‘Turning into a little Finland’: chilly New Zealand gets the hots for beachside saunas

Once confined to upmarket spas and grimy gyms, saunas are popping up across the country

On a clear winter morning on the coast of New Zealand’s capital, a procession of steaming bodies emerge from a small shed-like building to throw themselves into the frigid sea.

Dripping wet, they return to sit in its 100 degree heat and wait for their skin to gather a patina of sweat before bolting back to the cool waters. Back and forth between the extreme temperatures they go, until an hour later they depart dreamy-eyed.

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