The People of Hopewood - Meet John

Meet John

John Estival is the chef at Hopewood Health Retreat. You can often find him in the kitchen cooking delicious vegetarian dishes or in the dining room giving food demonstrations and offering tips about healthy eating.

How long have you been working at Hopewood?

6 months

Tell us a little bit about your role/job at Hopewood?

As head chef, I am responsible for the catering at Hopewood.  I also give cooking demonstrations for the guests and am looking forward to teaching cooking schools this autumn and winter.

What do you enjoy most about working at Hopewood?

Hopewood is the best place I ever worked in, the team is great and I can be innovative and creative in my job.  The surroundings are breathtaking.

Do you have any tips for how you take care of your own personal health and wellbeing?

• Live a Happy and Healthy life.
• Everything in moderation.
• Be kind to your fellow beings.

What is your favourite memory of Hopewood?

My favourite memory was Christmas Day lunch.  It was so good to see a full dining room of joyous people celebrating the holiday spirit and enjoying good healthy food.

What is your best piece of advice for healthy living?

Don’t worry, help where ever you can and enjoy life to the fullest.  

Hopewood wins OrganicSpa ‘Spa of the Year 2011’ award

In February, Hopewood Health Retreat was awarded the OrganicSpa “Spa of the Year Award” for 2011.  Our beauty & massage therapists love using Organic Spa’s spa and beauty products and were thrilled to win this prestigious award.

Hopewood staff with their OrganicSpa "Spa of the Year Award"

 A favourite with our staff and our guests, OrganicSpa skincare products are a truly natural alternative, combining medicinal levels of Certified Organic plant extracts with 100% natural ingredients.

And just a reminder, there’s a few more days left in our OrganicSpa Giveaway. Book any OrganicSpa Beauty or Body Treatment in February or March 2012 and go into the draw to win OrganicSpa Facial products valued at $170.

*A ticket will be issued by your therapist at the end of the treatment. Winner will be drawn on 1st April 2012 and notified by phone. Prize will be posted to winner.

Read on to find out which OrganicSpa products our Staff members love...

My favourite OrganicSpa product is the Body Salt Scrub. This delicious scrub leaves the skin soft and supple for days. It left my skin feeling softer than it ever has. I will definitely keep using this product, give it 5 stars and highly recommend that others use it. -Kelli

Two of my most important OrganicSpa products to improve my skin are the Face Exfoliant and the Rosehip Oil. I love the OrganicSpa Face Exfoliant because it is creamy and gentle on the skin while hydrating and removing impurities and dead skin cells. It can be used on most skin types 2 to 3 times per week. The rosehip oil works to repair the deeper levels of my skin. It is wonderful to use at night to rehydrate the drying effects of the Australian sun. I hope you enjoy these natural organic products that will leave your skin feeling and looking wonderful. -Shannon

I love the OrganicSpa Body Butter the most. It is packed with nourishing coconut oils, cocoa seed and Shea butter as well as being rich in vitamin A and E. I find this product heals, soothes and protects my skin. You’ll find it is quick to absorb, penetrates deeply to lock in the moisture and keep the skin healthy and hydrated. I love to use it after showering and find it very effective on my stretch marks. -Karen

I love the Gel Mask. It is a fantastic ‘pick-me-up’ mask that will tighten and lift the whole face. It is great for puffiness, dehydration and fine lines. In summer I keep it in the fridge for a very refreshing eye or face treatment. It has amazing results, I love it, love it, love it! -Ruth

Photo: Kerrie (Beauty/ Massage Therapist), Maryanne (Beauty/ Massage Therapist), Jennifer (Assistant Manager and Spa Manager), Sharon (General Manager) , Anna; Back left to right Ruth (Beauty/ Massage Therapist), Karen (Beauty/ Massage Therapist)

The People of Hopewood - Meet Val

Meet Val

Val has studied spiritual healing and yoga, qualifying as both a Hatha Yoga and an Ashtanga Yoga teacher. Val is also a qualified staff trainer, has qualified in Hypnotherapy and Time Line Therapy and is a Master Practitioner of NLP. With 20 years experience in the health industry, Val incorporates all her wide variety of knowledge into the various interesting and insightful workshops and counselling and stress management sessions which she facilitates at Hopewood.

How long have you been working at Hopewood?

20 years

Tell us a little bit about your role/job at Hopewood?

I teach yoga, meditation and relaxation.  I also do stress management, visualisation and life coaching sessions.

What do you enjoy most about working at Hopewood?

Everything!  Interacting with staff and guests is my favourite part of every day.  I love being a part of such a wonderful retreat and I love taking advantage of all the healthy food that John cooks!

Do you have any tips for how you take care of your own personal health and wellbeing?

I think it is important to aim for creating balance in my life.  All of the advice that I give guests, I use myself.  I always try to “walk my talk” by living a healthy lifestyle.

What is your favourite memory of Hopewood?

I always enjoy facilitating staff training.  It is so rewarding to teach our new employees and watch them grow.

What is your best piece of advice for healthy living?

Love greatly, laugh a lot and keep in mind that life is short and precious.

Which massage is best for me?

Massage is a great way to unwind and relax both mind and body, it can also help prevent or reduce the symptoms of allergies and muscular ailments. But how do you know which one is best for you? There are many different massage styles to suit different need and not all massages are suitable for everyone. Below is a little explanation of the massage treatments offered at Hopewood Health Retreat, to help you decide which is best for you.

Reflexology is primarily done on the feet and is a great massage for those who love a foot massage whilst also providing an insight into what else may be happening with the body.

Seaweed/mud wrap and massage is great for weight loss and aches and pains.  The seaweed and mineral mud work to detox the muscles and body before you are indulged with a massage.

Hot Stone Massage works with volcanic stones. These warm stones are then massaged into the belly of tired sore aching muscles providing the body with a deeper form of relaxation.

Reiki is a Japanese technique of energetic healing for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by the "placing of hands" on the 12 major energy centres on the body. Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit creating many beneficial effects that include relaxation and feelings of peace, security and wellbeing. This is not a typical massage. Practitioners will place their hands on the recipient in various positions to transfer energy, sometimes using a non-touch technique.

Aromatherapy is an indulgent full body massage uses essential oils that are tailored to your individual needs.

Lymphatic Drainage massage is a very light touch that works on the lymph system to help detox the body. It is great for people who are tired, exhausted, trying to lose weight or anyone who would like to feel better.

Relaxation Massage is all about pure relaxation and is a great start to any stay.

Musclease massage works deeper into the muscles to help with any problems and is great for acute pain.

Shiatsu is a pressure point massage on the body and is fantastic for acute or immediate pain. It is done with clothes on and most clients feel an immediate difference. Pressure is applied to meridians to stimulate the flow of energy. It increases the flow of the nervous and circulatory systems; increases flexibility and immunity; helps to alleviate insomnia; aids digestion and excretion of body wastes and toxins. Best done on mattress on floor but can be done on massage table.

Deluxe Massage is strictly tailored to you. It includes some relaxation massage and some deeper muscle work. It can be adapted to whatever your needs are.

More questions?  Don’t hesitate to ask our staff when making your next spa booking.


By Kelli Ferguson, Beauty and Massage Therapist at Hopewood Health Retreat