WHO knew detoxing could be so much fun? It is when you are hiking through alpine forest and national parks surrounded by mountains on New Zealand's South Island.
It is when every meal is an explosion of flavours and colours that are as delicious as they are nutritious.
At Aro Ha, detoxing almost feels easy thanks to the team of experts whose many hands make light of hard work.
Described as an "eco chic luxury retreat", Aro Ha was named in January number eight in the top 100 hotels and resorts in the world by readers of Conde Nast Traveller.
It has also been named the best destination spa in the world by Conde Nast while Virgin Australia ranked it the second best wellness retreat in the world.
Surrounded by the Southern Alps with a view across Lake Wakatipu, there is no shortage of mountain vistas from the 8.4 hectares of sub-alpine land that make up the resort.
It is a panorama we enjoy every morning during our sunrise Vinyasa yoga class. The focus on synchronising breath with movement fits in well with Aro Ha's Maori name, which means "in the presence of divine breath".
What we allow our bodies to absorb and expel is an important preoccupation here that is best embodied in the retreat's kitchen. Aro Ha's menu is sure to surprise and enchant, if not make some people slightly nervous.
A smoothie might not sound like enough sustenance before a 15 km hike, but rest assured there is more nutrition contained in our purple-coloured drinks than a typical hot breakfast.
Every meal and snack is lovingly explained to us by Aro Ha's raw food chef as we gather around the long wooden table in the glassed dining room. It is also where we are encouraged to be mindful about what we see, feel and taste on our plates and palates.
It might sound like simple advice but how often do we take the time to savour what we are eating beyond a cursory reflection?
Being mindful is a critical part of the Aro Ha experience that, after five days, feels so natural and instinctive you cannot help but wonder why it is often overlooked.
Slowing down and being conscious of our thoughts, emotions and sensations, instead of simply going through the motions, creates an energy that is comforting and invigorating.
It is a state of mind we revisit many times during yoga, meditation, meal times and throughout our daily hikes.
The hikes at Aro Ha are not easy but they are not impossible, and they accommodate all fitness levels. Each hike is special in its own way - our first trek coincides with the first snow of the season, while our last hike is done in full sunshine.
Somehow, struggling uphill feels like less of a struggle against the Glenorchy landscape.
It is not just the guides' encouragement that gets us up to the top - it is realising there is nothing between you and nature but your mind. And once you have overcome those barriers you will feel like you have conquered the world.
Aro Ha makes sure that natural high stays with you as your body recovers.
After every hike there is free time that can be spent in an outdoor heated infinity pool that is strategically placed next to a cold plunge pool so sore muscles can benefit from hot/cold immersion therapy.
If a cold shock to the system is not for you - although you should not knock it until you've tried it - there is also the world's most beautiful sauna. Here you can enjoy Aro Ha's mountain views from an elevated window seat while ladling water onto hot rocks.
If that doesn't do it for you, the one-hour remedial massage after every hike guarantees any aches and pains you have developed receive the attention they deserve from talented massage therapists.
But it is not just about your body at Aro Ha - your understanding of nutrition will also get a long overdue workout through an un-cooking class and a gardening session on how to do more with less.
There are no lectures or sermons about healthy living here - the team want to empower you rather than dictate your choices. And it works.
After five days of hiking, no caffeine or alcohol, and three nutritious meals a day, most of us leave Aro Ha having lost a few kilos or with fewer centimetres around our waists. But it is what we have gained that surprises us.
Whatever we have lost while detoxing has been replaced by something that is even more powerful and completely natural: the euphoria of being in tune with nature and our bodies.
GETTING THERE
Qantas, Virgin Australia, Jetstar and Air New Zealand fly to Queenstown from Australia via Wellington, Auckland or Christchurch every day. Aro Ha is a 40-minute drive from Queenstown.
STAYING THERE
Five-day wellness retreats at Aro Ha start at $4220, while seven-day programs are priced from $5800. Airport and hotel transfers included.
* The writer was a guest of Aro Ha
AAP