It was a wet, blustery day on the Mornington Peninsula, but the outdoor geothermal pool we were bobbing around in was a bone-warming 38 degrees. For the next hour we roamed through the gardens of the Alba Thermal Springs, dipping in and out of 30 bubbling mineral pools, ice-cold plunge pools, steam rooms and saunas until we were as pink as piglets. Later we ate crab croquettes inside the vast, concrete temple of wellness where guests silently shuffled around in white bathrobes on their way to one of the 22 treatment rooms for a massage, floral milk bath or cryo-facial.
This is the latest, swankiest addition to the network of eight hot springs retreats and sea baths popping up near Melbourne in Australia’s southern state of Victoria. The discovery of underground geothermal springs, rich with healing minerals, kickstarted a new bathing boom. It will eventually lead to the creation of the Great Victorian Bathing Trail, a 900km route which is set to rival the Colorado Hot Springs in the US, New Zealand’s Thermal Explorer Highway and Switzerland’s Grand Tour Deluxe.
The Alba Thermal Springs & Spa has 30 mineral pools, ice-cold plunge pools, steam rooms and saunas
(Fiona McIntosh)
The Alba Thermal Springs, and the pioneering Peninsula Hot Springs nearby, are already wildly popular with soothe-seeking Melburnians and have helped put the Mornington Peninsula on the international tourist map. An easy 1.5 hour drive from Melbourne, this pocket of lush countryside is surrounded by surf beaches on one side and sailing bays on the other. It is developing a chic, Hamptons-style scene with wineries, farmer’s markets, boutique hotels and now world-class spas with laid-back, eco-friendly vibes. In short, the Mornington Peninsula is like a one-stop holiday hotspot – here’s how to make the most of it.
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What to do
Hot springs
You can’t go to the Mornington Peninsula without booking a session at the hot springs. The biggest and most well-established is the Peninsula Hot Springs, which offers up to 50 different bathing experiences, from hilltop hot tubs to ice caves, saunas, reflexology pools and sprawling pools, all hidden among indigenous trees and shrubs.
There is a huge menu of experiences, starting from £19 for an hour’s bathing. You can stay in one of the luxuriously kitted-out glamping tents for £348,…
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