A Sacred Soak: Inside Rotorua’s Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa

One of the world’s most scenic contrast therapy experiences.

Suspended above the glacial waters of Lake Wakatipu and framed by the jagged, mesmerising peaks of the Remarkables, Watershed is New Zealand’s first floating sauna – a place where solitude and shared ritual converge, and the landscape becomes part of the deeply restorative, invigorating experience.

Though it feels worlds away, Watershed sits in the very heart of Queenstown, inviting guests to immerse themselves in a transformative ritual against one of the country’s most breathtaking alpine backdrops.

While sauna culture has evolved into a global wellness cornerstone, for Dominic Bowden the vision was profoundly personal. Based in Los Angeles, he turned to the ancient Nordic ritual to slow down and recalibrate, a practice he carried with him across Scandinavia, Japan, and beyond – always seeking the same quiet, restorative calm he found amid New Zealand’s untamed landscapes and winding walking trails on his visits home.

In partnership with Andrew Glenn, former LVMH executive and founder of The Oyster Inn, and supported by his fiancée Ester Cronhin, Bowden has reimagined New Zealand’s sauna landscape: immersive and design-led, quietly indulgent yet disarmingly accessible – a study in mind and body rejuvenation shaped by place.