Beaker Street Festival events guide: Plunge pool and sauna part of our coolest event

It is quite literally our coolest festival right now. Here are the events not to miss in this year’s Beaker Street Festival.

Finnish artist and Hobart resident Nanna Bayer began using saunas from just six weeks of age.

Sauna is commonplace across Finland, with approximately 3 million private and public saunas around the country among its 5.5m inhabitants.

Ms Bayer is a well-rounded expert on sauna culture in Tasmania and has used her knowledge to help design wood-fired tent saunas used at Beaker Street Festival’s Hobartica space on the waterfront in 28 sold-out sessions.

Warrick Daniel ready for the sauna and plunge experience at Mawson Place as part of the Beaker Street Festival. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

From Thursday to Sunday, ticket holders can take their pick of a polar cold-water plunge or a steamy sauna to experience the benefits of either temperature.

Ms Bayer said saunas began as a practice from as early as the ice age.

“It’s such a crucial part of our culture now – most families have one, the presidential palace has one, big businesses have their own,” she said.

“I want to share that practice with Tasmania and show them how great it is as a regular part of life.”

The real secret to getting the most out of a sauna is the steam, called löyly in Finnish.

“The quality of the löyly is what makes the best sauna,” Ms Bayer said.

“It has to be not too harsh on your skin or too heavy or too light, which is why there are many ways to produce löyly in saunas.”

Ms Bayer also recommends doing the sauna after a cold-water plunge, stating that there are more benefits for the human body in going from cold to hot.

The Beaker Street Festival runs until, Tuesday August 13.

For all events, head to www.beakerstreet.com.au

The Hobart Rivulet Platypus' Pete Walsh has won a Canon grant to continue making a second documentary on two female platypuses. Photo: Hobart Rivulet Platypus

Free events not to miss

Roving Scientist Bar, Hope & Anchor, August 9 – 10, 5.30 – 10pm – You’ll find a scientist up for a chat at every table in Australia’s oldest continuously licensed pub. Apart from exhilarating conversations, there will be games, microscopes, specimens, the occasional taxidermy demonstration accompanied by live accordion, prizes to win and delicious things to drink and eat.

Australian Astronaut @ Hobartica, Mawson Place, August 10, 1 – 2pm – For the budding astronauts and space fanatics in your life, an up-close meet-and-greet with the first person qualified as an astronaut under the Australian flag Katherine Bennell-Pegg might be just the night of entertainment you’re after.

Qualified Australian astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg will appear at this year's Beaker Street Festival. Picture: Brad Griffin.

TMAG Discover Day, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, August 11, 11am – 2pm – Meet TMAG’s experts behind their collections and get up close and personal with the exhibitions, including exploring rocks and fossils with a geologist and making a snowflake.

Self-guided Platypus Walk, Hobart Rivulet, from August 6, whenever – Platypus guardian Pete Walsh and Beaker Street Festival Founder Dr Margo Adler have collaborated to create a self-guided walking trail along the Hobart Rivulet to help the public spot the elusive platypus. Signs between Molle Street, Hobart, and Tara Street in South Hobart will give tips on how to spot a platypus as well as feature facts about the fascinating creatures.