The Mornington Peninsula’s newest bathhouse just became a complete wellness destination with the addition of The Sanctuary.
It’s a quiet luxury mood board come to life. That’s my first thought when I enter the brand-new villa. It’s one of five perched at the highest point of the 15-hectare property that’s also home to Alba Thermal Springs and Spa. I remember meeting Kadi Morrisson, Alba’s Director of Sales & Marketing, at an industry event in 2024 as she excitedly revealed the renders of what was to become the luxury accommodation I’m now standing in. I can see that her excitement was completely warranted. This retreat is something special.
If you thought Alba Thermal Springs & Spa couldn't get any better, think again. The Mornington Peninsula's new bathhouse just became a complete wellness destination with the addition of The Sanctuary, its luxurious onsite stay.
Location
The Sanctuary is located in the seaside town of Fingal on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. (Image: Supplied)
Tucked away on an idyllic seaside pocket of land in the Mornington Peninsula, The Sanctuary accommodation is the newest addition to Alba Thermal Springs and Spa, a 15-hectare bathhouse and wellness sanctuary fed by the region’s underground mineral springs. The seaside town of Sorrento, as well as world-class restaurants, wineries and pristine beaches, is all minutes away. It’s also an easy 90-minute drive south from Melbourne Airport, making it within reach of an interstate wellness weekend getaway.
Rooms and villas
The villas are set on the highest point of the property affording guests views of the native bushland and bay from the bath. (Image: Katie Carlin)
Bath salts are provided. (Image: Katie Carlin)
The bathroom is stocked with Aesop amenities.
Inside the Villa, guests will find a king bed with lounge and dining areas. (Image: Supplied)
The fireplace is set by the concierge each day. (Image: Katie Carlin)
The villas have different configurations. (Image: Supplied)
The villa bar is fully stocked with mostly all-inclusive drinks and snacks. (Image: Supplied)
Make use of the provided yoga mats. (Image: Supplied)
The Sanctuary’s five luxurious stand-alone villas and two additional studio rooms opened in June 2025. I’m staying in one of three villas that feature an en suite with an oversized stone bathtub set in front of a floor-to-ceiling glass wall (villas 1-3 only). It means I’m treated to expansive views of the bay and native bushland while soaking in Alba’s signature bath salts – a blend of native Australian botanicals, moisturising oils and mineral-rich salts. Aesop amenities are also supplied in the shower and bathroom.
Glass doors open onto a private deck from the en suite and bedroom; the perfect place to sit with a cheese board and wine at the end of the day to watch the sunset or to stargaze come nightfall. And if you’re feeling in the mood for a stretch come morning, make use of the provided yoga mats and salute the sun at daybreak.
My second-favourite addition (after the bath) is the indoor log fireplace that is set of an evening by the concierge (they can be called to add another log before 10pm as needed). Listening to the crackle of the fire from the comfort of the king bed makes drifting off to sleep a breeze.
Find wine from 10 Minutes by Tractor in the villa’s bar. (Image: Supplied)
The extensive all-inclusive (minus champagne, cocktails and spirits) mini bar champions local businesses with wine from Ten Minutes by Tractor, St Andrews Beach Brewery beer, Peninsula Cold Press Juice Co. and Alba’s Signature tea. Snacks include Chappy’s kettle cooked chips, Choca Mama peanut brittle, pretzels and nude nuts. As well as still and sparkling water and T2 tea. An Illy coffee machine and pods are also included.
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Style and character
Local design studio KWD in Mt Martha crafted the interiors from a soothing palette of muted hues – think every shade of cream imaginable. I’m greeted by soft afternoon light leaking through the chiffon curtains; it makes me feel like I’m sinking into a cafe latte-inspired dream. With accents of wood and black metal, as well as exquisite design details like the subtle silver sheath covering the bedside lights, this is understated luxury at its best. I never want to leave.
Facilities
Undoubtedly, one of the major drawcards of a stay at The Sanctuary is inclusive access to Alba Thermal Springs and Spa for each day of your stay, plus you get to enjoy one upgrade to a private pool (The Terrace, The Clouds or The Salts). Concierge transfers via buggy between your villa and the springs are also available – but it’s an easy walk if you don’t mind the hill up to the villas.
Alba Thermal Springs and Spa
The Terrace is one of the private pools at Alba that guests get access to once during their stay. (Image: Supplied)
Opening in 2024, Alba’s pools and landscape architecture were designed by MALA Studio. The team transformed the expansive property into six regions through the thoughtful curation of over 60,000 native and endemic plants.
There are 34 pools, a mix of geothermal, cold plunge and herbal-infused botanical, that range in temperature and design – some to create a feeling of seclusion, while others invite social connection – all fed by natural geothermal mineral waters that flow from 550 metres below ground. I gravitate towards The Hemisphere, with its dry sauna, steam room, cold plunge and dreamy open-air pool called The Hide. I leave my robe at the entrance, slip into the sunken geothermal pool and immediately feel the tension from my travels melting away.
Inside, Alba has 22 spa treatment rooms, including a steam room, Vichy shower, and single or double massage rooms with a spa menu designed to renew, repair and recalibrate guests. The wristband that acts as a key to your villa also gives you access to the change room and bathhouse – just speak to reception on arrival. In addition to lockers and showers, the change rooms also feature a clever swimsuit drying spinner – I find this makes for a more comfortable dining experience (more on that below) in your robe minus wet swimmers.
Thyme Restaurant
Breakfast at Thyme by the springs is included. (Image: Katie Carlin)
Breakfast is included at the in-house restaurant Thyme throughout your stay. I opt for yoghurt panna cotta with toasted house granola topped with local honeycomb, fermented blueberries and berries. But I admit to having FOMO when I see my husband’s choice of poached eggs, Adelaide Hills bacon, layered thyme potato with roasted mushroom and fresh sourdough arrive at the table. Barista-made Little Rebel coffee, smoothies and cold-pressed juices, as well as tea, are also included.
The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating overlooking the springs. It’s strongly encouraged to dine in the provided robe, which means you can easily go from soaking in the pool to dining and back again without needing to change.
Both The Sanctuary breakfast menu and The House menu for lunch and dinner were created by award-winning chef Karen Martini, with head chef Mario Di Natale at the helm. Expect fresh, healthy and flavour-driven dishes made with sustainability in mind. For dinner, my husband and I ordered the tuna crudo, scallop and prawn wontons for entrées and roasted cod and sake-braised beef short rib for mains to share with seasonal greens.
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Does The Sanctuary have access for guests with disabilities?
The pools at Alba Thermal Springs and Spa are designed to welcome all guests, and a full accessible studio is part of The Sanctuary.
Is The Sanctuary family-friendly?
Guests of all ages are welcome at The Sanctuary, and rollaway beds or cots can be provided upon request. The springs require adult supervision for children aged under 16, and the private pools and spa are reserved for visitors aged 16 and over only. However, I didn’t see any children during my visit.
Details
Best for: A romantic retreat or indulgent girls’ weekend away
Address: 282 Browns Rd, Fingal, Victoria
Room rate: Prices start at $1300 per night for two guests in a Villa with bath, $1150 for Villa without bath.
Tips for visiting Alba Thermal Springs and Spa:
1. Pack waterproof footwear so you don’t have to walk on the cold paths barefoot (plus, footwear is required inside the restaurant).
2. Phones and smartwatches are not permitted – leave them in your locker or room.
3. The minerals in the water can cause jewellery to tarnish; lock them away in the in-room safe.
4. Bring a reusable water bottle and fill up at the drinking fountains – you will dehydrate quickly in the pools and saunas.
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Katie Carlin is Australian Traveller's Head of Content and when she’s not travelling or behind her computer, she’s hosting a dinner party (likely cooking an Alison Roman recipe), at brunch, working on extending her running k’s, or has her nose buried in a book.
She joined Australian Traveller in 2018 and is responsible for leading the editorial team across print, digital, social, email and native content. Her job is to make sure we create content that connects readers to incredible experiences in Australia and beyond. In addition to sharing her expertise on travel through industry speaking engagements, Katie appears onToday, A Current Affair and various radio segments.
With a BA in Communications majoring in Journalism and a career that has spanned roles at Fairfax Media and Are Media writing for titles such as The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and various lifestyle brands, she brings a wealth of experience to her role. Her most impactful trip to date has been swimming with whale sharks on Ningaloo Reef. For her next trip she is longing to experience the romance of train travel – hopefully on The Ghan or Indian Pacific.
Slow down and find your rhythm on a Murray River journey through time and place.
Trust is a funny thing. It seems not that long ago that my mother was insisting on pouring the milk into my cereal bowl, because she didn’t trust me not to slosh it over the table, and yet here I am on the Murray River at Mildura in far north-west Victoria, being handed the keys to a very new and very expensive luxury houseboat.
After a crash course in how not to crash, I’m at the wheel of the good ship Elevate – pride of the All Seasons fleet – guiding her upstream past red-ochre cliffs as pelicans glide above the rippled river and kookaburras call from reedy banks. There’s a brief moment of breath-holding while I negotiate a hairpin turn around a jagged reef of skeletal, submerged gum trees, before a cheer rings out and calm descends as the timeless river unfurls in front of us.
The Murray River winding through Yarrawonga. (Image: Rob Blackburn)
Setting sail from Mildura
Home to a large number of bird species, including pelicans. (Image: The Precint Studios)
A journey along the Murray River is never less than magical, and launching from Mildura makes perfect sense. Up here the river is wide and largely empty, giving novice skippers like myself the confidence to nudge the 60-tonne houseboat up to the riverbank where we tie up for the night, without fear of shattering the glass elevator (the boat is fully wheelchair accessible) or spilling our Champagne.
My friends and I spend three days on the water, swimming and fishing, sitting around campfires onshore at night, and basking in air so warm you’d swear you were in the tropics. The simplicity of river life reveals an interesting dichotomy: we feel disconnected from the world but at the same time connected to Country, privileged to be part of something so ancient and special.
Stop one: Echuca
A historic 19th-century paddlesteamer cruises along the Murray River. (Image: Visit Victoria)
The six-hour drive from Melbourne to Mildura (or four hours and 20 minutes from Adelaide) is more than worth it, but you don’t have to travel that far to find fun on the river. Once Australia’s largest inland port, Echuca is the closest point on the Murray to Melbourne (two hours 45 minutes), and you’ll still find a plethora of paddlesteamers tethered to the historic timber wharf, a throwback to the thriving river trade days of the 19th century. The PS Adelaide, built in 1866 and the oldest wooden-hulled paddlesteamer operating in the world, departs daily for one-hour cruises, while a brand-new paddlesteamer, the PS Australian Star, is launching luxury seven-night voyages in December through APT Touring.
The town is also a hot food and wine destination. St Anne’s Winery at the historic Port of Echuca precinct has an incredibly photogenic cellar door, set inside an old carriage builders’ workshop on the wharf and filled with huge, 3000-litre port barrels. The Mill, meanwhile, is a cosy winter spot to sample regional produce as an open fire warms the red-brick walls of this former flour mill.
Stop two: Barmah National Park
Camping riverside in Barmah National Park, listed as a Ramsar site for its significant wetland values. (Image: Visit Victoria/Emily Godfrey)
Just half-an-hour upstream, Barmah National Park is flourishing, its river red gum landscape (the largest in the world) rebounding magnificently after the recent removal of more than 700 feral horses. The internationally significant Ramsar-listed wetland sits in the heart of Yorta Yorta Country, with Traditional Owners managing the environment in close partnership with Parks Victoria. Walkways weave through the forest, crossing creeks lined with rare or threatened plants, passing remnants of Yorta Yorta oven mounds and numerous scar trees, where the bark was removed to build canoes, containers or shields.
The Dharnya Centre (open weekdays until 3pm) is the cultural hub for the Yorta Yorta. Visitors can learn about the ecological significance of the Barmah Lakes on a 90-minute river cruise, led by a First Nations guide, or take a one-hour, guided cultural walking tour along the Yamyabuc Trail.
Stop three: Cobram
Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Continue east to Cobram to find the southern hemisphere’s largest inland beach. Swarming with sun-seekers in summer, the white sand of Thompson’s Beach is shaded by majestic river red gums and dotted with hundreds of beach umbrellas, as beachgoers launch all manner of water craft and set up stumps for beach cricket. But the beach is at its most captivating at sunset, when the crowds thin out, the glassy river mirrors the purple sky, and the canopies of the gum trees glow fiery orange.
The region is also home to some fine resorts and indulgent retreats. Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort has two riverside championship golf courses, luxury apartments and self-contained villas. While not strictly on the Murray, the historic wine town of Rutherglen is rife with boutique (and unique) accommodation, including an exquisitely renovated red-brick tower in a French provincial-style castle at Mount Ophir Estate. Fans of fortified wines can unravel the mystery of Rutherglen’s ‘Muscat Mile’, meeting the vignerons and master-blenders whose artistry has put the town on the global map for this rich and complex wine style.
Stop four: Albury-Wodonga
First Nations Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk is part of the Wagirra Trail. (Image: Carmen Zammit)
Follow the river far enough upstream and you’ll arrive at the twin border cities of Albury-Wodonga. The Hume Highway thunders through, but serenity can be found along the five-kilometre Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk – part of the Wagirra Trail that meanders through river wetlands just west of Albury in Wiradjuri country. Fifteen sculptures by local First Nations artists line the trail, conveying stories of reconciliation, enduring connection to culture, local Milawa lore and traditional practices. It feels a long way from Mildura, and it is, but the pelicans and kookaburras remind us that it’s the same river, the great conduit that connects our country.
A traveller’s checklist
Staying there
New Mildura motel Kar-rama. (Image: Iain Bond Photo)
Kar-Rama is a brand-new boutique, retro-styled motel in Mildura, with a butterfly-shaped pool and a tropical, Palm Springs vibe. Echuca Holiday Homes has a range of high-end accommodation options, both on the riverfront and in town.
Playing there
Bruce Munro’s Trail of Lights in Mildura. (Image: Imogen Eveson)
Artist Bruce Munro’s Trail of Lights installation, comprising more than 12,000 illuminated ‘fireflies’, is currently lighting up Mildura’s Lock Island in the middle of the Murray. Murray Art Museum Albury (MAMA) is a hub for contemporary art, with a rotating roster of exhibitions, and is a major outlet for young and First Nations artists.
Eating there
Mildura’s diverse demographic means it’s a fantastic place to eat. Andy’s Kitchen is a local favourite, serving up delicious pan-Asian dishes and creative cocktails in a Balinese-style garden setting. Call in to Spoons Riverside in Swan Hill to enjoy locally sourced, seasonal produce in a tranquil setting overlooking the river.
