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.
The purpose-built, multi-million-dollar floating sauna is a masterclass in architectural design and craftsmanship. Two handcrafted Finnish-style saunas rest on a floating pontoon: a spacious luxury sauna to the south accommodating up to fourteen guests, and a secluded, intimate retreat to the north for six.
Constructed from the finest timbers and fitted with bespoke Narvi heaters – the Rolls-Royce of traditional saunas, capable of evenly heating air and stones from 70 °C to 110 °C – measured water is poured over the stones to create deep, generous löyly, the soft rolling steam that intensifies the immersive heat.
The benefits of contrast therapy are well documented: heat soothes, eases tension, detoxifies, and restores calm; cold sharpens focus, lifts mood, stimulates circulation, and ignites cellular function. Together, they slow aging, recalibrate mind and body, and leave guests invigorated and restored.
Beyond the physiology, Watershed embodies a wider cultural shift – a growing desire to unplug from the constant digital hum and reconnect with self, with nature, and with one another. “We’ve lost connection to ourselves,” Bowden observes. “People are stepping back from digital noise, embracing analogue pleasures, and simply being in nature. Experiences are increasingly valued over possessions.”
Over a 60-minute session, guests move between waves of warmth and revitalising cold. They can linger in the sauna’s heat, step onto the open-air deck, or unwind in softly tempered “cool rooms.” For a more intense, skin-prickling cold therapy experience, guests can dip into internal plunge pools or stand beneath glacial waterfall showers, fed directly from the lake, which reaches 9 °C in winter and 13 °C in summer.
Whether greeting the day with morning stillness, unwinding after a hike, softening muscles as an après-ski ritual, or simply pressing pause on the relentless pace of modern life, Watershed invites presence, community, and quiet joy.
Guests are encouraged to tune into their bodies, anchor to their breath, and connect with themselves and with one another – allowing heat and water to revive and restore, as they have for centuries.
Words by Charlotte Arundel
Win a private Watershed sauna experience
Suspended above the glacial waters of Lake Wakatipu and framed by the jagged peaks of the Remarkables, Watershed is New Zealand’s first floating sauna – a sanctuary where heat soothes, cold invigorates, and contrast therapy leaves you renewed, balanced, and restored.
We’re giving one lucky winner the chance to enjoy a 1-hour private sauna session for you and up to five friends, valued at $299. Move between the warmth of handcrafted Finnish saunas and the crisp plunge of lake-fed cold pools, soak in the alpine views, and immerse yourself in a ritual designed to awaken body, mind, and senses.
A moment to step back from the digital hum, reconnect with nature, with yourself, and with those you love.
