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Spa WITH A VIEW Nadine Dilong shares her experience at Queenstown’s Onsen Hot Pools.
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s Australians, we tend to take our proximity to the country with some of the most stunning landscapes you have ever seen for granted, and so it’s not uncommon for Aussies to have seen plenty of Europe and the USA before ever even considering traveling to New Zealand. But then when they do, they wonder why they haven’t booked the short flight across the Tasman Sea earlier. With snow capped mountains, mint blue lakes and rivers, and lush green rolling hills, New Zealand is hard to beat in terms of natural beauty, which is why it’s no surprise that some of the world’s best spas are located there, taking full advantage of their surroundings. The arguably most iconic one is Onsen Hot Pools, located just a 10-minute drive from Queenstown on the South Island. Opened in 2007, Onsen offers a unique kiwi twist to a Japanese bathing tradition with 14 Cedar-lined hot pools accommodating up to four people each, perched on the cliffs overlooking the magnificent Shotover River and mountainscape. Additionally, Onsen recently opened private oval tub rooms, perfect for one or two people and with an even better view as they are located on the top floor of the building. I was lucky to experience Onsen’s new oval tub hot pool and massage packages, which started with a drink and snack menu I got to choose from to enjoy during my bath, as well as four Pure Fiji massage oils which were presented to me. I chose Noni for the bath, 60 | SPA+CLINIC