When in Victoria, do as the Romans do!

Dense woodland shot through by small creeks that bubble, laden with minerals. Placid lagoons, sunshine and, oftentimes, bracing winds. Warm water seeps up through the earth. Victoria’s spa country hardly resembles any quintessential ideas of the Australian countryside, apart from the ubiquitous eucalypts, standing as proud reminders, the unmistakable ‘You are Here’ marker on the world map. In the absence of these distinctive giants, you could be forgiven for thinking you were somewhere in Europe or the Americas. While the Victorian hot springs themselves are far older, the communities built around them date back to the early 19​th​century. The practice of bathing in naturally occurring mineral springs, however, is almost as old as civilization itself.

Since antiquity, humans have sought out pockets of geothermally heated groundwater rising from the Earth’s crust, often in volcanically active regions. Sometimes deadly, these hot springs course with minerals such as magnesium, potassium and silica, bursting from underground after countless thousands of years untouched by man or animal.

Hippocrates, the legendary physician of classical Greece, expounded upon the restorative benefits of bathing in these waters. A mixture of hot and cold baths would bring balance to the body, rejuvenating the muscles and staving off disease. Combined with perspiration and massage, these ancient practices laid the blueprint for modern spa treatments. Australians flock to Hepburn to enjoy its saunas, mineral baths and the variety of massages on offer.

Now a luxury best enjoyed over a long weekend, thermal bathing was once an essential part of Roman social life. The lone traveler is a rare sight in any spa country. Couples, families and friends enjoy the baths and spa treatments, savouring them all the more so as a shared experience.

Mineral baths are most beneficial for overall wellness when taken regularly. The waters are therapeutic for chronic skin conditions such as psoriasis and dermatitis. Vascular, muscular and joint health also flourish with regular bathing, especially alongside sauna and massage treatments.

Health tourism is booming. Victoria’s unlikely volcanic springs are nothing short of a world wonder, and our own spa country is spearheading a resurgence in the cultural phenomenon of wellness bathing. Perhaps, as the appeal of mineral bathing broadens, we will see leisure centers brought in as a matter of public health, alongside their more luxurious counterparts.