Exclusive: A first look at the new SOL Elements bathhouse

The unique tranquillity of Japanese bathing culture can now be experienced in a Queensland rainforest.

I’m the first official guest at SOL Elements , an elemental bathhouse located in Mt Tamborine, roughly 50 minutes inland from the Gold Coast beaches. The town is already a calm-inducing hinterland heaven as birdsong echoes over rolling hills and roadside avocado shacks pop up around many corners. But with the arrival of SOL Elements, Mt Tamborine evolves into a wellness destination. Let me take you through the experience.

The new bathhouse is set in the calming hinterland. (Image: Timothy Birch)

First impressions

The exterior of the new SOL Elements Bathhouse in the Gold Coast hinterland — The setting delivers maximum serenity. (Image: Timothy Birch)

Given the jaw-dropping rendered photography released by the team in January 2025, I wondered if SOL Elements could meet the hype. Additionally, the location is at the end of a large car park at Tamborine Mountain Glades’ Thunderbird Park, an iconic kid-friendly hinterland attraction, so I was curious as to how they’d bring the Zen.

Steaming cedar saunas, icy plunges, Himalayan salt sanctuaries and serene floatation caves await at SOL Elements Bathhouse.

Surprisingly, no shrieking children are heard as I approach one architecturally magnificent facade. Positioned off a small lake dubbed Lotus Lake, swimming with turtles and ducks, it features thin timber boards that gradually fan out via meticulous three-millimetre increments. More than 2000 metres of hand-charred wood, burnt personally by Russ Raven, who founded SOL Elements with his wife Shae Raven, make up the entrance and much of the interior walls, channelling the ancient Japanese art of wood preservation, Yakisugi. It’s an aesthetic that pops amid bushland without ever jarring. It’s dramatic yet graceful, bold yet grounded – a lot like what’s going on inside, really…

Communal bathhouse

Positioned to take in the entire breadth of that fairytale lake, three small outdoor thermal mineral pools are the cornerstone of SOL Elements’ communal bathhouse, which caters to just 30 people at a time. While the warm pools bubble at a toasty 38 degrees, the cold plunge drops to an icy 12 degrees.

There are two ways to soak up some hot and cold therapy. The first starts inside SOL’s Cedar Wood Sauna, fitted with bench seating and extensive windows that let in more Lotus Lake views, before I go 90 full seconds in the cold (I’m aiming for two minutes, but it’s still winter). The sauna is small, and I’m grateful to be in there alone, but six or so people could fit in here comfortably.

Sit around the sunken fire pit at SOL Elements Bathhouse — Sit around the sunken fire pit. (Image: Timothy Birch)

The second way to hop between hot and cold is via the showstopping submerged outdoor fire pit. I take a seat on its curved bench seating and watch the flames flicker against my serene view. Sitting in wet cozzies, I feel reinvigorated, ready to dip in and out all over again.

Then there’s the communal Earth Lab, a mind-blowing alchemy station. Before I hit the showers, I’m invited to spoon out two ingredients from a bar filled with salts, flowers and powders. Utterly delighted to personalise my sensory journey, I go for the ground coffee and hibiscus flower petals before pumping body wash into my palm and creating an exfoliating polish. It’s hard to ignore the likes of raw brown sugar, chamomile flowers, rose petals and spirulina powder (there are 10 options in total), but my blend is straight-up delicious.

the Earth Lab, SOL Elements — The Earth Lab features an alchemy station for guests to create a personalised sensory journey that suits their mood. (Image: Kristie Lau-Adams)

Himalayan Salt Sanctuary

There’s one other communal element at SOL: the Himalayan Salt Sanctuary, featuring a gasp-worthy design (and gasps are welcomed, given the respiratory benefits salt therapy is famed for).

Built with illuminated salt bricks that morph between sunrise shades, pale pink and clear white, the room radiates as I breathe in negative ionised air. Bench seating wraps the entire space while three stunning pendant lights glisten, dialling up the drama. It feels as though I’m sitting inside a lantern, all while my lungs are high-fiving me as I attempt further breathwork.

Floatation caves

For the ultimate sensory deprivation experience, two Floatation Caves are calling. Located right next to the Himalayan Salt Sanctuary, the rooms open to beautiful all-black stone fit-outs. Magnesium salt water is heated to complement your unique body temperature. Epsom salt and Dead Sea salt are expertly utilised to create the most extensively filtered water in Queensland. This is magnesium magic on steroids.

Once the doors shut, it’s completely dark. I float blissfully unaware of my surroundings; waterproof headphones ensure total immersion.

Secluded Suites

an outdoor mineral plunge at SOL Elements — The onsite accommodation features a heated private mineral plunge. (Image: Kristie Lau-Adams)

I step up my SOL Elements visit by booking one of its two Secluded Suites, and the experience is end-to-end luxurious. Facility-wise, the suite (which caters for groups of up to five) gives me my own infrared sauna, single-person cold plunge, shower, private Earth lab with four ingredients, mini-bar with mocktails, tea station and clay mask, all while floor-to-ceiling glass windows throw up more of those soothing views.

The cherry on top? An outdoor private warm mineral plunge right by the lake. I sip on an organic, caffeine-free lemon myrtle and ginger root tea as the afternoon slips by. But before I go, there’s one more unmissable element to indulge in.

Massages and treatments

Inside the treatment rooms at SOL Elements Bathhouse — Up the ante with a rejuvenating massage at one of the two onsite treatment rooms. (Image: Timothy Birch)

I dress in a plush black waffle robe and stroll a couple of doors down to one of SOL Element’s two treatment rooms. I’m booked in for the Earthing Immersion as I love hot stone massages, and this features stones gathered with permission from Indigenous elders right around Australia. How special is that?

For so many reasons, but mainly the skills flexed by therapist Milena (who specialises in stretching), this is a massage like no other. I’m asked about my mood and lifestyle before Milena tells me she’s reading my energy. I’m not typically partial to energy readings, but I can’t deny that my limbs surrender under the hands of Milena, who uses Synthesis Organics’ essential oils that smell divine.

The stones differ in size and shape, heated and rolled across me like Café de Paris butter. 90 minutes later, I feel weightless as I return to my Secluded Suite to shower again and, begrudgingly, depart. I’m truly transformed into jelly. It took Shae and Russ four long years, but SOL Elements manages to live up to every expectation before soaring far beyond.

Details

Address: Cedar Creek Falls Rd and Tamborine Mountain Rd, Tamborine Mountain (within Tamborine Mountain Glades)

Opening hours: Monday to Thursday, 8 am to 8 pm, Friday to Sunday, 8 am to 10 pm

Prices:

Communal Bathhouse: $95 for 90 minutes
Floatation Cave: $90 per person for 60 minutes (2 guests maximum)
Secluded Suite: From $360 for two people, for 90 minutes
Earthing Immersion: $300 for 90 minutes
Other massages, facials and treatments: View the spa menu

Accessibility: SOL Elements welcomes guests with access needs. The building features wide pathways, accessible for wheelchairs, throughout. A pool hoist can also be arranged if requested in advance.

Please note: All guests must be over 18.

Exploring the world’s largest sand island starts with the perfect K’gari homebase.

The morning light is still soft, but it’s already a perfect sunny day. We left our K’gari homebase at Kingfisher Bay Resort with our guide, Peter Meyer, at 9 am to make the most of our time to explore all that the world’s largest sand island holds. The size of K’gari is hard to grasp until you arrive here. This is no sandbar. Stretching 120 kilometres, unique lakes, mangrove systems, rainforest, 75 Miles of beach, historic shipwrecks, small townships and even one of Queensland’s best bakeries are all hidden within its bounds.

But first, one of the island’s most iconic sights: the pure silica sand and crystal clear waters of Lake McKenzie.

Laying eyes on it for the first time, I’m finally able to confirm that the photos don’t lie. The sand is pure white, without the merest hint of yellow. The water fades from a light halo of aqua around the edges to a deeper, royal blue, the deeper it gets (not that it’s particularly deep, six metres at most). The surface remains surprisingly undisturbed, like a mirror.

Arriving with our guide before 10 am means that no one else is around when we get here. Which means we have the pleasure of breaking the smooth surface with our own ripples as we enter. As a self-confessed wimp with chilly water temperatures, my fears are quickly assuaged. Even in the morning, the water stays around 23 degrees – perfect for lazing about all day. But we have more sights to see.

Exploring K’gari

ariel of in lake mckenzie on k'gari fraser island — Relax in the warm waters of Lake McKenzie. (Image: Ayeisha Sheldon)

This was the Personalised 4WD tour offered by Kingfisher Bay Resort, and my absolute top pick of experiences. Over the course of the day, we had the freedom to create our own bespoke itinerary (plus a provided picnic lunch along the way), with an expert guide who had plenty of stories and local expertise to give context to what we were looking at. From the history of the SS Maheno shipwreck, which survived the First World War only to be washed ashore by a cyclone in 1935, to a detailed description of how an island made of sand could sustain such diverse flora.

If it’s your first time to K’gari, the Beauty Spots Tour is another great option. Departing daily from Kingfisher Bay Resort (you’ll start to notice a trend, as many of the tours do start and end here), an air-conditioned, 4WD bus takes guests to the island’s most iconic locations, including the best places to swim, like Lake McKenzie and Eli Creek. The latter offers a gentle current, perfect for riding with a blow-up tyre out towards the ocean.

The next day, for a look at a completely different side of K’gari, I joined one of Kingfisher Bay Resort’s Immersive Ranger-guided tours to kayak through the mangroves of Dundonga Creek. This long, snake-like stretch of creek winds its way inland from the ocean outlet we entered by, at times too narrow for three kayaks to be side-by-side. Small insects buzz from leaf to leaf, while birds call overhead. Occasional bubbles indicate we’ve passed some fish that call this place home.

kayak tour through the mangroves at k'gari island — Learn about the island’s mangroves from your Ranger. (Image: Reuben Nutt/ TEQ)

If kayaking isn’t for you – or if, like me, you simply want more – other ranger-led experiences include nature walks and a dedicated Junior Eco Ranger Program for kids ages five to 12 (these run every weekend, and daily over the peak December holidays). Just ask for a timetable of upcoming tours when you check in.

While during whale season, Hervey Bay Whale Watch & Charters operates tours from the hotel’s jetty to get up close to the famous Humpback Highway of Hervey Bay, from 7 November to 31 May, attention turns to the Aqua Oasis Cruise . Departing from the resort every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday for resort guests, adventure along the island’s remote western coast, pointing out wildlife like dolphins, turtles, flying fish and eagles along the way.

The cruise drops anchor so guests can jump into the water using the boat’s equipment – from SUP boards to inflatable slides and jumping platforms. Then refuel with a provided lunch, of course.

Unwind at sunset

two people drinking cocktails at sunset bar, kingfisher bay resort — Unwind at the Sunset Bar. (Image: Sean Scott)

As much as days on K’gari can be filled with adventure, to me, the afternoons and evenings there are for unwinding. Sunsets on K’gari are absolutely unbelievable, with Kingfisher Bay on the west side being the best spot to catch the colours.

The Sunset Bar , located at the start of the resort’s jetty and overlooking the beach, is the ultimate location for sundowners. Let chill beats wash over you as you sip on cool wines, beers and cocktails in a relaxed, friendly vibe. Personally, a cheese board was also absolutely called for. As the sun sinks, the sand, sea and horizon turn a vibrant shade of orange, with the jetty casting a dramatic shadow across the water.

When the show is over, head back to the hotel for dinner at the Asian-fusion Dune restaurant, or the pub-style Sand + Wood. But if your appetite is still whetted for more lights and colours, the evening isn’t over yet.

Settle into the Illumina stage for Return to Sky, an immersive light and sound show leading viewers on a captivating journey through K’gari’s stories and landscapes.

Indulge and disconnect

woman setting up massage room at kingfisher bay resort Island Day Spa — Find bliss at Island Day Spa. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

Of course, there is a type of traveller who knows that balance is important, day or night. While Kingfisher Bay Resort offers more than one pool for guests to spend all day lounging by (they’ll even serve you food and drinks while you do it), you’ll find me at the Island Day Spa.

The masseuses could match the magic hands of any big city spa, and I felt the warm welcome as I walked into the light, breezy reception. Choose from a range of botanical facials, beauty treatments and soothing massages using traditional techniques (obviously, I couldn’t go past a relaxing massage). All products used contain organic, native botanical ingredients with nutrient-rich plant extracts to soothe skin and mind. To really indulge, try out one of the packages, couples treatment or even a pre-wedding day offering.

Getting there

kingfisher bay resort 4wd tour driving passed ss maheno on k'gari island — The world of K’gari awaits. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

Getting to K’gari is shockingly easy. Find daily flights into Hervey Bay from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Kingfisher Bay Resort offers a shuttle bus between the airport, their headquarters in Hervey Bay and the ferry to take you to K’gari.

Exclusive: The new SOL Elements bathhouse is a Japanese-inspired dream