Canberra’s first floating sauna brings Nordic wellness to the capital

The new on-water wellness experience may feel indulgent, but the benefits go far beyond the surface.

Canberra has officially joined the wellness tourism wave, with the city’s first-ever floating sauna now open on Lake Burley Griffin. Part sweat session, part cold plunge and entirely self-care certified, it’s a time-honoured ritual promising complete relaxation in the nation’s capital.

What is Floating Sauna Lake Burley Griffin?

Launched by the same team behind Floating Sauna Lake Derby in Tasmania, Canberra’s latest wellness offering invites guests to slow down, switch off and surrender to the heat – before plunging in for a refreshing dip right outside your door.

Floating Sauna Lake Burley Griffin in Caberra, ACT — Floating Sauna Lake Burley Griffin comprises two timber-lined sanctuaries. (Credit: Anne Stroud for VisitCanberra)

The two wood-fired sauna rooms bob gently off the quiet shores of Lake Burley Griffin near Yarralumla Beach East. Each sleek sauna features a self-tended stove, water buckets, additional firewood and floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the lake and natural surrounds.

It’s all part of a growing trend which has seen floating saunas pop up across the country, from a sustainable sanctuary on Sydney Harbour to an entire trail across Tassie.

Floating Sauna Lake Derby in Tasmania — The new offering joins a sister property on Lake Derby, Tasmania. (Credit: Emilie Ristevski)

Guests of Floating Sauna Lake Burley Griffin can choose between two signature experiences: a shared session or a private booking. Both run for one hour and accommodate up to six people, with the latter including a dedicated Sauna Master who takes care of logistics. The experience begins the moment you step inside, where Nordic bathing traditions blend with solitude and privacy for the ultimate full-body reset.

How it works – and why you need to try it

Inspired by traditional Nordic bathing culture, saunas have long been associated with pleasure and peacefulness. But health experts suggest the benefits extend far beyond mere stress relief, documented in a growing number of studies such as Cardiovascular and Other Health Benefits of Sauna Bathing: A Review of the Evidence by the Mayo Clinic .

“Emerging evidence suggests that sauna bathing has several health benefits, which include reduction in the risk of vascular diseases such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, stroke and neurocognitive diseases; nonvascular conditions such as pulmonary diseases including common flu; mortality; treatment of specific skin conditions; as well as pain in conditions such as rheumatic diseases and headache," the 2018 report concludes.

So, how does it actually work? At its core, the floating sauna experience follows a simple method: heat, cool, repeat – also known as contrast therapy. Based on the traditional Finnish design, most modern saunas use a wood-fired stove, heated rocks and water to create hot bursts of steam that envelop the body.

Dubbed löyly in Finnish, this steamy cloud is considered the soul or breath of the sauna, a spiritual term that represents purification and relaxation. As it rises, the temperature climbs, triggering a deep and cleansing sweat. This heat also raises the heart rate and relaxes the limbs, which allows the muscles to loosen and the mind to slow.

Then, it’s straight into the lake for a cold-water plunge. While a little daunting at first, the sudden temperature shift awakens the senses and rapidly cools the body. According to the University of South Australia ‘s Effects of cold-water immersion on health and wellbeing: A systematic review and meta-analysis, this can help with everything from inflammation to immune function.

After a series of real-world trials, researchers found that “Cold Water Immersion (CWI) delivers time-dependent effects on inflammation, stress, immunity, sleep quality and quality of life, offering potential practical applications for health practitioners considering CWI for stress management and wellbeing support."

The result? A restorative experience that feels both restful and re-energising. But the true beauty of the floating sauna lies in its malleability. Whether you stick to the original ritual, skip steps that don’t suit your needs or simply throw caution to the wind and follow your intuition, you’re guaranteed to leave on löyly nine.

The details

Floating Sauna Lake Burley Griffin is moored off Alexandrina Drive in Yarralumla, ACT. It’s a short 10-minute drive from the city centre, with free parking on-site. Just visiting? Hyatt Hotel Canberra is the perfect home base, less than five minutes away by car.

The sauna generally operates seven days a week, with hour-long bookings available from 7am to 9pm. Shared sessions are priced $55 per person, while private reservations can be secured for a flat rate of $305. All guests must be at least 16 years old to visit.

From cabins to canvas, craft distillers to destination dining, Heathcote locals reveal their eco-savvy passions in ways that resonate with those seeking to travel lightly.

Heathcote , on traditional Taungurung Country in Central Victoria, is synonymous with its garnet-hued shiraz, but wine isn’t the only string to its bow. The town itself is sprinkled with heritage buildings from the gold rush era, and beyond that a growing collection of sustainable gastronomy and eco-friendly escapes. Nearby Bendigo, one of only 65 cities in the world recognised as a UNESCO Creative City and Region of Gastronomy, plates up an astonishing calibre of produce, wine and food for its size. Increasingly the entire region is taking up the challenge, though Heathcote in particular shines with its focus on sustainability.

Pink Cliffs GeologicalReserve — The dramatic landscape of Heathcote’s Pink Cliffs Geological Reserve. (Image: Visit Victoria/Emily Goodfrey)

The eco-stays bringing sustainability to Heathcote

Yellow BoxWood’s safari-style tents — Yellow Box Wood’s safari-style tents are nestled on 40 hectares of bushland. (Image: Emily Goodfrey)

Andee and Lisa Davidson spent years working in southern Africa before settling in Heathcote. “We had a vision of how this could be,” explains Andee. “We wanted a retreat, but one that was off-grid and environmentally sustainable.” Now, at Yellow Box Wood , two luxury safari-style tents are at the heart of 40 hectares of rolling hills and native bush, with kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas, goanna and birdlife aplenty. It’s all solar-powered, wood for the fire is mainly fallen timber, and water is collected on the carport roof. No lack of creature comforts though – en suite with rain shower, espresso coffee maker, comfy seating, wood-burning fire all set to go. There’s also a solar-heated, mineral salt pool in a bush setting, walking tracks, and even a mini bush golf course. On my visit, I put the vision to the test. Cocooned in the plush four-poster bed I can glimpse the stars, while the heater casts a golden glow on the canvas. In the morning, I wake to a blush-pink sunrise, kangaroos feeding and a soundtrack of magpies.

If a tent is not your style, Stephen and Cally Trompp’s carbon-neutral Mt Ida Eco Cabin might entice with its generous deck and farmland views. Inside the cabin, corrugated iron walls as rusty as a shearing shed, gleaming (recycled) floorboards, timber truss ceiling (crafted by Stephen), wood-fired heater and an old-school turntable with a pile of vinyls to spin. It’s fun, and a little boho. “Everything is recycled. The cabin takes maximum advantage of the sun in winter. It’s all solar-powered. Don’t panic, though,” says Stephen, “you can still charge your phone and get 4G reception!” Settle into an Adirondack chair on the deck or pedal off on a mountain bike to suss out the wineries.

A taste of Spain in Central Victoria

Another person with a vision is Evan Pritchard at his Three Dams Estate where the wines reflect his deep love of Spain and of Spanish-style grapes, such as tempranillo. Afternoons in the ‘wine shed’ or cantina are matched with music (flamenco is a favourite), Spanish bites from tapas to paella (with Evan on the pans!) and views to Mount Alexander. Sustainability is also a passion. “You don’t need to buy anything. We decided to be off-grid from the start, but it is a lifestyle change,” he says. “You need to think about it and be careful.” Everything here is recycled, reassembled, refurbished. Evan has an electric car (with solar-powered charger), solar-power for the winery, and even a jaunty little electric tractor/forklift. “I love the idea of all the things you can do using the sun.” Sipping a crisp rosado (a Spanish rosé) with Evan in the sunshine, I couldn’t agree more.

The vineyard redefining sustainable winemaking

Silver Spoon winery — The Silverspoon Estate winery is completely off-grid. (Image: Graham Hosking)

On the other side of Heathcote, Silver Spoon Estate demonstrates sustainability on a more extensive scale. Tracie and Peter Young’s winery, cellar door, award-winning restaurant and their own house are all solar-powered and off the grid. Sustainability is intrinsic to everything they do. The property sprawls across 100 hectares, with 20 hectares under vine – shiraz, viognier, grenache, tempranillo. As the climate has changed, so too has the approach. These are dry-grown vineyards. “We prune for drought. That means lower yields but more intense flavours,” says Peter. The fine-dining restaurant offers sweeping views, a wood-burning fire and a deck for languid lunches. Head chef Ben Hong sources regional, sustainable ingredients and weaves estate wines into the menu – think crispy wild mushroom arancini, viognier-infused chicken breast.

Silver Spoon’s award-winning restaurant.

Heathcote’s other hidden gems

Not all local wineries have a cellar door, but I find local treasures at the Heathcote Wine Hub , a petite 1855 timber church in the main street, lovingly returned to life by Karen Robertson and Carey Moncrieff. “Carey is a scrounger,” says Karen. “He doesn’t throw a single thing away.” He does, however, craft things into something quite special. Heritage floors, light-filtering lancet windows and shelves of regional wines create the perfect ambience for wine tasting. Or order a glass and linger over a cheese platter.

Heathcote is not all wine, of course. Nathan Wheat and partner Vanessa Curtis run Envy Distilling with a committed sustainable ethic – and a serious love of gin. Their small-batch distillery produces grape-based gin, and soon brandy. Distilled water is reused in an ingenious cooling system. All waste is treated on site. They buy excess wine from winemakers to distil and buy recycled barrels. “Distilling with the sun,” as Nathan says. Each Envy gin has its own story. Spicy, award-winning The Dry, is designed to capture the region’s dry, rugged nature. Pull up a stool at the bar (reclaimed timbers and tiles, of course), order a Gin Flight, or kick back with a cocktail and let Nathan share his eco journey.

Envy gins — Sample gins at small-batch distillery Envy.

A traveller’s checklist

Getting there

It’s less than two hours’ drive from Melbourne. The scenic route we take goes past Sunbury, then along a splendid country road through Romsey and the magic, boulder-strewn landscape of Lancefield. Watch for kangaroos on the road!

Staying there

Go off-grid in style at Yellow Box Wood for glamping or try Mt Ida Eco Cabin for a couple’s weekend hideaway.

Eating there

French dishes at Chauncy — Award-winning French restaurant Chauncy.

At award-winning Chauncy , French chef Louis Naepels and sommelier wife Tess Murray have created a tiny, elegant pocket of rural France. Meticulously restored 1850s sandstone building, sun-drenched dining room, impeccable service, a menu suffused with local flavours and thoughtful wine pairings.

Fodder is both cafe and social hub. Chef Mo Pun and sister Lalita serve classic Aussie breakfast-to-lunch fare, though their Nepalese heritage sneaks through.

Playing there

Sanguine Estate ’s cellar door and terrace overlook bucolic vineyards. Its award-winning, dry-grown wines include the distinctive D’Orsa Blanc dessert wine, reflecting the family’s Swiss-Italian heritage. Order a charcuterie board and stay a while. Keep it carbon neutral by cycling some (or all) of the 50-kilometre O’Keefe Rail Trail to Bendigo.

At Bridgeward Grove , learn about the property’s Old Mission Grove heritage olive trees, do a sommelier olive oil tasting, and stock up on sustainably grown olives and oil. Explore the unique landscape, wildflowers and wildlife of pink cliffs geological reserve.