If you're looking for health and healing, head to Hepburn Springs in Victoria. This gorgeous little wellness town is located north of Daylesford and features the Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa and Hepburn Spa Retreat, perfect for a weekend away from the stress of life. Come along and see what a weekend is like at the Hepburn Spa Retreat and what are the best packages to book at the Bathhouse to ensure that you have an incredible time.
Laura was having what some may call a "horribilis mensis" or horrible month and was in dire need of some time away and when I suggested that we visit the town of Hepburn Springs for some relaxation and spa therapy she readily agreed. We planned a weekend away in this bucolic corner of the world that would involve nothing more than having mineral baths, spa treatments, delicious food and beautiful villa accommodation.
Hepburn Springs was named by Captain John Hepburn who travelled through the area during an overland journey from Sydney to Port Phillip in 1836-37. He was so captivated by the countryside that he decided to settle in the district in 1838. The town of Hepburn Springs has the largest concentration of mineral springs in Australia, apparently with around 50% of Australia's mineral springs located here. The wellness town was established by Swiss Italian migrants who ventured here during the 1850's goldrush. The foodie town of Daylesford is less than 10 minutes or 4kms drive away south.
The Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa is located on the Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve, a 30 hectare reserve. Anyone taking advantage of the popular walking tracks can fill and bottle their own mineral water at the various old fashioned pumps on the way with Soda, Locarno, Sulphur, Wyuna and Argyle water. Each type of mineral water stop has an explanation of each type.
Our arrival at the Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa is just before noon from Melbourne. The historic bathhouse has been a popular retreat since 1895 and it's very busy this Saturday. The spa has grown its footprint in this time with the most recent renovation 15 years ago to what it is today. The glass building is modern and attached to the original chimney which was used to heat the water for the bathhouse. The naturally occurring minerals like magnesium, calcium and sulphur are said to refresh and rejuvenate tired muscles and provide a sense of relaxation. Prices start at $58 per person for a 90 minute session and access to 2 pools or $120 for Sanctuary access to all six pools as well as the hammam and steam room. The Sanctuary is only available to ages 16 and over. They provide a towel, robe and locker with key.
Taking our swimmers, thongs and water bottle, we head downstairs to start our sanctuary bathing ritual. The six pools vary in size. The first one is the largest and 1.4 metres deep and a good one to start on where the water is 34°C/93.2°F. C. The adjacent pool is designed for sitting in with the addition of spa jets. Entry past these two first pools are for Sanctuary guests and there is much more choice. Guests can also choose from an aroma steam room or a pool with spa couches to sit back and relax on while some bubbles vigorously massage your muscles. There's also a steam room as well as a salt therapy pool room where the water is warmer still at 41°C/105.8°F with a skylight above.
Not all pools are indoors; there is also a contrast set of outdoor pools with a 39°C/102.2°F Creekside Pool followed by 18°C/64.4°F cold walk-in cool down pool. The idea is to go from hot pool to cool pool to experience the various temperatures. Next to this is a mineral hammam where you can book a DIY ritual pack by Waterlilly consisting of a body scrub, mask and moisturiser. You apply these in the hamman and then wash them away with the cold water shower and leave with velvety soft and moisturised skin - this is best to do just before you leave so that your skin stays moisturised. Private mineral bathing is also available.
I was initially skeptical about whether the water would really help with muscle soreness. I've had sore shoulders and hands for over a month that even multiple massages haven't fixed but even after an hour of bathing the pain had completely disappeared. I notice that my sore shoulders feel relaxed and I feel looser and more limber and there is literally no pain whereas I was used to always having a bit of pain. I'm now a convert to mineral pools.
If you get peckish there is a Pavilion cafe built in 1908 that serves house made food from a tasty nourishing bowl with steamed, chopped chicken and a range of crisp vegetables. Wash these all down with a bottle of Hepburn Springs mineral water that come as is or flavoured with fruit (the pink grapefruit is particularly refreshing). The Pavilion Cafe is also the location of the original bathhouse where women used to wade in ankle deep water lifting up their skirts so that they wouldn't get them wet. If you look carefully at the walls, you can see where the mineral spring water reached as it changed the colour of the red bricks to a dark green.
After lunch, Laura and I head to the spa section for our essential facial. Spa manager Stacey shows me to my room and tucks me in tight in the heated bed. The facial utilises Vanessa Megan products, an organic Australian brand that is cruelty free and vegan. It smells absolutely delicious and the first cleanser smells like lemon lollies. The 60 minute treatment is $220 and I listen to the sound of the birds, the gently rolling creek outside and the relaxing music. I enter a twilight state, awake and aware but floating.
When Stacey taps me gently I swear that just 10 minutes had passed but my skin tells me otherwise. I meet Laura in the spa welcome room, a beautiful sunken room panelled in wood where some of the original baths were located. After the treatment we make our way back to the cafe for an excellent cup of chai latte and perfect warm scones with cream and strawberry jam.
We head across the road to our accommodation for the night. The Hepburn Spa Retreat consists of 6 villas with parking adjacent to each villa. There are two different types of villa: wellness villas and retreat villas. My villa #2 is a wellness villa with a more specialised and detailed list of amenities including a selection of four bath scrubs and tonics, yoga mats and blocks, a Headspace meditation app and a Dyson air purifier.
Prior to my arrival a Wellness Concierge asked me what type of aromatherapy oil I wanted (rest easy or revive) and when I walk in I can smell it perfuming the air while a fireplace roars and keeps the chilly temperature at bay. I do recommend booking a wellness villa over a retreat villa as the retreat villas don't have all of the extras above but they also don't have a coffee machine (Laura had to use mine for her morning coffee).
The fireplace faces a lounge area and dining area and on the dining table there is a range of teas and a welcome hamper with reusable, branded glass bottles and breakfast muesli, a fruit and nut mix and a tote bag. Retreat villas have different breakfast offerings included of some bread with butter and jam for a 2 night stay. You can also order a more comprehensive hot breakfast too. Next to the lounge area is an enormous marble spa bath tub and a large two person shower with Highlander amenities provided. The mini bar concept is in the process of being revamped so there is no mini bar available. The room hold of $250 per night is quite high especially if there isn't a mini bar.
There is a comfortable king bed behind the fireplace where the aromatherapy diffuser is running. The bed is very comfortable and warm and I have an excellent night's sleep in this quiet, tranquil space. I doze off at 11pm and wake at 7am feeling refreshed and rested. Our Sunday morning plans involve heading into the town of Daylesford for the Sunday markets. It's chilly this morning with the weather dipping down as low as-0.1C because of the wind chill factor and the car park is a wind corridor blowing ice cold winds through thick coats.
The Daylesford Sunday markets are mostly produce and food based with a few stands with ready to eat food. We are lured by the smell of sizzling roesti with organic Dutch cream potatoes. We order a large roesti with a fried egg on top with tomato chutney, coleslaw and apple sauce. It's a hearty plate that fills us up with warm food.
Other vendors offer up samples of chilli sauces and tiny, sweet and juicy mandarins to try. You do want to arrive before 10am to procure items like bread that tends to sell out fast. We pass by a stand selling delicious Jerusalem artichoke and roasted Dutch carrot pastries. Although these buttery pastries are cold (even if they brought them warm, the weather would rapidly chill them) but we adore the sliced, roasted Jerusalem artichoke and bechamel topping.
Clutching our buttery delicious pastries we walk the short distance to the The Daylesford Hot Chocolate Company. This tiny store has a couple of tables outside and 4 small tables inside as well as bar seating. The best antidote for the cold is a hot chocolate and here there are several varieties.
The most eye-catching one is the Parisian hot chocolate experience. For $20 a person you receive a "Chocolate Chaud" experience with a 54% bittersweet hot chocolate with a bowl of whipped cream and a warm, toasted croissant to dip in it. The hot chocolate is very decadent and rich but tempered in sweetness and the dollop of cream cools it off.
We also order a Belgian white chocolate 28% and a Raspberry Dark chocolate made with real Australian raspberries which are actually delicious mixed together as the raspberry hot chocolate is quite tart and bitter but rounded off with the Belgian white hot chocolate.
After walking around Daylesford town and looking at the vintage stores we head to Bar Merenda for lunch. This charming little bar and restaurant has a chalkboard menu and a good list of wines available by the glass. Service is very friendly.
We start with two slices of fat, spongey garlic and thyme focaccia along with a serve of Long Paddock Banksia cheese with quince paste. The cheese is served with delicious crispy crackers and slices of sourdough and is a fantastic hard cheese in the vein of a cheddar in terms of flavour.
Laura is a pescatarian so she orders the baked rainbow trout with creamed sorrel. The rainbow trout is perfectly tender and the creamed sorrel is very lemony rather than creamy.
The slice of pot roast pork is soft and flavoursome and served in a cider jus with fat poached quince slices. While the pork is delicious and well cooked it is quite a pricey main for $45 for a single slice. There's no time for dessert as we have to head back to Melbourne to catch our flight home.
So tell me Dear Reader, have you found mineral baths help? Have you ever been to a mineral spring before and if so, what did you think of it?
NQN stayed as a guest of Hepburn Bathhouse and Retreat but all opinions remain her own and her obsession with mineral bathing is real now!
Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa
Mineral Springs Reserve Rd, Hepburn Springs VIC 3460
Phone: (03) 8727 8901
Open 9am-7pm Sunday to Thursday
9am-9pm Friday and Saturday
Hepburn Spa Retreat
20/22 Mineral Springs Cres, Hepburn Springs VIC 3461
Phone: (03) 5321 6000
https://hepburnbathhouse.com/stay/hepburn-spa-retreat-accommodation
Reader Comments
Loading comments...Add Comment