There’s no graceful way to get into the bathing barrels at the brand new Metung Hot Springs, a multifaceted East Gippsland bathing destination that has finally opened its first phase after a rain-related delay.

I hop in and a large overflow of steamy water spills dramatically over the edge, which feels wrong, as if I’m continuing to pour a cup of tea long after the water has reached the brim. Once firmly in, though, it’s bliss – soaking in the bubbling, 40-ish-degree-Celsius water, which looks out over the stunning, dolphin-filled Gippsland Lakes. This spot, called the Hilltop Escarpment, is easily one of the area’s premier vantage points.

The barrels actually stored wine until a few years ago, but they’re now filled every day by natural geothermal springs that sit more than 500 metres underground, fired to the surface by a deep bore. The waters were discovered about 100 years ago, by engineers excavating the site on the hunt for oil. Their loss is our gain.

The original Metung Hot Springs closed in the early ’90s, but its mammoth development is a joint project between East Gippsland tourism operators Rachel and Adrian Bromage, and Charles Davidson, the founder of the wildly popular Peninsula Hot Springs in Fingal.

But where the Mornington Peninsula hotspot can host upwards of 1000 bathers a day, Metung is looking to restrict numbers to 50 a day (plus glampers) to begin with, meaning far more real estate to make the most of.

“We’re not trying to replicate what Peninsula Hot Springs is doing,” Adrian tells Broadsheet. “We’re not looking for the same volume, but what we are looking for is quality.

“Just speaking to some guests already, we’re finding people are coming down and actually extending their stay, committing to it and making a really big occasion of it. They can do that because it’s a quality place to be for a few days.”

“It’s ours and Charles’s dream for this sort of thing to really be a part of the culture in this country,” he goes on. “Everyone wants to look after themselves, especially after the last few years.”

And this is a hell of a place to do it. There are 10 safari-style glamping suites (we were going to use the word “tents”, which is technically more accurate, but doesn’t do justice to the luxury of the space). Several of them back onto a freshwater lagoon, and each has two private barrels, meaning you and a partner can soak in solitude around the clock. (It’s a romantic place, sure, but it’s just as suited to an individual unplug from reality.)

It’s a surreal experience to sit in the barrel at night, nestled from the cool air in the warmth of the water – with only the sounds of Mother Nature for company. In my case it also included a show of thunder and lightning cracking over the lagoon. Inside, meanwhile, clay from construction has been used to make lamps, and locally sourced timber has been repurposed to make up the incredibly comfortable four-poster bed.

I’m given a wristband upon entry that allows access to my room; another will soon allow you to pay for food and drinks at reception and the adjoining country club. This is a key feature: phones, wallets, keys – entire lives – are to be left on your bespoke bedside tables. It allows for meandering around the complex in complete peace and is inspired, Adrian says, by a similar concept he encountered at a bathhouse in Tokyo.

I wander from the hilltop bathing barrels to modern baths and along a reflexology walk, which is said to provide relaxation. I then brave an icy cold-plunge tub before racing into a steaming hot Scandinavian sauna next door.

Run-off water from the springs irrigates the nearby nine-hole golf and country club, which the Metung Hot Springs team recently took over. The picturesque clubhouse serves mostly Asian-inspired dishes (think yum cha and Peking duck pancakes) plus antipasti boards, and guests can taxi themselves to and from there on golf carts.

This project has been years in the making, but there’s more to come. There are also plans for a floating sauna on the lagoon, not far from where the safari stays are, and a variety of peaceful bushland walks to complete the nature immersion.

Metung Hot Springs
73 Storth Ryes Avenue, Metung

Hours:
Daily 8am–8pm

metunghotsprings.com