Tāhuna Queenstown has long been a pioneering place. The adventure-tourism capital boasts the world’s first commercial bungee jump, the first jet-boat tours, and the country’s first public ski field. Now, Watershed Saunas continues that legacy (albeit in a more meditative register) with Aotearoa’s first floating sauna.

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More therapeutic than thrilling, Watershed is anchored at Saint Omer Wharf, right on the edge of town. Two 80°C saunas sit atop a floating pontoon, each with cutouts for plunging directly into the crisp waters of Lake Whakatipu. The tranquil, timber-lined design, constructed by architectural modular builders Makespace, riffs off traditional Finnish sauna cabins with tiered seating and heated rocks, but the experience is unmistakably local. Floor-to-ceiling glazing wraps around the face, framing unobstructed views across the lake. Boats drift by, and the TSS Earnslaw slowly glides in and out as you sit, immersed in the bay.

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It’s genuinely stunning, and almost enough to make you forget the sweltering heat. Being contrast therapy, the idea is to sit for 15 minutes, then plunge into the 9°C lake, rinse under the cold shower or waterfall bucket, and repeat. While icy dips rarely feature on my personal to-do list, I can say with absolute authority that few feelings rival the moment you slip into that freezing roto after sweating out the previous day’s chardonnay. The group sauna sparked a fun and unexpected sense of camaraderie as everyone melted in meditation, but there’s also a private room next door for those seeking complete solitude.

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While Queenstown still attracts the adrenaline junkies eager to jump off a bridge or throw themselves out of a plane, the ongoing rise of wellness tourism is inviting change, and Watershed is here to meet it. The floating sauna offers a place of restoration and ritual not only to visitors, but locals too — a rare duality in a tourism-focussed town. “Visitors have always left Queenstown with sore legs and tired heads,” says Dominic Bowden, who co-founded Watershed Saunas with Andrew Glenn. “We want them to leave with clarity. With more vitality, and more connection than when they arrived. That should be the new standard for New Zealand tourism.”

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Watershed Saunas

watershedsaunas.com

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