Review of Peninsula Hot Springs.
As one of the (many) lovely things given to me at my baby shower, a good friend (Jess Tuckerman, I'm naming her!) gave me a voucher for the services at Peninsula Hot Springs. This was a treatment for women in their third trimester, which I so definitely am - put it this way, I'm so close to the end I've stopped gaining weight.
Anyway!
I've never had anything like this before - in fact, I've never had beauty treatments. When I got married, I merely had my makeup and hair done. Booking was a little complex as they told me they were full up until early February - I pointed out that I wouldn't be pregnant then. Ooops! But they resolved it.
The treatment rooms themselves were lovely in the modern Australian architectural aesthetic, where they blend nicely with the bush. The whole place was very relaxing and I liked that the baths themselves were what I would consider affordable for a special treat. They took a full survey upon entry about how comfortable people were with being touched on various areas. Since I can no longer get into and out of baths or slippery places due to my hips, what I had was this:
A lunchtime meal (I chose vegetarian lasagna which was delicious) with a freshly made juice. The juice was good quality and delicious as well - I had pineapple, apple, and carrot. There were meat options, gluten free, and vegan options. The eatery area was outside with see through blinds so that although it was a coldish day, you could be outside and still be warm. I heard other visitors request vegetarian meals be vegan, and so forth, and staff were very accomodating and unconcerned by such things.
After that I went inside, and then transferred into the relaxation room. This was a very pleasant room with free tea service of very high quality native plant teas served in good quality bowls and glasses. An oil burner was burning, and I was only in a bath robe. I sat there for an hour or so chilling out and drinking and relaxing, which has not been something I have been able to do so far.
My masseuse came in and introduced herself to me. She explained the various treatments available - quite a few - and that they were pregnancy safe. She asked if it were alright to treat my feet given their condition, but I explained that it would actually be a relief for me. She then left while I stripped naked and lay down on a table under a warmed towel.
When she returned, the treatment - as best as I could tell - was this. My feet, then hands were rubbed with warm oil, then massaged with salt. The salt was really good on my poor feet who are horrible looking now with severe oedema and healing scarring - it helped get the bad skin off. After that, they were wrapped in hot mud and then towels.
The facial treatment was a little more gentle (I actually like salt face scrubs, but can imagine most people wouldn't). It seemed to be warm oil, then something like kaolin clay to exfoliate. That was wiped away with a different moisturiser, then warm mud and towels were applied.
After that, warm oil of a different scent was rubbed through my hair, then another treatment that felt like very finely dissolved clay was put through it. Everything smelled like native Australian wildflowers, and all ingredients are sourced from indigenous Australian projects involving locals. This was then wound up and I was left to rest for a little in a very warm room.
She came back, and gradually cleaned each limb with what smelled like a mild herbal astringent style cleanser, washed them, oiled them, and then washed my face. I was then invited to go out to the treatment showers to rinse off.
It was all very pleasant. My only comments would be it's very hard for someone like me to lie just slightly elevated on my back even with pillows under my legs, but the vast majority of pregnant women don't have the skeletal problems I now have. I found it almost impossible to get onto the treatment bed, but again, most people are capable of getting onto a bed!
Chaos liked the smell of all of the products very much on my skin, and so did I. The skin actually stayed hydrated for a few days, and the bags under my eyes lifted for a while, which is astonishing considering the stress my body is currently under. No one made any silly comments about my pregnancy or my trunk-like legs, which I can tell you is not the case in the birth classes I am in! The masseuses were careful to enter and touch feet or shoulders first before moving onto other areas so that one always knew where they were even while blinded by a warm heat pack.
I don't for one moment believe the Springs are cheap, but I would say that the care taken in developing a relaxing atmosphere would make it worth it to save up for a special treat there. I also liked the emphasis on Australian products and fresh juices and good quality food. I admit I kind of fell asleep a bit during it, so I am looking forward to the second half of the voucher afterwards when I have a bit more energy. I'll try the mineral baths out then - my intention is to put a bit more cash on the voucher so Chaos can come with me and we can get the couples treatment while parents look after velociraptor for a few hours.
I actually think it would be really fun to do in a group, to be honest.