Japanese Treat in Montrose

This post may be a little different to my usual post – this is a review mixed in a blog.

A few months ago for my 30th, our close group of friends gifted me a voucher for Drew and I to visit Japanese Mountain Retreat Mineral Springs & Spa in Montrose, which is a little slice of heaven just under an hour out of Melbourne.

The morning was a little chilly, with a light rain falling on and off, which in my opinion is the optimal conditions for a trip to an outdoor hot spring! The drive there was pretty easy, and went quickly with Drew and I playing around with our road trip music (to be put to use very soon!).

When we were close, we saw a change in scenery from traditional Australian bush landscape, to tall fronds of bamboo which were hiding a beautiful Japanese styled automatic gate to welcome us in. After parking, a seamless and quick check in at reception, we were lead to our personal Japanese onsen, that we had to ourselves for our time. Opening the door, you are greeted with quiet ambient music, the sound of bubbling water jets and the steaming pool surrounded by morning dew covered plants and rocks.

The water was divine, walking down the steps and succumbing to the warmth was pure heaven. I can’t explain how euphoric it felt floating around in the 38C water, feeling the cool mist on your face, just enjoying each others company away from the noise of the world. If you ever have the opportunity to visit this place, take it.

Now here’s a little bit more about the place. The Japanese Mountain Retreat offers plenty of experiences for the loved up couple. You have the Mineral Bathing in a number of different themed spas – the Japanese experience that we had and a Balinese tropical garden scape which are both outdoor experiences, a Roman Bathhouse experience which is an indoor experience. You can experience these baths alone or in packages alongside their dining and massage service. This is something I wish I had researched a bit before going, it would have completed our day perfectly. They also offer twilight bathing and accommodation on site, with 5 acres of beautiful gardens and grounds to explore.

So if you’re looking at visiting The Japanese Mountain Retreat, here’s what I think you should know:

• This is an up market retreat, so depending on your budget, this may me out of reach. Personally, I’d go back for very special occasions, and make sure we utilise some of their other offers. Honestly, I probably wouldn’t have purchased the experience for myself, and would have missed out if not for the gift certificate from our friends.
• We only had 50 minutes in the spa for $160 per person. Once you’re in the spa, you wont see a staff member again. As such, you have timers which will tell you when your time is almost up. For us, the timer went off at 40 minutes, and then again at 45. The timer is loud and feels quite jarring when it goes off. It’s a shame that it isn’t more subtle so that your relaxation experience lasts for the whole time you have the area.
• You will leave relaxed. The atmosphere is just perfect for that. If you want to escape the stress of the world, even just for an hour, it’s worth it.

When our time was up, we got up, showered and started heading home. We were a little hungry, so started searching for good eats in the area. We had a slight pause jus beyond the gate though, where there was a family of ducks blocking our way. They slowly waddled to the side of the road and we were on our way again. We ended up in Boronia where we got some noodles and explored a “Farmer Joe’s” supermarket, and a 40 year old pet shop, where we met Frank the shop cat. Frank was a smooch, and I loved him immediately, but what was most memorable was the pulley system he was attached to via his little harness. He had free reign of the shop being attached to overhead lines, but he wasn’t able to run out of the store. I don’t think I’ll forget that any time soon.

What a special Saturday I’ve had. I feel lucky that I am free to experience joyful things like this. The global pandemic had been hard, really hard. But I have recently had a complete change in mindset – I don’t want to be nervous and afraid anymore. I want to see the world while I can. So I will. I have a number of trips planned for the near future, as well as far off. I am looking forward to the future!