Our story
We didn’t set out to build a sauna business.
While living and travelling through the UK, Europe and Asia, we came across a completely different way of gathering.
Sauna wasn’t just something you did at a gym or spa. It was social. People met friends for a sauna, sat around afterwards, talked to strangers and spent a few hours simply being together.
We loved that.
When we came home to the Illawarra, we realised there wasn’t really anything like it here. So we started asking ourselves: why don’t we build it?
What began as an idea to bring that experience home turned into a trailer, a lot of research, plenty of weekends building, and eventually Bondfire.
But the sauna was never really the point.
We wanted to create somewhere people could come together. Somewhere to slow down, switch off and spend time with other people. We wanted to build the kind of place we wished existed here.
JOIN THE CIRCLE
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JOIN THE CIRCLE -
Grant builds the thing. Ida brings the people together.
Grant
Grant grew up in Wollongong and has always been someone who likes to build things, usually with far more research and tinkering than is probably necessary.
After experiencing sauna culture overseas, he went down the rabbit hole. The history, the different traditions, the design of the saunas and, most importantly, the social side of it.
He designed and built the first Bondfire sauna with his dad, and is usually the person obsessing over how to make the next version a little better.
Ida
Ida grew up in Bulli and has always had a strong connection to the Illawarra and its community.
With a background in social work, people and connection have always been a big part of her world. For Ida, Bondfire was never just about building a better sauna. It was about creating somewhere people would actually want to spend time.
Sauna, but not as you know it.
We’re interested in the parts of sauna that have been around for thousands of years: heat, ritual, slowing down and gathering with other people.
We don’t want Bondfire to feel like a luxury spa or another place where you go, do your session and leave. The sauna is only part of it.
We care just as much about what happens before and after you step inside: the conversations, the people you meet, the time spent sitting around afterwards and the feeling of being part of something. Everything we build is designed around that.
Less polished wellness. More real connection.
We want Bondfire to be somewhere you can come as you are, switch off for a while and leave feeling better than when you arrived.
Come for the heat. Stay for the people.
Woodfire
Deep heat.
Circle
Gather together.
Ritual
A reason to return.