Peninsula Hot Springs

Peninsula Hot Springs opened in 2005 as the first publicly accessible geothermal hot spring in the Southern Hemisphere, developed after the discovery of a viable artesian aquifer 637 metres below the Mornington Peninsula. The water rises naturally under pressure and is lightly mineralized with silica, calcium, and bicarbonate. The complex has expanded significantly since opening, now comprising more than 50 bathing pools arranged across multiple zones: family bathing areas, adult-only hillside pools with views across the Western Port Bay, cave pools, reflexology pools, and a 40-metre pool designed for open swimming. The Mornington Peninsula itself — the finger of land between Port Phillip Bay and Western Port Bay, an hour south of Melbourne — is one of Victoria's most significant wine and food tourism regions, producing notable Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Peninsula Hot Springs has become one of Australia's most visited wellness destinations and played a significant role in establishing geothermal bathing as a mainstream leisure activity in a country that previously lacked accessible public thermal springs. A second site, Ampitheatre Hot Springs, opened later with a focus on panoramic outdoor pools.