One of the unsung joys of travelling is pausing on arrival. There’s little better than dropping your bags on the floor after a long day’s travel, running a bath in your hotel room and sliding into the warm water to decompress – even better if it has a view.
Baths are synonymous with outward decadence – but also inner calm. They provide an opportunity for self care and a salve from the rushing innate to travel and adventure. Here’s six of the best bathtubs around Australia that offer a view to soothe the eye as well as the body.
Jackalope, Mornington Peninsula VIC
Jackalope on the Mornington Peninsula is a luxury hotel adjoining the cool-climate Willow Creek Vineyard. Flaggerdoot, the hotel’s cocktail bar, occupies the vineyard’s historic homestead, and an infinity pool, heated plunge pool and timber pool deck overlook neat rows of vines. Book one of the Vineyard with Bath suites for the chance to enjoy similarly spectacular vineyard views while soaking in a Japanese-style bathtub.
(In partnership with EpZen and its range of vegan-friendly, paraben-free magnesium bath crystals, sprays and lotions with 100% natural essential oils, we’re offering you and a friend the chance to win a soothing weekend away at Jackalope. See details.)
Pier One, Sydney NSW
Few Sydney bathtubs can boast a view of the Harbour Bridge. Pier One Sydney Harbour’s Water View Balcony Suites feature floor-to-ceiling windows to make the most of the stunning views of the harbour that surround the hotel, which means you can gaze upon one of the city’s most notable architectural landmarks while soaking away your cares. Housed on a heritage-listed pier in the bridge’s shadow, the luxury hotel also offers superlative views of the Walsh Bay wharves, the historic Rocks and Luna Park across the water.
Thalia Haven, TAS
Located on a 130-acre estate on Tasmania’s East Coast, just south of Swansea, Thalia Haven is hard to beat in terms of an off-grid destination. Among its many charms is the outdoor bath – and sauna and outdoor shower – found on the main pavilion’s deck overlooking Great Oyster Bay. For lucky guests, a night-time soak may be accompanied by a phosphorescent sea as a spectacular backdrop.
Jamala Wildlife Lodge, ACT
Improbable as it sounds, you can take a bath with a big cat for company at Jamala Wildlife Lodge, located on the grounds of the National Zoo & Aquarium at Canberra. The lodge’s Jungle Bungalows feature large windows separating guests from animal enclosures, providing incredible views of the sun bears, cheetah, lions, and tigers that live on the other side of the glass. Animal lovers can also book up-close encounters with the zoo’s furred and feathered residents, including meerkats, giraffes and white lions.
Paperbark Camp, NSW
Bathe in the bush at Paperback Camp near Jervis Bay on the NSW south coast. The recently re-designed King Deluxe Safari Tent is the glamping resort’s largest room and includes an interior bath with bush views among its many luxurious features. Dotted between eucalypts and paperbark trees, the eco-resort’s luxury canvas tents and treehouse restaurant, known as the Gunyah, blend into the tranquil bush setting.
King’s Canyon Resort, NT
A Deluxe Spa Room at the King’s Canyon Resort – 1600 kilometres north of Adelaide or 1800 kilometres south of Darwin, take your pick – features a spacious spa bath that looks directly onto Australian bush. The resort is an ideal base from which to explore the stunning King’s Canyon, an ancient canyon in Watarrka National Park in the Northern Territory. You can hike the 6-kilometre Rim Walk, which passes the Garden of Eden, a lush waterhole in the gorge, and the unique rock formations of the Lost City, or view the canyon by air in a helicopter flyover.
This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with EpZen wellness products. EpZen’s vegan-friendly, paraben-free products are available in four blends; Relax, Soothe, Sleep and Soothe Feet, helping you to create micro-moments of mindfulness throughout the day.
