The Mornington Peninsula’s newest bathhouse just became a complete wellness destination with the addition of The Sanctuary.
It’s a quiet luxury mood board come to life. That’s my first thought when I enter the brand-new villa. It’s one of five perched at the highest point of the 15-hectare property that’s also home to Alba Thermal Springs and Spa. I remember meeting Kadi Morrisson, Alba’s Director of Sales & Marketing, at an industry event in 2024 as she excitedly revealed the renders of what was to become the luxury accommodation I’m now standing in. I can see that her excitement was completely warranted. This retreat is something special.
If you thought Alba Thermal Springs & Spa couldn't get any better, think again. The Mornington Peninsula's new bathhouse just became a complete wellness destination with the addition of The Sanctuary, its luxurious onsite stay.
Location
The Sanctuary is located in the seaside town of Fingal on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. (Image: Supplied)
Tucked away on an idyllic seaside pocket of land in the Mornington Peninsula, The Sanctuary accommodation is the newest addition to Alba Thermal Springs and Spa, a 15-hectare bathhouse and wellness sanctuary fed by the region’s underground mineral springs. The seaside town of Sorrento, as well as world-class restaurants, wineries and pristine beaches, is all minutes away. It’s also an easy 90-minute drive south from Melbourne Airport, making it within reach of an interstate wellness weekend getaway.
Rooms and villas
The villas are set on the highest point of the property affording guests views of the native bushland and bay from the bath. (Image: Katie Carlin)
Bath salts are provided. (Image: Katie Carlin)
The bathroom is stocked with Aesop amenities.
Inside the Villa, guests will find a king bed with lounge and dining areas. (Image: Supplied)
The fireplace is set by the concierge each day. (Image: Katie Carlin)
The villas have different configurations. (Image: Supplied)
The villa bar is fully stocked with mostly all-inclusive drinks and snacks. (Image: Supplied)
Make use of the provided yoga mats. (Image: Supplied)
The Sanctuary’s five luxurious stand-alone villas and two additional studio rooms opened in June 2025. I’m staying in one of three villas that feature an en suite with an oversized stone bathtub set in front of a floor-to-ceiling glass wall (villas 1-3 only). It means I’m treated to expansive views of the bay and native bushland while soaking in Alba’s signature bath salts – a blend of native Australian botanicals, moisturising oils and mineral-rich salts. Aesop amenities are also supplied in the shower and bathroom.
Glass doors open onto a private deck from the en suite and bedroom; the perfect place to sit with a cheese board and wine at the end of the day to watch the sunset or to stargaze come nightfall. And if you’re feeling in the mood for a stretch come morning, make use of the provided yoga mats and salute the sun at daybreak.
My second-favourite addition (after the bath) is the indoor log fireplace that is set of an evening by the concierge (they can be called to add another log before 10pm as needed). Listening to the crackle of the fire from the comfort of the king bed makes drifting off to sleep a breeze.
Find wine from 10 Minutes by Tractor in the villa’s bar. (Image: Supplied)
The extensive all-inclusive (minus champagne, cocktails and spirits) mini bar champions local businesses with wine from Ten Minutes by Tractor, St Andrews Beach Brewery beer, Peninsula Cold Press Juice Co. and Alba’s Signature tea. Snacks include Chappy’s kettle cooked chips, Choca Mama peanut brittle, pretzels and nude nuts. As well as still and sparkling water and T2 tea. An Illy coffee machine and pods are also included.
Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.
AI Prompt
Style and character
Local design studio KWD in Mt Martha crafted the interiors from a soothing palette of muted hues – think every shade of cream imaginable. I’m greeted by soft afternoon light leaking through the chiffon curtains; it makes me feel like I’m sinking into a cafe latte-inspired dream. With accents of wood and black metal, as well as exquisite design details like the subtle silver sheath covering the bedside lights, this is understated luxury at its best. I never want to leave.
Facilities
Undoubtedly, one of the major drawcards of a stay at The Sanctuary is inclusive access to Alba Thermal Springs and Spa for each day of your stay, plus you get to enjoy one upgrade to a private pool (The Terrace, The Clouds or The Salts). Concierge transfers via buggy between your villa and the springs are also available – but it’s an easy walk if you don’t mind the hill up to the villas.
Alba Thermal Springs and Spa
The Terrace is one of the private pools at Alba that guests get access to once during their stay. (Image: Supplied)
Opening in 2024, Alba’s pools and landscape architecture were designed by MALA Studio. The team transformed the expansive property into six regions through the thoughtful curation of over 60,000 native and endemic plants.
There are 34 pools, a mix of geothermal, cold plunge and herbal-infused botanical, that range in temperature and design – some to create a feeling of seclusion, while others invite social connection – all fed by natural geothermal mineral waters that flow from 550 metres below ground. I gravitate towards The Hemisphere, with its dry sauna, steam room, cold plunge and dreamy open-air pool called The Hide. I leave my robe at the entrance, slip into the sunken geothermal pool and immediately feel the tension from my travels melting away.
Inside, Alba has 22 spa treatment rooms, including a steam room, Vichy shower, and single or double massage rooms with a spa menu designed to renew, repair and recalibrate guests. The wristband that acts as a key to your villa also gives you access to the change room and bathhouse – just speak to reception on arrival. In addition to lockers and showers, the change rooms also feature a clever swimsuit drying spinner – I find this makes for a more comfortable dining experience (more on that below) in your robe minus wet swimmers.
Thyme Restaurant
Breakfast at Thyme by the springs is included. (Image: Katie Carlin)
Breakfast is included at the in-house restaurant Thyme throughout your stay. I opt for yoghurt panna cotta with toasted house granola topped with local honeycomb, fermented blueberries and berries. But I admit to having FOMO when I see my husband’s choice of poached eggs, Adelaide Hills bacon, layered thyme potato with roasted mushroom and fresh sourdough arrive at the table. Barista-made Little Rebel coffee, smoothies and cold-pressed juices, as well as tea, are also included.
The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating overlooking the springs. It’s strongly encouraged to dine in the provided robe, which means you can easily go from soaking in the pool to dining and back again without needing to change.
Both The Sanctuary breakfast menu and The House menu for lunch and dinner were created by award-winning chef Karen Martini, with head chef Mario Di Natale at the helm. Expect fresh, healthy and flavour-driven dishes made with sustainability in mind. For dinner, my husband and I ordered the tuna crudo, scallop and prawn wontons for entrées and roasted cod and sake-braised beef short rib for mains to share with seasonal greens.
Weekly travel news, experiences insider tips, offers, and more.
Does The Sanctuary have access for guests with disabilities?
The pools at Alba Thermal Springs and Spa are designed to welcome all guests, and a full accessible studio is part of The Sanctuary.
Is The Sanctuary family-friendly?
Guests of all ages are welcome at The Sanctuary, and rollaway beds or cots can be provided upon request. The springs require adult supervision for children aged under 16, and the private pools and spa are reserved for visitors aged 16 and over only. However, I didn’t see any children during my visit.
Details
Best for: A romantic retreat or indulgent girls’ weekend away
Address: 282 Browns Rd, Fingal, Victoria
Room rate: Prices start at $1300 per night for two guests in a Villa with bath, $1150 for Villa without bath.
Tips for visiting Alba Thermal Springs and Spa:
1. Pack waterproof footwear so you don’t have to walk on the cold paths barefoot (plus, footwear is required inside the restaurant).
2. Phones and smartwatches are not permitted – leave them in your locker or room.
3. The minerals in the water can cause jewellery to tarnish; lock them away in the in-room safe.
4. Bring a reusable water bottle and fill up at the drinking fountains – you will dehydrate quickly in the pools and saunas.
Katie Carlin is Australian Traveller's Head of Content and when she’s not travelling or behind her computer, she’s hosting a dinner party (likely cooking an Alison Roman recipe), at brunch, working on extending her running k’s, or has her nose buried in a book.
She joined Australian Traveller in 2018 and is responsible for leading the editorial team across print, digital, social, email and native content. Her job is to make sure we create content that connects readers to incredible experiences in Australia and beyond. In addition to sharing her expertise on travel through industry speaking engagements, Katie appears onToday, A Current Affair and various radio segments.
With a BA in Communications majoring in Journalism and a career that has spanned roles at Fairfax Media and Are Media writing for titles such as The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and various lifestyle brands, she brings a wealth of experience to her role. Her most impactful trip to date has been swimming with whale sharks on Ningaloo Reef. For her next trip she is longing to experience the romance of train travel – hopefully on The Ghan or Indian Pacific.
From rainforest walks and scenic drives to historic gold-rush towns and standout regional dining experiences, you can find it all in West Gippsland.
Hover over West Gippsland on Google Earth and you’ll see vast tracts of land spread out like green velveteen around the Toorongo Falls Reserve. It’s a landscape that feels almost impossibly lush for a region sitting little more than an hour from Melbourne.
Track southeast in late autumn and early winter and you’ll see pockets of the Mt Baw Baw Plateau dusted in snow. In addition to the forests of mountain ash veined with creeks and rivers, there are pastures and farmland cross-stitched together to form pretty patchworks.
But West Gippsland isn’t defined by scenery alone: in addition to its awe-inspiring nature, a Venn diagram of the region includes gold-rush history and great culinary experiences. Spend a long weekend here and it quickly becomes clear how often these three overlap.
Getting there
Spend the weekend eating and exploring in West Gippsland. (Credit: Messmates Dining)
Getting to West Gippsland involves as easy drive – it’s just over an hour out of Melbourne along the Monash Freeway.
Not driving? Catch the train from Melbourne on the Gippsland line, terminating at either Traralgon or Bairnsdale, and hop off at Warragul or Drouin.
Visit historic villages
Wander into Australia’s Gold Rush history at Walhalla. (Credit: Rob Blackburn)
The West Gippsland region is on the Traditional Lands of the Kulin and Kurnai nations, specifically linked to the Bunurong, Gunaikurnai and Wurundjeri Peoples, whose connection to Country stretches back thousands of years.
European settlement occurred in the 19th century as timber cutters, farmers and gold seekers pushed into the region’s dense forests. Small towns grew around sawmills and railway lines, and many of those gold rush settlements, timber towns and railway villages still shape the character of the region today.
The most evocative of these is Walhalla Historic Township , a remarkably preserved gold-rush township tucked deep in the mountains. In the late 1800s, it was one of Victoria’s richest goldfields. Today visitors can step inside that history at the Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine, where underground tours reveal the scale of the mining operation that once powered the town’s prosperity. Nearby, the Walhalla Goldfields Railway retraces part of the original narrow-gauge line through the valley, offering a slow journey past forest and river scenery.
Further west, Noojee is a classic mountain village. It’s surrounded by dense forest and waterfalls and has become a natural base for exploring the Baw Baw region. Just outside town, Noojee Trestle Bridge stands as one of West Gippsland’s most striking relics of the rail era. The towering wooden structure is the tallest surviving trestle bridge in Victoria and today forms the centrepiece of an easy scenic walk with wide views across the valley.
Catch your own lunch at Alpine Trout Farm. (Credit: Nicky Cawood)
At Alpine Trout Farm near Noojee, visitors can fish for trout in mountain-fed ponds before enjoying the catch prepared fresh onsite. It’s a simple experience that reflects the area’s long connection to the surrounding waterways.
Back in Warragul , the region’s main service town, the story shifts from heritage to modern regional life. With galleries, restaurants and sweeping views across the rolling farmland of Gippsland, the town has become a lively hub linking the district’s past with its evolving food and cultural scene. Drive through the town and you’ll find heritage buildings, old pubs and weatherboard cottages that hint at the area’s early days as a frontier landscape.
In other towns the past survives in quieter ways – a historic hall here, a century-old bakery there.
Even simple roadside stops can feel cinematic in West Gippsland. The region also delivers plenty of opportunities to lace up your walking shoes.
One of the region’s most rewarding nature escapes lies just outside Noojee at Toorongo Falls Reserve . A network of walking tracks winds through the cool-temperate rainforest where towering mountain ash trees filter the light and the air smells of rich, damp earth. The 2.2-kilometre trail to the viewing platform overlooking Toorongo Falls is short, but spectacular, as the water cascades down over moss-covered rock faces into a cool, green gully in Little Toorongo River.
Further north, the Mount Baw Baw Alpine Resort offers year-round adventures. In winter, the mountain attracts skiers and snowboarders. The warmer months are just as compelling, with scenic drives to see alpine wildflowers, mountain bike trails and panoramic hiking routes that open across the plateau.
Cyclists and walkers looking for a more relaxed pace can follow the Rokeby Neerim Rail Trail , which traces a former railway line through farmland and small Gippsland villages. The mostly flat trail passes rolling paddocks, creeks and historic bridges, making it an easy way to drop it down a gear when exploring the countryside.
Taste the best eats of West Gippsland
Taste the best of the region at Hogget Kitchen.
For many travellers, the real drawcards of West Gippsland are the food and wine. The region sits in the heart of Victoria’s fertile dairy country, and that agricultural backdrop has helped shape a dining scene where seasonal produce and local provenance take centre stage.
Hogget Kitchen has helped put Warragul firmly on the radar for serious regional dining in West Gippsland. Here, head chef and owner Trevor Perkins runs the kitchen alongside well-known winemakers William (Bill) Downie and Pat Sullivan. Hogget Kitchen lives up to its promise of exceptional destination dining; what lands on the table depends largely on what nearby farms have harvested that week as well as a wine list from Wild Dog Winery and other Gippsland producers.
Warragul is also where you’ll find Messmates Dining where the kitchen team is led by Michelin-trained chefs. The Euro-leaning bistro and wine bar brings a polished edge to the local dining scene using produce sourced from across West Gippsland.
For something more casual, the century-old Noojee Hotel is the kind of hub that every traveller dreams of finding after a long drive. Expect generous pub classics served on the sunny deck in summer or beside the crackle of a log fire in winter. Nearby, rustic Toolshed Bar, Bistro & Cabins is the place to go for a wood-fired pizza topped with smoked local trout paired with Gippsland wine, making it a rewarding stop for lunch or an overnight stay.
Time your visit with the Truffle Festival
Food lovers visiting in winter should consider timing their trip to coincide with Noojee Truffle Festival , running from 10 July to 2 August 2026. The inaugural event celebrates the region’s emerging truffle industry with tastings, special menus and events built around one of winter’s most prized ingredients.
