About Time
WORDS : Emma Hearnes | IMAGES : Francesca Kaye
In the coastal town of Torquay, a former footy star, a marketing pro, and two wellness experts have teamed up to open About Time Bathhouse – reimagining the wellness experience and inviting everyone, from first-time bathers to seasoned self-carers, to slow down, switch off and soak it all in.
When I say “spa day”, what comes to mind?
My guess: a group of leisurely ladies lounging in fluffy white robes with cucumber slices on their eyes and a glass of bubbles in hand. Maybe your vision varied slightly, but I’m willing to bet it didn’t include former Carlton Football Club star Ed Curnow.
Ed and his wife Emily – a marketing and communications specialist with a passion for helping Australian businesses grow – are part of the team behind a hot new wellness spot in Torquay, Victoria, About Time Bathouse. The rest of the team? Facial expert and founder of Little Company, Stacey Burt and massage specialist and founder of STILL, Joanna [ Joey] Beecher.
It all started with the space, which Ed came across in 2018 while working as a property developer – a role he’s taken on full-time since retiring from the AFL in 2023. He knew it had potential – the question was, for what? Ideas were tossed around – a food market, a cinema – but the concept of wellness struck a chord. So, he picked up the phone and called the best in the business – Stacey and Joey – to see if they’d be interested.
They were, with one condition from Joey: it had to include a bathhouse.
Energised by their response, Ed took the idea home and floated a new plan – what if they joined in too? He recalls, “The energy the team had around creating a service for people to come and feel good was the main motivation. Then being able to do it in the town I grew up in excited me even more.”
Emily admits her initial reaction was one of apprehension. But her fears eased when she found out Stacey and Joey were involved, having been a client of Stacey’s for ten years and knowing the level of care and expertise they would bring to the table.
“It sounded like a really great opportunity to be involved with people who are real leaders and experts in their industry. And I thought rounding out the offer with bathing was smart, as it was really having a moment. It was just one of those things that seemed to make sense.”
Delayed by Covid and their original builder going into adminis- tration, the grand opening was in December 2024. But it was well worth the wait.
Stacey says, “The time ended up being such a blessing because we- got to know each other on a much deeper level.” Catching up often to develop their vision over bottles of Pool Wines [another one of Ed’s ventures]. Emily adds, “The idea resonated with us all, but the relationships we built and the respect and connection that we felt for each other really added to it”.
About Time Bathhouse offers a “choose your own adventure” wellness experience, Emily says. There’s a range of tailored facials and massages to suit your specific needs, as well as an assortment of saunas, steam rooms, magnesium hot pools and, for the brave, cold plunge pools. Between dips, guests can lounge in chairs or drift into the designated chill-out zone, where hibiscus tea and chlorophyll water are served in the quiet hush of recovery.
Spanning both indoor and outdoor spaces, the bathhouse has been thoughtfully designed by Melbourne-based architect David Goss to feel intentionally distinct from traditional wellness environments. Rather than clinical and minimalist, the space exudes warmth and grounded calm. Brutalist influences shape the structure, softened by a rich interplay of textures – raw concrete walls, rough-cut stone and smooth timber accents – that echo the natural surroundings. Outside, native flora appears not planted but revealed, eucalyptus trees arch gracefully over the timber slatted fencing, and wood fires punctuate the environment with an enveloping, almost elemental ambience.
The offerings are just as considered. Joey explains, “Depending on how people are feeling when they come in – if they’re dealing with soreness, looking for relaxation, or just looking to escape and disconnect – we’ll give them recommendations for treatments or even how to transition between the hot and cold and which pools to spend more time in, to help them get the most out of it.”
Guests looking to host an event, workshop, retreat or private experience with friends can book a secluded area that includes your own hot magnesium pool, two-metre deep cold plunge [eleven degrees], infrared sauna and private bathroom – as well as access the main traditional sauna and steam room too – and the option to pair it with an event space.
Don’t get me wrong – if you’re after a place to indulge in luxury and leisure with your gal pals, this is the perfect spot. But About Time is also gently challenging our preconceptions about who wellness is for. A high-performance athlete – the peak of traditional mas- culinity – might be the last person you’d expect to find in a day spa, let alone co-own one. But Ed’s investment is a clear sign it’s time to let go of outdated ideas about who belongs in, and can benefit from, spaces like this.
Emily shares, “Everyone keeps asking who our demographic is, and I tell them it’s everyone. I’ve been so pleased to see the diversity of people coming in. It’s everybody – all ages, all genders.”
“And there are people coming in who aren’t that familiar or particularly comfortable with the idea of bathing. Even though it’s steeped in centuries of culture and tradition, it’s still a new experience for a lot of people. But the more they do it, the more they get comfortable in their bodies.”
Emily says, “Our vision was to create a space where people have the opportunity to pause and take a moment for themselves – to check in, slow down, return to the parasympathetic nervous system and just rest.
“Life is so busy that we really don’t do that enough. As much as we try to, it can feel almost impossible. But this environment almost forces that.”
A space with no phones, no mirrors and more rejuvenating offerings than you could dream of, Emily explains that About Time has carved out an environment for people to “disconnect from the outside world and reconnect with them- selves.”
“That’s where the name really comes from.”
Stacey adds, “The space is so grounding. I’ve never worked in a studio or a space like that before – it instantly feels like home. And I think customers are really feeling that as well.”
When asked what makes About Time’s treatments stand out, Stacey says, “A lot of salons and studios are owned by non-therapists these days. And I think that’s really the point of difference with us. People can feel that there’s more of a back- bone to what we do, because we still treat ourselves. We have an inside understanding of what goes on in the rooms and what’s expected of our staff as well.”
Those staff are also getting a unique experience at About Time.
It’s standard in the industry to be trained as an all-rounder, which means the practitioner you are getting on most of your spa visits has basic training in mas- sage, facials, body scrubs, wraps, aromatherapy, and skin and beauty treatments. With Stacey and Joey behind it, this was never going to be About Time’s approach.
Stacey explains,“There aren’t many people focusing on just massage or just facial. People try and do a whole suite of treatments because they’re just looking to get more revenue. But that’s not Joey and I’s focus. And I think that’s what really sets us apart. We do one thing and we do it really well.”
The pair wants to allow their staff to do the same. Stacey shares, “We both have that background in training and education, so that’s a real focus for us.”
Joey adds, “And the approach we take is quite rare.”
Not only do they not require people to have a typical beauty diploma before coming to them, believing that skills and passion matter most, but they also allow staff to specialise.
Joey says, “Lots of therapists want to work with us because we upskill and train them in their chosen skillset. Usually, working at a day spa, you have to do everything and that’s really hard on a therapist. I wouldn’t be able to do a very good facial, and I’m pretty sure Stacey would hate to do a massage. And that’s how a lot of therapists feel.
“With us, they finally get to specialise in what they are passionate about and that’s why they’re so incredible at what they do. It’s just so beautiful watching everybody come out of these treatments – therapists and clients alike – loving it as a result.”
Stacey puts it perfectly: “Taking care of staff is how you ensure they take care of clients.”
What the team dreamed up all those years ago – a place to escape life’s pressures and find stillness – has truly come to life.
Emily shares, “Actually creating the environment we hoped for and watching people walk out with a feeling of restoration has been amazing.”
Continuing, “It’s been a wild ride, but it’s been with great people.”