Frequently Asked Questions

Book the whole session for you and your mates. Bring up to eight people if you don't mind sitting closer togeter. 

$100 for launch month discount (usually $110). The sauna's yours for the hour.

Group bookings aren’t available for themed sessions.

A spot by the fire for an hour with a view of the water and a place to cool off. 

Everyone sits on a towel in the sauna, so bring two — one to sit on and one to dry off. Forgot yours? We’ve got them for $10.

During our launch, a single seat is $20 (usually $23) and a whole-session group booking is $100 (usually $110). 

Multi-passes and gift cards available.

We also run pay-what-you-can Gold Coin sessions. 

Hire for private events is priced by quote.

Book now

Swimming in the river or ocean is entirely at your own risk and is not supervised by Black Sand Sauna staff. 

See our swimming policy for more details.

Sessions starts on the hour and runs for 55 minutes. 5 minute change over btween sessions. Arrive 5 minutes early to get changed. 

Bring togs/bathing suit. Bring two towels (one to sit on, one to dry off) and water to drink.

Changing rooms are available.

Nudity is not permitted during public sessions.

We recommend you remove jewellery.

We recommend removing jewellery before entering the sauna, as metal can become very hot.

You can rent one a towel for $10 if you forgot to bring a towel.

This is expensive because we don't want to do your laundry. Please remember to bring  2 towels of your own. One to sit on, one for drying off after.

None at all. Come as you are and go at your own pace — sit as long as feels good, cool off when you like, repeat or stop whenever. There’s no wrong way to do it. 

Intense heat exposure and rapid changes between hot & cold can be risky for some people.

If you're pregnant, have a heart condition, high blood pressure, diabetes, respiratory issues, vertigo, another medical condition, or take medication that may affect your ability to use the sauna safely, please check with your healthcare professional before participating. We can't provide medical advice, so if you're unsure, it's best to seek guidance from your doctor.

Please let a member of our team know about any relevant conditions before your session.

Alongside our open sessions we run themed sessions — including silent, fem, low-heat, queer and others. They’re individual seats only (no group buy-out). See the Themed sessions page for more details and check the upcoming schedule of themed sessions on the booking page

Single seats: free to cancel or move your seat up to 6 hours before the session.

Group bookings: free to cancel or reschedule up to 24 hours before; inside 24 hours there’s a $40 fee to move or cancel.

If we ever cancel a session, you choose a full refund or a free reschedule, and we’ll let you know by text or email.

Most sessions go ahead, rain or shine. If weather or other conditions make it unsafe for us to operate, we'll cancel your session and you'll be able to choose a full refund or a free reschedule. We'll let you know by text or email as soon as possible.

We’re in town, by the awa next to Union Boat Club. Our sauna currently has stairs to enter/exit. If you have specific accessibility needs, please contact us before you book and we’ll talk it through.

Nudity is not permitted in public sessions. 

You're welcome to book our sauna for your event where you can be however you like. 

We are looking into how to allow nudity at selected sauna sessions and group bookings but there are challenges to navigate in the form of infrastructure, local culture, and laws.

Sauna users must be 16 or older to attend. Sauna users under 16 are only permitted by prior arrangement and must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. We recommend guests under 16 spend no more than 10 minutes in the sauna at a time. 

We ask that nobody uses the sauna after drinking or using other drugs, and that nothing is used on site. This isn't about judging anyone's choices. It's about the heat and ensuring people feel safe. Sauna effects your heart, blood pressure and hydration, and alcohol and other drugs (including some prescription meds) make fainting, overheating and cold-water shock much more likely.

Want to get altered? Sauna is way to do that with nothing more than heat. Turn on, tune in, bliss out.

If you're already here and feel off, tell us. Dizzy, racing heart, sick, overheated, or just not right: let any of our team know straight away, and be honest about anything you've taken. It helps us help you. Nobody will be told off, shamed or turned away for asking for help.

Look out for each other. If someone seems unwell, confused or has gone quiet, check on them and get one of us.

We see drug use as a health issue, not a crime, and we want this to be a place where people can be honest about their bodies. That's how everyone stays safe in the heat.

The sauna is a phone free space and the heat would probably damage it anyway. Do not bring your phone into the sauna.