Slow the flow of modern-day life in Australia’s magical spa country with a stay at the new Hepburn Bathhouse.
Sunlight spills across a large wooden table lined with a curious collection of essences, extracts, and pastel-hued powders in glass jars, each with a handwritten label. I pause at each of the small brown bottles, drawing their pipettes to compare the heady scents. Meanwhile, a spa therapist assuming the role of fragrance sommelier explains the formula for a perfectly scented soak: an uplifting citrus top note, a relaxing floral middle note, and a grounding, rich and heavy base note. I squeeze drops of bergamot, lavender, and a dash of frankincense into my bowl, stirring them with a scattering of rose petals, some pink Himalayan rock salt, and a sprinkle of ashwagandha in a small pot with a wooden spoon: it’s all a little bit meditative, ASMR and aesthetically pleasing.
Dip into magic. Hepburn Bathhouse has reopened bigger and better – think private mineral baths, custom apothecary soaks and rooms that range from pink-tiled bliss to slate-minimal zen.
Custom ‘apothecary’ experience
Each guest who opts for a private ‘Alchemist Mineral Bath’ at Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa is invited to make their own custom concoction. As my bath is drawn, I laze in the adjacent sunken timber lounge, sipping on an organic, herbal house-made tea that features some of the very same botanicals as the essential oils on the table (calendula, licorice root and spearmint, to name a few). Snug in slippers and a white waffle robe, I unfurl one of the curled blankets across my lap as melodic spa music echoes, and succumb to the serenity that permeates the spa’s every corner.
Guests can now customise their own Apothecary concoction when booking a private bathing experience. (Image: Supplied)
The marble private bathing room is one of five new designs. (Image: Supplied)
The new Apothecary experience is for guests who opt for the private bathing rooms. (Image: Supplied)
Another version of the new private bathing rooms. (Image: Supplied)
Pink subway tiles create a soothing space to bathe. (Image: Supplied)
Private mineral baths updated
This hands-on ‘apothecary’ experience is one of the newest additions to Australia’s oldest spa (est. 1895), which reopened in August 2025 after a multimillion-dollar facelift. The entire space has undergone a refresh, from new tiling and lighting to refurbished changing rooms. But chief among the updates are the private mineral baths themselves, five of which were overhauled by contestants from the 21st season of The Block, each offering a wholly different vibe. One is vibrant and uplifting, plastered with pink subway tiles; another is awash with slate and captures a meditative minimalism; while a third is a riot of patterns, decked in veined marble, chevron-tiled floors, and an embossed copper-look ceiling.
A soothing soak in the mineral waters of Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa. (Image: Supplied)
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The therapeutic powers of mineral bathing
A 45-minute soak in a private bath might feel like an eternity of solitude in an age defined by overscheduling, digital addiction, restlessness and hustle culture, yet the time slips by surprisingly quickly and proves unexpectedly restorative. There’s a sudden rosy glow on my long anaemic-looking cheeks, a softness to my skin, and, just maybe, a slower pace to my thoughts. The therapeutic powers of mineral bathing have, of course, been lauded for centuries: even the ancient Greeks and Egyptians extolled the virtues of mineral bathing for its relaxation properties and supposed ability to treat ailments. The warm, spring-fed waters here at Hepburn Bathhouse are rich in magnesium, calcium, silica and sulphur, helping to ease muscle tension and support skin health. But there’s a mindfulness element too.
The benefits of bathing have long been praised. (Image: Supplied)
In the main bathhouse, couples, friends, and mums and daughters all take to the waters, chatting, relaxing and generally enjoying each other’s company. Across history and cultures, bathhouses have acted as social hubs and anchors for local communities, and it feels profoundly refreshing to see people carve out time together, not a screen in sight; almost as if stepping into a time warp. Solo bathers find serenity here, too. Some resting their cheek on the pool’s edge and closing their eyes as their bodies float, others gazing straight out through the floor-to-ceiling windows to gorge on the abundant greenery beyond, and the occasional swamp wallaby.
From bathing to dining
With only a small cafe onsite, those coming to (rightly) make a weekend of it must venture beyond the bathhouse for dinner. Lucky then that noteworthy cafes and restaurants are in strong supply in Australia’s Spa Capital, with Lake House Restaurant, Bar Merenda and The Surly Goat among the region’s frontrunners. Few local restaurants promise a dining experience as mindful and holistically considered as Kadota, however.
A kaiseki-style restaurant, Kadota invites diners to slow down and savour each elaborately plated morsel by honouring seasonality and exalting the provenance of every ingredient, all with typical Japanese modesty. Come winter, that might mean a pair of small, sweet mousse-like ‘pies’ made of slippery jack mushrooms, white chocolate and pine nuts, and moulded to resemble pumpkins that sit atop a dried oak leaf. Or a fermented kohlrabi and chive sauce that’s poured by teapot, tableside, onto local brassicas — the dish brightened by a cluster of cured salmon roe pearls and butterflies fashioned from daikon. Equal thought and care has been showered upon the dining room, which is a talking point in itself: light shades crafted by a local artist to mimic a lotus root; a feature wall of Daylesford pinewood, blackened using the traditional Japanese wood preservation method of yaki-matsu; hand-scribed scrolls made by co-owner Risa Kadota’s grandfather; and lemon balm stalks strung up along the wall to air-dry for tea.
Like Hepburn Bathhouse, Kadota possesses a special kind of alchemy that’s greater than the sum of its parts, affording guests a deeper connection with the present. Somehow, even the drive from Melbourne to Hepburn feels like part of the experience, as if the spa’s founders dreamed it up that way. The city’s grit, grey and congestion gradually recedes in the rearview mirror, giving way to bucolic scenes and quiet roads: woolly sheep grazing on golden fields, gently rolling hills, winding roads flanked by forest, horses in paddocks, and family-run farmgate stalls. The drive itself becomes part of the ritual, nudging visitors into a more mindful state before they’ve even dipped their toes in the town’s magical waters.
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Chloe Cann is an award-winning freelance travel and food writer, born in England, based in Melbourne and Roman by adoption. Since honing her skills at City St George's, University of London with a master's degree in journalism, she's been writing almost exclusively about travel for more than a decade, and has worked in-house at newspapers and travel magazines in London, Phnom Penh, Sydney and Melbourne. Through a mixture of work and pleasure, she's been fortunate enough to visit 80 countries to date, though there are many more that she is itching to reach. While the strength of a region's food scene tends to dictate the location of her next trip, she can be equally swayed by the promise of interesting landscapes and offbeat experiences. And with a small person now in tow, travel looks a little different these days, but it remains at the front of her mind.
The Great Ocean Road has captured the hearts of Australians with its astounding scenery since 1932, but going off-course can enrich your experience with untouched nature, foodie delights and charming towns.
It’s a chilly 16 degrees. My husband pulls on a steamer and jogs – as all seasoned surfers do – into the water. We’re at Bells Beach, the legendary break on Victoria’s Surf Coast that’s home to the Rip Curl Pro, the world’s longest-running event in competitive surfing. Each year, over the Easter long weekend, up to 40,000 people descend on the region for the event. Today, though, we have the beach almost to ourselves, and the less-than-favourable temperature doesn’t deter my husband from surfing this famous break.
Bells Beach is known for its epic surf break and is at the start of the Great Ocean Road. (Image: Tourism Australia)
Torquay to Anglesea and Aireys Inlet
The red dome of Split Point Lighthouse in Aireys Inlet. (Image: Tourism Australia)
The nearby surf town of Torquay marks the starting point for the Great Ocean Road. Unfolding our map, which we have marked out with a highlighted route for our children to follow, we set off for lesser-known Anglesea, a chilled-out town 20 minutes south of here. Its wide, sandy beach is a gentler swimming option for our young family. Groms can learn to surf here with Go Ride a Wave, which also runs stand-up paddle boarding on the Anglesea River.
The lighthouse overlooks the Shipwreck Coast. (Image: Tourism Australia)
After a couple of nights in Anglesea, we hit the road again, first stopping at Aireys Inlet. Here we stretch our legs at Split Point Lighthouse, which was made famous by the 1990s television series Round the Twist, before driving under the Memorial Arch that welcomes us, officially, to the Great Ocean Road.
This 243-kilometre coastal road was built by returned First World War servicemen and serves as a permanent memorial to those who fought and died during the war. Carved into rock using hand tools and horse-drawn carts, it was a huge engineering feat and provided much-needed access to isolated coastal communities.
Lorne to Birregurra
Lorne is a delightful beachside stop for lunch and browsing boutique stores. It’s also the gateway to Great Otway National Park, which comprises a varied landscape of old-growth forests, cool-temperate rainforests, heathy woodlands and rugged coast. With the highest rainfall in Victoria, the region is home to many waterfalls – 10 of which are within 10 kilometres of Lorne.
Turning slightly off the main drag, we wind along a gum-shaded road to Erskine Falls. Here, our son leads the way through the hyper-green rainforest and down 200-plus stairs to the cascade that drops 30 metres into a lush fern gully. We hop over large boulders to get closer to the falls, enjoying the entire place to ourselves; it’s worth the return climb.
From Sheoak Falls Picnic Area, there are walking trails to Henderson Falls, Phantom Falls, Won Wondah Falls and Kalimna Falls, some of which follow an old timber tramway from forest-logging days, which only came to an end in 2008.
Erskine Falls is one of many falls within a day trip of Lorne. (Image: Visit Victoria)
You can follow your appetite north to the town of Birregurra, which is part of the Otway Harvest Trail that connects farm gates, markets, wineries, breweries and distilleries. It’s home to three-hatted modern Australian restaurant Brae, helmed by celebrated chef Dan Hunter, set among native gardens and an organic farm, and Otways Distillery, which produces small-batch spirits using local produce and botanicals.
Brae is a three-hatted restaurant in Birregurra. (Image: Tourism Australia)
Apollo Bay to The Otways
Back on track, the cliff-hugging stretch between Lorne and Apollo Bay is breathtaking. At Teddys Lookout, we overlook the winding road ahead and St George River spilling into the ocean. We spend languid days in Apollo Bay, a buzzy seaside town that boasts a three-kilometre-long, crescent-shaped beach with a backdrop of rolling green hills. One evening, as the sun sets, we take the steep 10-minute walk to Marriners Lookout, which affords panoramic views of the ocean, hinterland and town.
A 15-minute drive along the road, Maits Rest is a lush rainforest gully that has been protected since the early 20th century. Wandering along the 800-metre boardwalk, we inspect the delicate moss-covered forest floor and the gnarled roots of 300-year-old myrtle beech trees, then crane our necks to see their canopies, some 50 metres above us. It’s therapy in nature.
Cape Otway to the Twelve Apostles
One of the famous Twelve Apostles, limestone sea stacks that rise from the Southern Ocean. (Image: Ben Savage)
The southernmost tip of Cape Otway is a delightful detour, home to the 1848-built Cape Otway Lightstation, the oldest surviving lighthouse on mainland Australia. We climb the narrow winding staircase to the gallery deck, explore the keepers’ quarters and telegraph station, and enjoy a coffee and some ‘famous’ scones at the charming onsite cafe.
It’s a pinch-me moment to finally see the Twelve Apostles in person. This unmistakable cluster of limestone stacks rising abruptly from the sea were never 12, however. When coined this in the 1890s as a marketing ploy, there were only nine; today, only seven remain after two collapsed in 2005 and 2009. We admire these Aussie icons from the viewing platform, in awe of Mother Nature’s ever-evolving artwork.
The Grotto is another natural attraction within Port Campbell National Park. (Image: Carmen Zammit)
Edging the wild Southern Ocean, this part of the coast – dubbed Shipwreck Coast – is made up of many sea-carved natural wonders including London Bridge, The Grotto and Gibson Steps. After exploring the lookout trails of Loch Ard Gorge/Poombeeyt Kontapool – its English name taken from the site of the 1878 shipwreck – we nestle into the sandy beach encircled by towering sandstone cliffs, as our children splash about on the water’s edge, and soak it all in.
Port Campbell to Timboon
Timboon Fine Ice Cream is part of a regional foodie trail. (Image: C McConville)
Just north of Port Campbell National Park, the region of Timboon is part of the 12 Apostles Food Artisans Trail, filled with purveyors of delicious foodstuffs such as Timboon Fine Ice Cream, Timboon Railway Shed Distillery and Apostle Whey Cheese. As an antidote to the indulgence, the 20-kilometre Poorpa Yanyeen Meerreeng Trail is a self-guided ride or walk between Port Campbell and Timboon through tall forests, over historic bridges and past sparkling lakes and farmland with grazing cattle.
Warrnambool to Port Fairy
A 19th-century building in Warrnambool. (Image: Peter Foster)
In Warrnambool, a town rich in maritime history, we take the four-kilometre Thunder Point Walk that traces the coast. The kids squeal when an echidna shuffles out from beneath the wooden boardwalk, and we stop to admire a seal lazing on a rock at the port.
Further along, the streets of quaint fishing village Port Fairy are lined with 19th-century cottages, old stone churches and Norfolk pines. Follow the historic walking trail to see some of the 60-plus National Trust buildings. Port Fairy is also home to Port Fairy Folk Festival (6-9 March), one of the country’s longest-running music and cultural festivals. You could time your road trip with the event for a fittingly celebratory end to any journey.
The Great Ocean Road can easily be done in three days, but we’ve spent a week on the road. The highlighted line on our now creased and well-worn map doesn’t follow the famous route precisely. It has sprouted branches in many directions, leading us to untouched rainforest and charming rural towns filled with culinary delights, and where we experienced some of our most memorable moments on the Great Ocean Road.
A traveller’s checklist
Staying there
The Oak & Anchor in Port Fairy.
The Monty is a highly anticipated, newly refurbished motel with a chic Palm Springs-inspired aesthetic set across the road from the Anglesea River.Basalt Winery in Port Fairy grows cool-climate wines such as pinot noir and Riesling in rich volcanic soil. Stay among the vines in its tiny home, complete with a kitchen, lounge area and outdoor firepit.
The Oak & Anchor Hotel has been a Port Fairy institution since 1857. Cosy up by the bar in winter or bask in the sunshine of the Lawn Bar in summer. The rooms are beautifully boutique with considered details, such as luxe baths for sinking into post-road trip.
Eating there
The Coast in Anglesea is a modern Australian restaurant focused on local ingredients. Grand Pacific Hotel has been a local landmark in Lorne since 1879 and recently underwent a restoration. It serves a mix of traditional pub and Italian fare alongside ocean views.
Graze is a cosy 40-seat dining room in Apollo Bay with a modern Australian menu complemented by regional wines. Apollo Bay Distillery offers tasting flights, a gin blending masterclass and serves woodfired pizzas.
