13 open-air baths for stargazing

A steamy outdoor bath at sunset with a bottle of local sparkling is indulgence, Tasmanian style.

Sink into a deep tub, watch as sunset turns to dusk and a blanket of stars settles overhead. Let your mind drift. Sink deeper.

There are outdoor tubs in Tasmania with peerless ocean views and mountain outlooks. Tubs made for forest bathing and alpine immersion. There’s even a floating sauna at Derby – heat up, then hit reset with a refreshing dip in the lake just outside.

Grab the towel and beanie – you’ll be smitten with these outdoor tubs.

1. The Keep

Take a long, hot soak in a carved granite outdoor bath with astonishing views all the way to the eastern and northern coastlines. Right on the border of the Blue Tier Forest Reserve, the Keep is a private refuge, perfect for those who want to unplug.

2. Gleneagle Tasmania

Retreat in glamping comfort, perched among the trees at Gleneagle Tasmania. Sink into the tub, high up on the deck overlooking the lake and Dial Range beyond, then retire to your peaceful dome.

3. Floating Sauna Lake Derby

Embrace the extremes at Floating Sauna Lake Derby, moored just a short walk or ride from the mountain-bike hub of Derby. Spend an hour alternating between relaxing behind a wall of glass in the wood-fired sauna and repeated plunges in the chill lake outside.

4. Coastal Pavilions

Hidden in the forest beside Great Oyster Bay are Freycinet Lodge’s elegant Coastal Pavilions. Custom-fit into the landscape, there are dreamy views of beach or bush from deckside outdoor tubs.

5. Eagles Nest Retreat

Which bath to choose? An outdoor 12-jet farmer’s bath, a lakeside spa bath, a mountain-view bath or a milk-vat bath? With views of bucolic farmland and Mount Roland, each suite at Eagles Nest Retreat offers a special bathing experience.  

6. Shore House King Island (Porky Beach Retreat)

This outdoor tub is perched high on the dunes of a private beach on King Island. Enjoy a platter of King Island cheese with a glass of Tassie pinot overlooking a rugged coastline.

7. Thalia Haven

The east-coast hideaway of Thalia Haven comes with its own beach, an outdoor bath overlooking the rocky shore, and a wood-fired sauna. Fill your tub and sink in with nothing between you and the lapping waves of Great Oyster Bay.  

8. The Retreat

On the shore of Lake St Clair, Australia’s deepest lake, bookend days exploring the wilderness with time spent soaking in a secluded open-air tub at the Retreat at Pumphouse Point. Best teamed with a glass of Tasmanian wine from the honesty bar.

9. Twamley Farm

Stay in a converted stable and ease into a cedar hot tub, or opt for a long soothing bath on the deck of a restored shearers’ hut. Farm life meets quiet contemplation at bucolic Twamley Farm.

10. Left of Field

What a way to unwind after an adrenaline-pumping day at Maydena Bike Park or exploring Mount Field National Park. Left of Field camping and caravan park has a wood-fired outdoor bath tucked away among the trees.

11. King Billy Suite

The King Billy Suite at Cradle Mountain Lodge comes with a private outdoor tub. A barrel bath rests on the deck and the dense alpine vegetation provides all the privacy you’ll need.

12. Villa Two Five Six

Bask in a deep stone tub in a quiet courtyard sanctuary at the Cove Tasmania’s Villa Two Five Six. Gaze at the sky and let your mind drift after a day exploring the island’s Bass Strait coast.

13. Bass Lodge King Island

Alternate between sessions in the wood-fired sauna atop the dunes and the adjacent deep outdoor tub at Bass Lodge on King Island. Follow up with conversation around the firepit.