Suds Up

Fancy a soak? These seven outdoor bathtubs will make you ooh and ahh.

IGLOO-INSPIRED

Te Tuhi Dome, Taupō © Ken Kerins

Part transparent igloo, part hut, Te Tuhi Dome near Taupō affords uninterrupted Milky Way views from inside a huge perspex bubble. Perched on hillside with nothing but farmland in eyeshot, the only place you’ll find a better panorama is from the outdoor tub, which has wheels for moving from one jaw-dropping viewpoint to the next.

CLIFF BLUFF BATHS

Sitting 30 minutes north of Nelson, guests must cross the golden ‘drawbridge’ to access Pepin Island, a working sheep farm off Cable Bay. Aside from the livestock, you get 518 hectares to yourself, and three gorgeous huts with secret paths that drop into hidden beaches. The piece de resistance? Curvy porcelain bathtubs balancing on the cusp of a dramatic cliff bluff.

Sheep, rural New Zealand © AATP

TUBS ON A TRAIN

Up until it crashed in 1963, Te Pahika was a 1900s train carriage. These days it offers a unique accommodation experience, complete with outdoor bathtub. Just 15 minutes from Greymouth, the four-acre property ensures your stationary train experience feels a million miles from anywhere.

BATHING IN BEAUTY

Outdoor bath on Kariotahi Beach, Auckland © Auckland Unlimited

Overlooking the wild black sands of Karioitahi Beach and only an hour’s drive from Auckland, Castaways have bathtubs embedded deeply into the ground, on a cliff edge overlooking raging waves.

SOAK LIKE A SHEPHERD

Cycling in the Welcome Rock Trails, Southland © Videocopter.nz

Welcome Rock Trails are a privately owned scribble of hand-built biking and hiking tracks etched into Otago high country. Along the route, Mud Hut is made from basic sod mud bricks and Slate Hut is perched on the plateau ridgeline at 1000 metres. Both huts offer the type of remoteness that can make you feel giddy, while soaking up impressive mountain views from their no-fills bathtubs.

Welcome Rock Trails outdoor tub, Southland © Videocopter.nz

ROMANTIC OUTDOOR BATHS

At the Green Rabbit shack in Northland, you’re more likely to see bunnies than beings. Superbly remote, with nothing but far-reaching tussock views, between the hammock and the hares, there’s a romantic outdoor bath with tealights. We must also mention the bijou wood burner and vintage record player, because they’re lovely, too.

BUBBLE BATHS IN THE SKY

Get your suds as fluffy as the clouds that float beneath you. Bird’s Eye View Lodge sits at the very top of the Hunter Hills, often above the cloud line. Located 20 minutes from Timaru, you’ll need Gerry, your host, to drop you off at the summit via a 30-minute uphill jaunt in his 4WD. The bath, much like the hut, is rustic, but the views are priceless.