Daylesford is known as Australia’s spa country and, based on the number of luxurious spas and the fact that 85 per cent of our mineral water comes from the region, it’s a fitting description. The newest kid on the block is Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa, which is a little ironic because the retreat is set in a building that’s 114 years old. Just 90 minutes’ drive northwest of Melbourne Airport, it’s one of several places where you can sample the power of natural mineral water.

Spas have long been treasured in this part of Victoria, so much so that in 1865 locals successfully lobbied for lucrative gold mining to be stopped in the area just so the precious springs could be protected.

Thirty years later, a bathhouse designed by a Swiss architect opened with two large baths. Locals swarmed on it — bathing in the waters they believed brought good health and, at night, dancing at swanky social events in what is now the retreat’s cafe.

Last year, Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa reopened after a $13 million development. There are two main areas, one public, the other more private. The 1895 building houses the luxurious day spa, which offers an impressive range of private water therapies, massage and beauty treatments.

Next door is the Bathhouse, which has been rebuilt in a stunning modern building overlooking a tree-lined creek. What’s lovely is that locals are still loyal to Hepburn and there are special rates for regulars from the area who still believe soaking in the Hepburn mineral waters boosts health. That’s not to say the locals don’t also indulge in the spa treatments offered in the original building as well. And what this means for visitors is it’s best to book ahead, particularly for spa treatments.

But first the Bathhouse. I suggest you allow an hour here before any spa treatment. You can sample several types of water therapy: communal bathing in the relaxation pool at 32°C, deep tissue massage via powerful jets in the spa pool, or, in what’s called the Sanctuary, you can reline on an underwater spa couches as your body relaxes in water heated to 35°C.

Also in the Sanctuary is the aroma steam room and a salt water therapy pool in which you can experience the sensation of near weightlessness —great if you’ve been sampling the region’s delightful foods — in a room filled with natural light from the overhead skylights. To rinse off, you stand under the monsoon showers and pretend you’re on a tropical island with a waterfall flowing over you.