An artist’s impression of NZ’s first floating sauna, Thermae by Aluume. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED Tim McMahon’s Aluume Wellness has just received resource consent for New Zealand’s first floating sauna and plunge experience at Queenstown Marina called ‘Thermae by Aluume’. At the same time he’s preparing to open a hot pools complex surrounding Queenstown Mini Golf, in Brecon St above the CBD, called ‘Bathe by Aluume’.
Developer Tim McMahon. Billed as a "luxury wellness experience", Thermae by Aluume will utilise a pop-up floating structure in the breakwater of the marina that’ll be attached to existing mooring poles at the end of Pier C. It’ll comprise two electrically-powered saunas, each with capacity for six people, and a plunge pool experience using Lake Whakatipu’s fresh water.
"Contrast therapy and sauna experiences are growing rapidly in popularity in the pursuit of health and wellbeing," McMahon says. "We’ve definitely drawn inspiration from Scandinavia, but we’ve worked closely with local architects Hyndman Taylor to create some quite unique, distinct and iconic architecture." The curved roof’s designed to mimic the hull of a boat, the curvilinear breakwater and the Remarkables mountains.
McMahon’s aware of plans for other local hot pools complexes — one proposed for Queenstown Bay, backed by NZ media personality Dominic Bowden, is also a floating sauna experience. "I think it’s evident there’s demand in the market for it and we’re thril.