2 weeks ago
8
A gentle “gong” on a Tibetan singing bowl reverberates throughout the room as I float on my back, my toes gripping the side rail to avoid submerging completely into the salty water. I open my eyes and see the crisp blue winter sky through a porthole in the ceiling, as the vibrations from the sound bath echo around the circular space.
I am in one of the pools at the 130-year-old Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa, which reopened this month after a seven-month, $1.7-million refurbishment. The main bathing area, which comprises two public baths and the more exclusive, adults-only Sanctuary, is housed in an annexe built 15 years ago. But the spa, where I experience an excellent relaxation massage, is housed in a heritage building where the chimney for the fire originally used to heat the water still stands (the original bathhouse is now the onsite cafe).
Most visitors come here to soak their troubles away; bathing is held in almost sacred reverence.
Visitors to Hepburn Springs and the nearby centre of Daylesford, located about 90 minutes’ drive north-west of Melbourne, are drawn to “take the waters” from natural springs first discovered in the 1860s. Because of its rich mineral composition, including magnesium, calcium and sulphur, the water is said to have therapeutic benefits, including aiding muscle stiffness and soreness. It can also be drunk, though it has a slightly funky, carbonated character.
Still, most visitors come here to soak their troubles away; bathing is held in almost sacred reverence. At home, my bath-time usually involves coaxing a recalcitrant four-year-old into the tub for an experience that more closely resembles a tug-of-war than an act of self-care. So, the idea of slipping into an egg-shaped vessel for 45 minutes of uninterrupted soaking feels novel, foreign even.
Before getting into my bath, I visit the Apothecary – part of the spa’s new treatment menu – where guests can customise their own salt blend for a private bathing session which can be enjoyed alone or with a friend (if you’re wondering, swimwear is optional in the private suites). I choose jasmine and ylang ylang, with some ashwaganda powder for stress-relief and moisturising coconut milk.
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Clay bowl in hand, I head off to my bathing suite, one of five made over by contestants on Channel 9* renovation show The Block (in total there are 12 bathing suites). My room is moody, with slate tiled walls and copper fixtures, while another, decorated in pinks and creams, conjures a desert scene, like the Turkish hammam in the Sanctuary, where I later enjoy an invigorating self-guided peppermint salt scrub. I toss the contents of the bowl into the yellowish water (a result of being unfiltered), slide in and switch off.
The waters leave me feeling both invigorated and relaxed, and later I have the best night’s sleep I’ve had in weeks. This is also thanks to some of the features of my open-plan spa villa, located just a few steps from the bathhouse. A gas fireplace, double shower, coffee-pod machine and a well-stocked breakfast basket all mean I needn’t leave, other than for scheduled bathing appointments and to sample the dining options in Daylesford, about 10 minutes’ drive away.
The next morning, I rise early to tackle one of the many signposted walks in the mineral reserve and burn off the previous night’s dinner – a three-course Euro-leaning feast at the cosy Boathouse restaurant on the shores of Lake Daylesford. Walking the 1½ kilometres to Argyle Spring, I am alone in my thoughts, footsteps my only company, birdsong the only sound.
As I near the bathhouse on the return leg, I spot a wallaby off the side of the path. I gently inch towards it, finding a log to sit on, relishing the feeling of having nowhere to be and no one to serve. We regard one another for a few minutes before the marsupial breaks eye contact and hops away, retreating into the dense scrub.
The writer was a guest of Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa.
*Nine is the owner of this masthead.
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