Heat, Chill, Repeat: 10 Waterside Nordic Saunas To Visit Around Australia

Sauna culture is on the rise across Australia, from luxury spas to little hot-box cabins in the bush to floating pontoon saunas with riverside views. Aside from the myriad physical benefits to be gained from sitting together in loyly (a Finnish term for the holistic sauna experience) then cooling down with an ice-cold dip – such as better sleep and improved blood circulation – it’s also a hot way to hang out with others.

Here are 10 outdoor sauna cabins around the country that prioritise connection with nature as well as connection with others.

Cedar & Salt Sauna, Long Reef Beach, Collaroy, New South Wales

Freshwater local Rob Dempster-Smith first introduced Cedar & Salt, a woodfired Finnish sauna, to Q Station in Manly in 2024. In summer 2025, it was relocated to a patch of grass overlooking Long Reef Beach, where its expansive windows reveal panoramic ocean views. The portable sauna fits up to 12, kitted out with a woodfired heater from Finland, timber seating and a rain screen made from Japanese cedar, freshwater showers and Collaroy’s sand and surf. Dempster-Smith recommends alternating between 15 minutes in the heat, a rest, then a cold ocean dip. The sauna also offers aufguss sessions, a German ritual using heat, ice and essential oils to create a meditative environment. You can book hour-long communal sessions or hire the whole sauna for a private experience. Cedar & Salt operates from Wednesday to Sunday.

Drift Saunas, East Fremantle, Western Australia

Drift Saunas is an idyllic floating sanctuary on East Fremantle’s Swan River, founded by friends and Fremantle locals Adam Spencer, Ben Caputi and Dan Jones. It was envisioned as something “a little different in Perth” says Spencer. “A place where people could slow down, connect and spend time outdoors.” The hut is made from composite decking rather than traditional cedar, to help it withstand the elements. It’s heated by an electric Harvia heater, and there are icy outdoor showers, but as it’s set on a bobbing pontoon, a dip in the river is highly encouraged. If you’re lucky, you’ll spot the occasional bottlenose dolphin. The sauna fits up to 10 people for private bookings or 55-minute communal sessions. Drift operates seven days a week, opening as early as 5.30am on weekdays.

Floating Sauna, Lake Derby, Tasmania, and Lake Burley Griffin, ACT

Tasmania-based Nigel Reeves opened his first pontoon sauna at Lake Derby in 2020 to bring the Finnish tradition to the mountain-biking region. Last year, Reeves opened a second location in the heart of Canberra. Two black timber huts sit at the end of a long gangway leading to Lake Burley Griffin, where up to six people can soak up the heat generated from a wood stove imported from Finland, before stepping outside and jumping into the lake or using the ladder for a gentler entry. Huge square windows provide sweeping lake views, while outside there’s a freshwater shower, as well as a changing area. Lake Derby’s location accommodates five people, which can be booked for shared sessions or privately for an hour. Lake Burley Griffin’s sauna is open seven days a week from 7am to 9pm. Lake Derby’s sauna is open daily from 8am to 4pm.

Good Sauna, Horseshoe Bay, Bermagui, New South Wales

Around five hours’ drive from Sydney, on the far South Coast of New South Wales, is a beach with gentle waves, golden sand and a grassy foreshore. It’s where you’ll find Good Sauna, a timber hut made by carpenter and founder Luke Axisa, who believes wellness rituals like these should be affordable for all. “It’s a positive alternative for people to come together and do something good for themselves,” says Axisa. The sauna, which has space for eight, is made from salvaged native timbers, collected over a decade. You can see Gulaga Mountain from the warm timber benches, and you’re only steps away from the ocean for a refreshing dip. Communal sessions start from $25 for 25 minutes, or you can pay for private use. It operates from Friday to Sunday.

Haut Hutts, Porepunkah and surrounds, Victoria

Locals Harry and Audrey Borthwick run a trio of Finnish saunas in the High Country of Victoria. Their Australian-built huts are made from western red cedar with either woodfired or electric stoves and cold plunge pools. Their permanent hut, the Paloma, is located in the couple’s backyard, on Ovens River, Porepunkah, with an electric heater, cold bucket shower and a cold plunge tub. It fits up to five people and can be booked for communal sessions or hired privately. They suggest spending the hour by sweating for up to 15 minutes, soaking in the plunge pool for up to three minutes, relaxing, then repeating. There are two more Haut Hutts, the Mondo, which has views of Mount Buffalo, and the completely off-grid Juniper, which can be set up at festivals and events or hired for your own backyard.

Kuuma Sauna, Hobart, Tasmania

Kuuma is a custom-designed sauna boat, launched in 2024 by couple Nathan and Chloe Gore. Step aboard and you’ll find a glass-fronted sauna, an ice bath and a firepit with benches, allowing you to experience the Nordic ritual but in the bracing Tasmanian cold. During Dark Mofo, Kuuma is found at Kings Pier Marina in Hobart, where you can hop aboard for after-dark sessions for eight people, with both communal and private options available. A towel is provided, but it’s suggested to bring a spare, as well as something warm to wear. Outside of Dark Mofo, the vessel is docked at Margate Marina, 20 minutes’ drive from Hobart, and can be booked for 90-minute or three-hour cruises from Friday to Monday.

Rivasoul, Warburton, Victoria

If you’re seeking immersion in nature, this riverside sauna in Warburton delivers. Set among the gum trees, Rivasoul is a sauna and bathing experience where your seats are logs in the flowing river or around the campfire in the open air. The thermowood barrel sauna has an electric heater and traditional sauna stones, with views of the bushland from inside. You can cool off in the river or under the ice buckets. It fits up to six and sessions run for 90 minutes, assisted by a sauna guide. Bench towels and light refreshments are provided. Owner Amy Salisbury also runs a communal sauna at distillery Urban Ground Mordialloc, where guests can cold plunge in wine barrels.

Salty Finn Sauna, Christie’s Beach and surrounds, South Australia

Kate Firmager has maternal roots in Finland. She grew up using her grandparents’ sauna, and her childhood memories of being immersed in the heat was something she wanted to recreate in South Australia. She launched Salty Finn Sauna three years ago, touring her timber-lined, woodfired sauna to various locations along the Fleurieu Peninsula. It’s now based on Christie’s Beach, 35 minutes’ south of Adelaide. Up to six people can spend 50 minutes in the hot box, or you can opt for private use. Once you’ve spent time in the loyly, take a plunge in the nearby ocean. Follow Salty Finn Sauna to keep track of its movements and operating hours.

Stillwater Saunas, Beechworth, Victoria

Stillwater Saunas is a new addition to Beechworth, having opened in summer 2025. Found 10 minutes’ drive from the town centre, the floating sauna sits on the edge of Lake Sambell surrounded by native bushland. Up to five people can sweat it out together in the loyly from the woodfired stove. After spending 15 minutes in the heat, cool down in the cold lake accessed via a ladder. Towels are provided, but you may wish to bring another to sit on or dry off. The humidity level can be altered to your preference by pouring more water onto the hot rocks. It’s open from Friday to Monday for private and communal sessions.

Those Floating Saunas, Shell Cove, New South Wales

When married couple Vienna and Jonas Noreng moved to Australia from Oslo, they wanted to bring Nordic sauna culture back with them. Jonas grew up with the ritual, and his passion for the community aspect of sauna is embedded in their new floating sauna in Shellharbour. You can opt for a social, communal experience with up to six people, or book a private session for you and your mates. Those Floating Saunas has a mini change room, an outdoor shower and cold water bucket. Bring two towels – one to sit on, another to dry off after your dip in the harbour. It operates from Thursday to Sunday, with Pilates and sauna sessions on weekends.