The golden touch: a luxurious rebirth at Australia's oldest spa

I never imagined I'd have a talent for blending fragrances, but here I am, layering pink grapefruit essential oil with jasmine, lemongrass and a drop of peppermint. And the result? Surprisingly harmonious. With the gentle guidance of Michael, my apothecary assistant, I mix magnesium salt flakes and Pink Himalayan rock salt in a small wooden bowl with essential oils, botanical powders and dried rose petals. The latter, I'm told, is a mood lifter and stress reliever, not added to my concoction just for its sweet scent. I've created a fragrant, bath-worthy blend I'm proud to call my own.

This isn't just a bath, it's an Alchemist Mineral Bath. One of the brand-new spa treatments at the recently reopened and renovated Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa, just in time to celebrate their 130th birthday. Inside the new apothecary space, I'm crafting a soak that's made by me, for me, and it might just be one of the best-smelling baths I've ever soaked in.

My private bath is drawn, the water tinged yellow from the minerals, and I scatter my bowl of sweet smells over the water. I'm left to soak for an hour, with a complementary eye and hair mask. My room has copper-toned embossed ceiling panels and matte-gold bath taps, giving the space a touch of old-world opulence, while large marble tiles and arched openings evoke a sense of an old European bathhouse.

For centuries, the Dja Dja Wurrung people understood the benefits of these waters, but it wasn't until the 1860s that Hepburn Springs became the first mineral reserve in Australia and then a bathhouse in 1895. Since then, people have come to the region to "take the waters" for health and therapeutic benefits. The spring's minerals offer multiple health benefits. Calcium supports bones, magnesium eases muscles, sulphur detoxifies skin, potassium and sodium aid nerve function, iron boosts vitality, and silica promotes healthy skin, hair and nails.

Fresh from my soak and feeling blissfully relaxed, I'm ready to swap minerals for massage. In the treatment room, which looks out over a small creek, my masseur Alex greets me softly and asks me to close my eyes. Slowly she passes two essential oil blends under my nose, asking me to choose the one I'm drawn to. I choose Rest Easy, a calming mix of lavender and chamomile. The name already has me halfway to sleep.

Spending two days at the Bathhouse provides plenty of time to soak in the mineral-rich waters. There are two distinct spaces for bathing, the main Bathhouse and the Sanctuary. In the first are two heated pools that invite a gentle but social energy. Groups of friends chat in hushed tones, elbows and heads resting on the pool's edge. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, they gaze out over the creek bed at a wallaby, nibbling on the grass.

The Sanctuary, an adult-only haven, feels more immersive. This space offers four pools, one indoors with spa couches fitted with hydrotherapy jets, one outdoors and a cold plunge pool, where, from the comfort of the warm water, I cheer on those who are brave enough to dip. I also float in the salt therapy pool, a blissful 37 degrees. Above is a perfectly round skylight mirroring the shape of the pool, its soft light falling into an otherwise dimly lit, cocoon-like room. I'm almost in a meditative state.

My favourite space is the Mineral Hammam. Pushing open the glass door transports me from regional Victoria into a Turkish bathhouse. Sparkling gold mosaic tiles line the central space, creating a focal point towards a stone basin at the far end of the steam room. Above it is a crown-like gold metal recess. Before entering, I've scooped up a bowl of peppermint body scrub. In the thick steam, I exfoliate before rinsing off under the shock of a cool hand-held shower. The sudden chill steals my breath, but when it returns I feel more alive.

The experiences here at Hepburn Springs begin long before you slip into one of the spa's soft white robes and linger well after you hang it back up. I spend the night in the Mineral Springs Penthouse, where a soak in the spa bath is a gentle warm-down to a good night's sleep. With the Bathhouse cradled in a valley, I wake with the sun and walk down to the bushy Mineral Springs Reserve. The path winds through damp earth, and I stop at hand pumps that draw natural mineral waters up from beneath the ground. Locals often arrive here with large water containers, collecting the mineral water to enjoy later at home.

I see no other humans today though; I'm joined only by the occasional startled wallaby and a noisy flock of cockatoos. I've bought a water bottle so I too can sip on the waters. Each hand pump has a sign listing the minerals in each spring. By the time I leave Hepburn, I feel lighter. The mineral springs, the steam and the bushland have loosened my tightened muscles and calmed my thoughts. The scent of pink grapefruit and lemongrass lingers on my skin.

The writer was a guest of Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa and Daylesford Macedon Tourism