaxing beachside break in Queensland pretty high.
Dr Marny Lishman, a clinic psychologist and author of Burnout to Brilliant welcomes the study and offers advice on how to maximise a soul-cleansing destination, says: "A destination where you get to reset, recharge, rejuvenate and have no expectations or demands placed on you is ideal to truly relax. I would also say that a break where it isn’t over-scheduled would be more helpful than one that has a packed itinerary.”
How to Truly Rest on a Soul-cleansing Holiday, According to a Burnout Expert
Dr Marny identifies the following as signs you may need a break at a truly soul-cleansing destination and things you can do during your break to ensure you make the most of your time off:
"Anything from fatigue and exhaustion, stress and anxiety, loss of pleasure, brain fog or concentration issues and general cynicism are all signs you might need a break.”
Maximise the Time Off
"When on a leisurely break, or holiday, how can people structure their time off to maximise recovery from stress or burnout? I would say people have to stop at first completely, that means just sleep or do nothing. This could be days for some people and weeks for others. What we ideally want is for people to recover and get their energy back before changing their routines or schedules. The first step is to do less,” Dr Marny explains.
Go Screen-free
She also recommendeds: "How important is it to disconnect from technology during a holiday or time of relaxation and what role does this play in the recovery process from burnout? We’ve become very wired these days and we may think it's soothing to scroll around on tech, but it can elicit many unhelpful emotions that can make us feel worse. Going tech-free for some time allows the relaxation response on our nervous system to turn on and help us heal.”
Get Fresh Air
"Plan some quiet time out in nature - whether that be a walk, a picnic, or some time in a forest or on the beachside with friends. Step away from busy high streets and roads and enjoy some green space to ensure you’re truly giving yourself a moment to reset in a space that is quiet and without overstimulation.”
