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Aqua/Ignis
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Blackheath · Blue Mountains

Aqua Ignis

Water and fire. A Japanese-inspired bathhouse in Blackheath.

Book a session 4.7 from 206 Google reviews

Aqua Ignis · Latin for water and fire

Just off the main street, behind a green-tiled doorway, a space to exhale, to be still, and to reconnect to the body and spirit.

A bather resting on the edge of the mineral pool beside the garden window

Aqua · WaterAqua

An onsen-inspired magnesium pool held at 38°C, a herbal steam room infused with eucalyptus, and two cold plunge pools.

  • Magnesium pool, onsen-inspired38°C
  • Herbal-infused steam roomEucalyptus
  • Cold plunge poolsTwo
A lone bather on the glowing timber benches of the hot rock sauna

Ignis · FireIgnis

The hot rock sauna. Deep heat from the stones, then out into the cold and back again.

  • Hot rock saunaHeat
  • Then the cold plungeContrast
  • Yang Flow circuitHot and cold

The circuit

Heat, cold,
and stillness.

Move through the bathhouse at your own pace. Each room is its own small world, set inside the old building like a room within a room.

  1. Arrive

    Private change rooms

    Private change rooms and lockers. Leave the day behind.

    A warm-lit corridor between curved timber walls

  2. Ignis

    Hot rock sauna

    Deep, enveloping heat from the hot rocks. Sit, breathe, and let the warmth do the work.

    The hanging stone chain and water ladle in the sauna

  3. Steam · Eucalyptus

    Herbal steam room

    Herbal-infused steam, scented with eucalyptus, as if the Blue Mountains came indoors.

    A bather lying on the bench in the white tiled steam room
    Pale eucalyptus trunks in thick morning fog
    Eucalyptus, in the mist

  4. Cold · Two pools

    Cold plunge

    Two cold plunge pools. A sharp, clear return to the body.

    A timber barrel cold plunge with a steel liner beside dark stone

  5. Aqua · 38°C

    Magnesium pool

    An onsen-inspired magnesium pool held at 38°C. Low light, rising steam, and nowhere else to be.

    A bather in the mineral pool, lit from a round skylight above

  6. Upstairs · Yin

    The circular lounge

    The Yin rest area: low loungers, free-flowing herbal tea, and silence. The Yang area is the social side, for conversation and meeting someone new.

    The round upstairs lounge seen through the timber slats, with its round skylight

Arrivals are staggered, just 6 to 8 guests every 30 minutes.

Book a session

Sessions

Four ways
to bathe.

Come and go freely through the circuit, sit in complete silence, or follow a gentle or contrasting flow.

90 minutes · Most popular

The whole bathhouse at your own pace. Sauna, steam, plunge, pool and lounge, in whatever order feels right.

Book a session
A guest walking past the curved timber walls Bathers in the misty pool, lit by a beam of light A guest in a green robe with a cup of tea in the lounge A timber bucket shower for a cold rinse

Pricing

Ninety minutes,
the whole house.

Every visit is a 90-minute session in the sauna, steam room, mineral pool, cold plunges and both rest areas.

Bathing · 90 minutes

Off-peakTuesday to Thursday$65
PeakFriday to Sunday$70

One full-size towel and one sauna towel are included with every visit.

Extras

Additional towel$3
Robe hire$10
Slipper hire$5

Multi-packs · individual use

5 pack$285
10 pack$525

Silent Sessions

The first and last session of each day, held in silence.

Groups

More than 8 guests on a weekday, or more than 6 on a weekend, needs a group booking. Larger than 15 needs private hire (13 to 15 may too, depending on demand). Group booking guide

Book a session Buy a multi-pack
A guest resting in a timber barrel bath in warm light

Summer Pass

The Summer
Pass.

Make the bathhouse part of your weekly rhythm.

12 weeks
Consecutive
Up to 4
Sessions a week
Tue to Fri
Weekdays only
One person
Per pass
Up to 48
Sessions in total

$564 upfront, or $57 a week

  1. Buy it, and your 12 weeks begin that day.
  2. Book up to 4 sessions a week, or 2 in one day for three hours straight.
  3. Come any weekday, Tuesday to Friday. Weekends are excluded.
  4. Repeat for 12 weeks.
Get the Summer Pass

Shop

Take the ritual
home.

A small collection from makers we love, used and loved in the bathhouse.

Also available in the bathhouse.

The space

A hundred
years old,
made new.

Aqua Ignis lives in a restored heritage Art Deco building, over two levels. Inside, curved timber walls designed with Siki Im wrap each room, so the bathhouse sits within the old building like a room within a room.

100 years
Restored heritage Art Deco building
Two levels
Bathing below, the circular lounge above
Curved timber
Walls designed with Siki Im
6 to 8
Guests arriving every 30 minutes
The curved timber slat hall with a green tiled plinth
Curved timber, designed with Siki Im
Hand-drawn design sketches of the curved timber rooms
Design sketches
A curved timber slat wall bending away down a pale corridor
Room within a room
Looking straight up the round skylight to the sky
The round skylight
A window of green plants set into a dark stone wall
Quiet corners

Silent Sessions.

The first and last session of every day, conversation is paused.

In their words

Left feeling
restored.

4.7 206 Google reviews

Best sauna experience in Australia. The design is incredibly thoughtful, with beautiful attention to every small detail. The zen atmosphere is so calming and grounding, you instantly feel relaxed the moment you walk in.

Google review

The whisper-only culture creates such a peaceful atmosphere, and the visitor limits mean it never feels crowded. We left feeling completely relaxed and restored.

Google review

The sauna was curvey and delightfully hot, the mineral pool was so mysterious with the steam rising from it.. the lighting was low and soothing and nurturing.. the steam room smelled like a fresh eucalyptus Forest.

Google review
Two friends smiling inside the building during its restoration
During the restoration

The founders

Taku & Lee

Taku and Lee are close friends and dads who grew up in the Blue Mountains.

Taku remembers visiting his grandparents' neighbourhood bathhouse in Osaka as a kid. Lee is a carpenter who started building barrel saunas as a side project.

Aqua Ignis is where those two stories meet, back home in Blackheath.

“This is a space to exhale, to be still, and to reconnect to the body and spirit.”

“It's a space of restoration, not performance.”

Taku and Lee, founders

Before you come

Come
prepared.

A few small things make the first visit easy.

  • Bring clean swimwearNo underwear in the facilities. Entry is refused without proper swimwear.
  • Come clean and readyRemove makeup and jewellery, tie your hair up, and shower first.
  • Sign your waiverWhen you book for the first time. See the terms and conditions.
  • HydrateBefore, during and after. Be ready to sweat.
  • SlippersFloors can be cold, especially in winter. Hire a pair, or bring your own clean ones.
  • First visit?Arrive 10 minutes early so the team can show you around.
  • 90 minutesYour session runs 90 minutes from your booked time.

Etiquette

The way
we bathe.

A modern Australian bathing culture, drawing on European purification rituals and Eastern practices of wellness and rest.

  1. Respect the space

    The bathhouse is a shared sanctuary. Be mindful of everyone else’s time here.

  2. Wash before you begin

    Remove makeup and jewellery, and shower before entering any of the facilities.

  3. Hygiene first

    Never submerge your head or face. A common-sense rule from Japanese bathing culture.

  4. Rinse after the heat

    Rinse off each time you leave the sauna or steam room.

  5. Silence upstairs

    The Yin rest area is for inward reflection. Please keep it quiet.

  6. Community outside

    The Yang area looks outward. Say hello, and maybe meet someone new.

  7. Disconnect to reconnect

    Put your phone away and let the space do its work.

FAQ

Questions,
answered.

Still wondering? Call 0434 432 447 or email welcome@aquaignisbathhouse.com.

Parking and getting here

We’re at 239 Great Western Hwy, Blackheath, directly across from Blackheath station: just under 2 hours from Sydney by car, or about 2.5 hours by train.

Free parking is on Wentworth St (past the entrance to Hydora Lane) and along Station St and Bundarra St across the highway, a little further to walk. Closer, there’s paid parking on the highway, in the car park at 15 Govett’s Leap Rd, and on Wentworth St.

Is it quiet or social?

Both. Many guests come for quiet reflection, others to share the ritual with friends. Everyone is asked to speak softly and be mindful of others, but busier times can carry more energy and conversation.

For deep calm, Silent Sessions run in the first and last session of each day, when conversation is paused.

When is it quietest?

Silent Sessions are the most tranquil. Outside those, weekday sessions (Tuesday to Thursday) and early hours are usually calmest, though that can’t be guaranteed. Weekends and holidays tend to be more social.

Do I need to book?

Booking ahead is best. Walk-ins are welcome when there’s room, but a place can’t be guaranteed as numbers are limited.

Changing or cancelling a booking

Log in to your account to see upcoming bookings, change your details, and change or cancel a booking.

How long are vouchers valid?

Three years from purchase. Buy a voucher.

What do I need to bring?

Just your swimwear. A full-size bath towel and a small sauna towel are included. Slippers, robes and extra towels are for hire, or bring your own clean ones.

Can I bring children?

The bathhouse isn’t suitable for children under 8. Guests aged 8 to 16 must be with an adult at all times.

Can I come if I’m pregnant?

Because of the temperature changes, it isn’t recommended during pregnancy. The decision is left to your own discretion.

Mobility

The bathhouse is in a 100-year-old heritage listed building over two floors, reached by stairs. The sauna and magnesium pool are on the ground floor and the herbal steam room is upstairs. There are toilets and rest areas on both levels.

Is it wheelchair accessible?

Unfortunately not. The building is long, narrow and heritage listed, and despite their best efforts it couldn’t be made wheelchair accessible.

Do you offer massage?

Not at Aqua Ignis, but Sensalium, less than 200m away, offers massage and facials. Together they make a restorative half day.

A guest resting in a green robe

Gifts

Give the gift
of stillness.

A voucher for a session, or the Summer Pass for someone who needs a weekly reset.

Buy a voucher Summer Pass
Mist settling in a Blue Mountains valley

Blackheath · 1,065m

Up in the mist, just under two hours from Sydney.

Visit

Find the
green door.

239 Great Western Hwy
Blackheath NSW 2785

Just off the main street, behind a green-tiled doorway.

Directly across from Blackheath station. Parking and getting here

Opening hours
MondayClosed
Tuesday10am to 8pm
Wednesday10am to 8pm
Thursday10am to 8pm
Friday8am to 8pm
Saturday8am to 8pm
Sunday8am to 8pm
Book a session Directions 0434 432 447

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