STEAM, SOAK, REPEAT
- Donna Rishton
- Sep 3
- 5 min read
Relaxing, energising, restorative. A good soak in the bath can do wonders for your health and wellbeing. More than just an opportunity for self-reflection, it can be a social experience too, as seen in public baths across the likes of Japan, Norway and Turkey. Rather than travelling overseas, you can enjoy a similar communal bathing experience right here in our own backyard.
WRITTEN BY CHRIS ASHTON
NAVIA BYRON – BYRON BAY
The Northern Rivers’ bathhouse scene is flourishing right now – like an untapped spring finally released into the world. Among the newest arrivals is Navia Byron, which opened its doors in theM five-star Basq House hotel complex in late April.
In a point of difference to established favourites like Kiva Spa and The Banya in nearby Mullumbimby, Navia takes its cues from Scandinavian bathing culture, where alternating between the intense heat of a sauna and dips into an icy lake is said to boost circulation, reduce stress and improve immune function.
While there’s no ice lake at Navia, you will find two, let’s say, ‘fresh’ pools in which to jumpstart your system, alongside an inviting 40-degree magnesium pool, sauna and steam room. On arrival, visitors are offered a ‘choose your own adventure’ of relaxation. Select the bathhouse and you’ll hang a left for
the change room, from which a staircase leads to the dimly lit subterranean bathing area. Choose massage – 60-90 mins relaxation, deep-tissue or pregnancy – and it’s a right turn for you. Both are solid choices.
There’s no firm order on how to bathe. Pool, sauna, steam room or plunge pool first? Just do whatever feels right for you. That said, there are recommendations on how you might finish: a cold plunge is said to provide a brisk mental refresh or boost of energy, while hot will leave you feeling calm and rested.
When your fingers are pruned and you need a breather, there’s a comfy lounge setup featuring books and a healthy snack station at the far end. Coconut water is also handed out. And the best part? It’s a social experience where conversation flows between friends and total strangers, making each two-hour bathing session simply breeze by.
BATHE SPA – LISMORE
As the beating heart of the ‘Rainbow Region’ – a name reflecting both the high rainfall and its eclectic community – Lismore has a deep-rooted connection to wellness, spirituality and alternative healing. Despite this, it’s never had a bathhouse to call its own… until now.
Breathing new life into a former mechanic’s workshop on Carrington Street, right next door to the classic Dragonfly Cafe, Bathe Spa is just what Lismore needed.
Featuring a bubbling hot tub, cold plunge and sauna hugged by exposed brick, restored roof trusses and curtains flowing in the breeze, it’s wellness with an industrial twist. And it’s rather unique in the region, because unlike the built-in pools at other venues on this list, everything at Bathe Spa is designed with flood resilience in mind. Pools can be wheeled out; the timber-lined sauna pulled
apart and reassembled. It’s an essential consideration, given the town’s history of flooding. It also adds to its charm, while creating a distinctly Lismore experience.
THE BYRON BATHHOUSE – BYRON BAY
Hidden behind crisp white walls on Bangalow Road, midway between Byron Bay and Suffolk Park, The Byron Bathhouse and its sibling The Health Lodge are easy to miss. Chances are you’ve driven by and never realised they were there. Take a detour inside though and you’ll encounter a soothing world where health and wellbeing collide.
Launched in 2015, The Health Lodge is an integrated medical centre, hotel and naturopathic dispensary. Its multi-day retreats are highly regarded by guests experiencing chronic health conditions or simply in need of an extended wellness reset. Now, it offers an equally exceptional bathhouse for casual visitors.
Bubbling under the radar since December 2024, the bathhouse invites bathers to settle in for 90 relaxing minutes hopping between three infrared saunas of varying heat, cold plunges (a brisk 5 or 15 degrees) and a circular pool that means strangers rarely stay that way for long. Two red light therapy booths, said to
stimulate cellular activity and promote healing, are on hand too. All of this is outdoors, yet smart design means you can get your wellness fix regardless of the weather. (There’s something wonderfully relaxing about bathing in the rain, isn’t there?). Sun lounges and comfy cushions fringe the main pool, for when you
need a short break.
LAN BATHHOUSE – SURFERS PARADISE
Described as “a sanctuary of relaxation, social connection, and holistic healing”, Lan Bathhouse in central Surfers Paradise is also a total vibe. Mixing botanical cocktails and charcuterie boards with magnesium-infused spas and a suite of restorative massages, it’s an 18+ sanctuary that’s great when flying solo but really comes into its own with a friend or two.
Impeccably styled, the bathhouse contains six spas – four at 38 degrees, one at 24 degrees and another that’s sure to get the blood pumping at 12 degrees – plus a sauna and relaxation zone where you can enjoy those aforementioned cocktails plus fine wines and refreshments.
The treatment menu is another standout, featuring the likes of a Japanese head spa, body brushing, scrubs and an enticing array of massages, from hot stone to deep tissue, relaxation and pregnancy. Three-hour packages combining bath time with a well-earned treatment or two are an ideal way to stretch out the
relaxation and make an afternoon of it.
A private bath can also be set aside for groups of four to six (a floating afternoon tea or cheese platter can be arranged). Or, for events of up to 30 guests, you can book out the entire venue.
SOL ELEMENTS – MT TAMBORINE
What's in a name? As you might guess, SOL Elements in the Gold Coast Hinterland embraces the healing power of the elements: air, fire, water and earth. Fans of classic sci-fi film The Fifth Element would perhaps agree there's another at play too: love, which is evident from fastidious attention to detail that's gone into the venue's creation.
Set just 50 minutes from the Gold Coast, at Tamborine Mountain Glades, SOL is a multi-sensory journey, home to a communal bathhouse, replete with a silent steam room, thermal mineral pools and cold plunges, alongside an 'earth lab' devoted to volcanic mud clay and scrubs. Couples and small groups can also book two private onsen suites.
Beyond the bathhouse there's an elemental chart of wellness treatments to work through, from an 'aromatic massage' pairing aromatherapy with deep tissue techniques, to a 'transcendence ritual' featuring crystal hot stones, a crown and scalp treatment, and holistic facial.
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