Where can you find the best new natural hot springs in Queensland and jaw-dropping spas? Head to North Queensland and the Gulf Country to add these four amazing natural springs and spas to your road trip list.

Where can you enjoy a long soak in a mineral rich pool?

Here is a quartet of natural hot springs and spas in Queensland’s Gulf Country and Tropical North Queensland that should be on your list. A dip in these waters is great for soaking away your aches and pains. There’s a spring in my step, and a feeling of well being that lasts for days for me every time I venture into a mineral-rich hot pool for a long soak.  I always make a stop at natural springs a priority, and these four natural hot springs in Queensland are top of my list.

Map courtesy of Wanderlog, a trip planner app
Talaroo Hot Springs Queensland natural hot spring

 and.free Talaroo Hot Springs is one of only two mound springs in Australia. Credit Talaroo Hot Springs

Talaroo Hot Springs

Talaroo Hot Springs is one of Australia’s go-to destinations for natural hot springs and jaw-dropping spa pools. A 65-million-year-old geological wonder, the pools are part of one of only two mound springs in Australia. It is also the only one not fed by the Great Artesian Basin. Talaroo features private soaking pools, a new boardwalk to view the springs, a caravan park and campground, an onsite cafe, “Yarning Circle” firepit, and tours led by the Ewamian Traditional Owners.

Located within 31,5000ha of rugged Savannah landscape, the hot springs are fed by water that travels for 20,000 years after falling in the neighbouring Newcastle Ranges. When the water reaches the springs, its temperature sits at around 53-63 degrees Celsius. The main bathing pools have a balmy 35 degrees Celsius catering for year-round dips.

A former cattle station, the property on the Einasleigh River was purchased on behalf of the Ewamian Indigenous people nine years ago through the National Reserve System. It has been managed since as an Indigenous Protected Area and Nature Refuge by the Ewamian Rangers.

This new tourism experience allows the Ewamian people to share their culture and provide visitors with a deeper spiritual connection to the land through their guided tours. There is no free public access to the hot pools.  You need to take a Hot Springs Discovery Tour or book one of the Private Soaking Pools for a 30-minute session.

Talaroo Hot Springs will soon introduce two new eco tents to its campgrounds. Sleeping two people with access to Talaroo’s purpose-built amenities and camp kitchen, the tents are set just 300 metres from the beautiful Einasleigh River. Campers will be invited to partake in exclusive guided tours led by the Ewamian Traditional Owners, experience the healing waters of the hot springs, and join in a traditional Yarning Circle of an evening. There are 30 camping sites at the outback campground and a modern camp kitchen, amenities block.

Talaroo is a 4.5-hour drive from Cairns along the Savannah Way and can be accessed without a four-wheel-drive vehicle, although there are 10  kilometres of dirt road to travel. It can also be reached via a comfortable scenic rail journey on the Savannahlander train. A cafe on site serves snacks and drinks open from 8.30 am to 6 pm every day.

Best new natural hot springs in Queensland Jarramali Rock Art Tours Escarpment Spa.

Overlooking the landscape from the spa on the escarpment at Jarramali Rock Art Tours. Credit Tourism and Events Queensland.

Jarramali Rock Art Tours escarpment-top infinity spa

A new addition to the Jarramali Rock Art Tours experience, the Jarramali Spa atop the rugged sandstone escarpment helps guests disconnect from the day-to-day and appreciate the moment. It is located west of Laura and is one of the country’s most remote infinity pools. This dreamy spa can only be accessed by joining one of Johnny Murison’s small group tours. Jarramali Rock Art Tours depart from either Cairns or Laura and take guests on a journey through thousands of years of Indigenous culture and history. Hear stories from Johnny about his ancestors and connection to country as you make your way via 4WD to the Jarramli bush camp. The highlight of the trip is a guided tour through the 20,000-year-old Magnificent Gallery at one of the Quinkan Rock Art sites, rated by UNESCO as one of the ten most significant bodies of rock art in the world for its variety, quantity, quality and preserved brilliance. However, sunrise calls for an early start to witness the sun’s warm hues crawl over the escarpment as you relax in this Queensland natural hot spring infinity pool.
Cardwell Spa Pool

Aerial view of people swimming in Cardwell spa pool waterhole. Credit Tourism and Events Queensland

Cardwell Spa Pools

Cardwell Spa Pools, a natural swimming hole and a geological phenomenon 2.5 hours south of Cairns, has emerged as a favourite amongst nature-lovers, photographers and travellers looking for a magical Instagram shot. Thanks to the mix of minerals and a natural underground water source, the pools’ eye-catching colours can change between a soft turquoise and a mystical milky blue depending on the time of day, brightness, and angle sunlight hits the water. This popular Queensland natural hot spring is located a short drive from Cardwell is best visited following the summer season when the pools flow deep with refreshing clear-running water.
Innot hot springs

There are six temperature-controlled Queensland natural hot spring pools at the Innot Hot Springs Leisure and Health Park. Photo credit @PhlipVids

Innot Hot Springs

Those travelling out to the iconic Undara Lava Tubes should factor in a stop at the geothermal experience that is Innot Hot Springs. Located halfway between Ravenshoe on the Atherton Tablelands and Mount Garnet, Innot Hot Springs has been a highly sought-after Cairns Hinterland ‘hot spot’ for many years. Even as far back as the 1900s, the spring water at Nettle Creek was bottled up and shipped back to Europe to spread its rejuvenating benefits. Today, visitors can pay a fee to access one of six temperature-controlled Queensland natural hot spring pools at the Innot Hot Springs Leisure and Health Park. You can also go natural and venture into the shallow sandy creek to bask in the revitalizing waters for free.