There is a particular kind of Auckland day that only happens out east: flat water, boats going past, Rangitoto sitting there being Rangitoto, and absolutely nothing that needs doing. St Heliers is built for it, and our spa is right in the village at 417A Tamaki Drive, close to the beach.
If you are going to make a day of it — and this is the branch to do that at — here is the order that works.
The shape of the day
- Arrive early and walk first. A slow twenty minutes along the waterfront before your treatment does more than any amount of sitting in the waiting area. Towards Kohimarama and Mission Bay is flat and easy; towards Achilles Point and Ladies Bay is a climb with a lookout at the top.
- Sauna, if you are having one. The infrared sauna is a St Heliers exclusive — 45 minutes with a shower, $60 for one person or $90 for two. We schedule it before the massage, and our guide to massage before or after a sauna explains why the order matters.
- Then the treatment. Many guests find warm, softened muscles let the therapist work deeper without more pressure.
- Then do nothing at all. Sit on the beach, or on the grass. This is the part people skip and then regret.
The three ways to book it
- Package B — 2.5 hours, $280 — 20 minutes of infrared sauna, then a full body scrub, then an aromatherapy massage. The complete version, and the one we would choose.
- Package C — 2.5 hours, $280 — body scrub, aromatherapy massage and a mini facial. Same length, different emphasis: this one is for your skin.
- Package A — 2 hours, $225 — body scrub and aromatherapy massage. The straightforward, excellent option.
Or build your own: sauna at $60, then a 90-minute hot stone massage at $160. Not a package, but a very good afternoon.
"The guests who walk the waterfront first are already halfway relaxed when they get on the table. It is the cheapest upgrade there is."
Siri therapist team
Who should skip the sauna
Package B is our favourite way to do this day, but heat does not suit everyone. Check with your GP or midwife before booking the infrared sauna if you:
- are pregnant, or trying to conceive
- have a heart condition, or high or low blood pressure
- take medication that affects your heart, blood pressure or how you cope with heat
- are unwell — Cleveland Clinic's guide to infrared saunas is blunt that you should not expect to sweat out a fever or the flu
- have been drinking — alcohol and a sauna do not mix
Whatever your health, drink water before and after, and come out straight away if you feel dizzy or sick. Tell us about any of the above when you book.
If the sauna is out, very little is lost. Package C swaps it for a mini facial at the same price and length, and Package A — scrub and aromatherapy massage in two hours, $225 — is the same day without the heat.
What makes this branch different
The spa is on Tamaki Drive in the middle of a village main street, not in a building you take a lift into. The pace outside the door is different, and that carries in. It is also slightly cheaper than the Viaduct for the treatments both spas offer — $105 versus $115 for an hour, $145 versus $165 for 90 minutes.
The trade-off: one couple room rather than two, so weekend couples bookings need more notice. And no candle therapy — that is a Viaduct exclusive. If you are choosing between the two, our comparison of our two Auckland spas covers what is only available where.
When to come
- Weekday mornings — usually the easiest time to book at short notice.
- Saturday and Sunday — the classic. Book at least a week ahead, more if you want the sauna or the couple room.
- Summer evenings — we are open until 8.00pm, and the long January light out here is the argument for a late booking.
- Wet winter weekends — the sauna is in demand when the weather turns. Reserve early.
The walks worth knowing
You are on Tamaki Drive, which is some of the best flat walking in Auckland, and the direction you pick changes the day.
- West, towards Kohimarama and Mission Bay — flat, wide footpath, water the whole way. Auckland's official visitor guide to St Heliers puts the walk along Tāmaki Drive to Mission Bay at about an hour one way, so for a pre-treatment stroll, simply turn back when you have had enough. If that is where you are coming from, our guide for Mission Bay and Kohimarama locals has more.
- East, up to Achilles Point — a climb from the far end of the bay to the lookout above Ladies Bay. Better on a day when you are not rushing to an appointment.
- Just the bay itself — the pōhutukawa-lined waterfront in front of the village, the length of it and back. Do this one slowly after the sauna.
- Further west to Bastion Point — beyond Mission Bay, so a whole-morning walk rather than a pre-treatment one. Worth it if the weather is doing its job.
Pick the short version before a treatment and the long one on a day off.
Practical notes
- Address — 417A Tamaki Drive, St Heliers, Auckland 1071 · phone 027 654 6642
- Hours — 7 days, 10.00am to 8.00pm
- Bring — a hair tie if you are having a scrub or facial, and something warm for afterwards. Ask when you book if you are unsure what to wear in the sauna.
- Do not — book a scrub the day before a beach day; freshly exfoliated skin burns more easily
- Public holidays — closed Good Friday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day, and until 1.00pm on ANZAC Day; 15% surcharge applies
The full menu and prices are on the St Heliers treatments and pricing pages, and every package can be booked online or by phoning the spa.
Common questions
417A Tamaki Drive, St Heliers, Auckland 1071, in the village close to the beach. Open seven days, 10.00am to 8.00pm. Phone 027 654 6642.
Package B at $280 — 20 minutes of infrared sauna, a full body scrub and an aromatherapy massage across two and a half hours. If heat does not suit you, Package C swaps the sauna for a mini facial at the same price.
We schedule it before. Many guests find warm, softened muscles let the therapist work deeper without more pressure, which is why our Package B runs sauna, then scrub, then aromatherapy massage.
A week for a weekend slot, and further if you want the couple room — St Heliers has one — or the sauna, which is in demand on weekends and wet winter days.
