Australian-based company S&Giggles has applied to the Queenstown Lakes District Council for permission to operate the "Vessl Sauna Boat", between Queenstown Bay and Bobs Cove.
According to the resource consent application, the boat, with a hull length of about 13.5m, would be moored at an existing swinging mooring, near the Queenstown Gardens walking track, in Queenstown Bay, when it was not operating.
It is proposed to operate between 8am and 8pm, and staff would check the weather and lake forecasts and drive the boat to an appropriate location on the lake.
A maximum of 12 guests at any one time would book online and be transported by tender from O’Reagan’s Wharf to the sauna boat, where they would receive a safety briefing, and change on board.
Sessions would last 90 minutes, after which guests would be returned by tender to the wharf.
"The proposal ... will offer guests the opportunity to sauna and cold plunge in the middle of Lake Wakatipu, a unique wellness experience for travellers and locals seeking rejuvenation and indulgence while enjoying views across the lake and towards the surrounding mountains," the application said.
The boat would include safety railings and a safety net for an enclosed "moon pool", meaning users would not be in the open lake during the cold plunge.
The sauna would be cleaned and sanitised before and after each use, fresh laundry provided, floors mopped and surfaces cleaned.
Clients would also be asked to fill out a survey, created by a medical professional, regarding pre-existing medical conditions and relevant medical history, with disclosures of risk and waivers to sign before being transported to the sauna boat.
The boat would be returned to its mooring at the end of each day — the applicant is also seeking to operate from the mooring for up to 50 days per year, when the weather did not permit it to be driven to other locations, and up to 10pm from the mooring, also limited to 50 nights per annum.
It is not seeking consent for temporary events, such as organised parties, alcohol consumption, or amplified music.
The application said a safety management plan had been prepared, audited and approved by the Register of Outdoor Safety Auditors, and preliminary consultation had been undertaken with the Queenstown Lakes harbourmaster — it was understood there were no navigational safety concerns, nor were there any adverse navigational safety effects relating to it.
No concerns had been raised by the Ministry of Justice or Aukaha.
Last May, Wakatipu Soak applied to the council to operate up to five motorised spas, carrying a maximum of six passengers per vessel, in the Frankton Arm — that application is on hold at the applicant’s request.
In May this year, Australian entrepreneur and engineer Tim McMahon lodged a consent application for what was dubbed New Zealand’s first floating sauna and plunge experience — two electrically powered six-person saunas and a contained plunge pool — located on a pontoon attached to moorings at the end of a pier at the Frankton marina.
It is subject to a limited-notification process at present.
And in October, New Zealand media personality Dominic Bowden, in partnership with fellow Aucklander Andrew Glenn, lodged an application for Flowt, touted as the country’s first floating sauna experience, from St Omer Wharf, near Queenstown’s CBD.
That application is on hold for affected parties’ approvals.