Float away on Lake Burley Griffin in a minimalist Norwegian cedar sauna

Posted on 18 December, 2025

Canberra’s first floating saunas are operating off Yarralumla Bay and our response to seeing them? Say less, take our money.

When owner/operator and Tasmanian-based serial entrepreneur Nigel Reeves first saw Lake Burley Griffin, he recognised its beauty.

“It might be a man-made lake but its sunsets are equivalent to the best in the world and every day seems to deliver a golden hour.”

And with that in mind, Nigel set about providing an opportunity for Canberra locals, plus visiting tourists, to take full advantage.

After a two-year planning and approval process and a nine-month build, Nigel last week opened his minimalist, dark wood panelled floating saunas.

It’s fair to say they have created a bit of a buzz, getting nearly 200 bookings in their first week and attracting nearly half a million views on VisitCanberra’s Instagram where they were first unveiled.

Photo by Anne Stroud for VisitCanberra

“Only about one in every 22 of my ideas work out but I am pretty confident this one is going to be a success,” says Nigel, who originally built Australia’s first floating saunas in Derby Tasmania six years ago.

Installing the ones in Tasmania for the benefits of mountain bike riders who were guests of another one of his businesses, the Return to Sender Mountain Bike Lodge, Nigel said tourists were flocking to wellness-inspired experiences and he hoped the Canberra saunas would allow visitors a chance to experience the beauty of Lake Burley Griffin as well as giving locals a taste of restorative benefits and relaxation.

There are two large Scandi-style structures which float off a pontoon at the end of a 14-metre gangway off Alexandrina Drive in Yarralumla (halfway between the Yacht Club and the Canberra Rowing Club). Using imported cedar from Finland as well as original Finish wood stoves, the saunas have two metre floor-to-ceiling windows which provide a magical vista onto the water outside.

Photo by Anne Stroud for VisitCanberra

“I have always believed in the original healing properties and health benefits of wood-fired saunas and these provide the option of either having a cold shower on board or a deck with a ladder to plunge into the lake.”

“The hot/cold plunge therapy is really popular and our consistent feedback is people sleep really well after our sauna experience.”

“Given its proximity to Parliament House and all those Government departments, I also imagine there will be quite a few bureaucrats coming in to calm down after a hectic day.”

With a full-time sauna master on deck to ensure the process runs smoothly, the saunas are open 7 am to 9 pm seven days a week. Nigel’s hot tip is to book a sauna for a misty morning sunrise or technicolour sunset.

Priced at $55 for an hour, he said guests could cold plunge multiple times or just soak up the heat.

“Just like in Tasmania, Canberra winters provide a really good opportunity to benefit from saunas!”

Nigel’s notable career includes everything from establishing Tasmania’s first internet café in the late 90’s, to operating a florist, art gallery and bookshop, and working as a management consultant and political adviser.

Photo by Anne Stroud for VisitCanberra

“My degree was in Economics with a Masters in Innovation and really, I like to look for patterns. I saw both Tasmanians and Canberrans wear socks with sandals and I saw how the winters in both regions lent themselves to recreating these perfect European experiences. I also saw how beautiful Lake Burley Griffin was and how Canberra is built around it, but in a sense it is under-utilised by most of the population. I am glad to provide the city with an opportunity to enjoy it from a different perspective.”