Torquay’s Saltair ranked Australia’s best

Saltair Spa

After providing more than 5,000 massages over the past year, anyone would think that the team at Torquay’s destination day spa, Saltair, would be ready for some relaxation of their own.

However, when you have been ranked as the #1 Day Spa in Australia on the world’s largest travel site, TripAdvsior, since February 2016 – 17 months running – there’s no time to rest.

Owner of Saltair Spa, Tammy Melis, was born and bred in Torquay and now runs one of the most revered destination day spas in the country.

Saltair has won many national and international awards, including five consecutive Certificates of Excellence from Trip Advisor, and attracts thousands of people to the Surf Coast region each year.

A career in the wellness industry was on the cards for Tammy from an early age, growing up in a family of women who she describes as “alternative therapy connoisseurs”.

“My mother would often have me at the naturopath and osteopath instead of the doctor and my older sister would use me as her guinea pig for her essential oils, kinesiology and deep tissue massages,” Tammy said.

“While this may be a little more mainstream now, it certainly wasn’t back in the ‘80s and early ‘90s.”

When Tammy first saw Saltair Spa, it was located down a rickety track off the unsealed main road. While the location was challenging, it was also the selling point. Not only did it boast rural and ocean views as far as the eye could see, but it was also located on land that Tammy’s late grandfather and father had farmed for more than 65 years.

Tammy said that like all businesses, there have been challenges along the way that have helped her to learn and grow as a business owner, but she has never strayed from her original vision.

To find out more about Saltair Spa and its services, head to saltairspa.com.au.