Get into hot water
Home » Magazine » Good, issue 1 » The goods » Get into hot waterTake a hot bath in a thermal spring
Photo: Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington NZ
You’ve unwound at Waiwera, soaked in Hanmer Springs and flung hot mud at your loved ones at Hell’s Gate. Think you’ve done New Zealand hot pools? You’re not even close.
There are 35 commercial thermal pools all over New Zealand—and almost double that number of free, natural outdoor springs. Most of them are closely guarded local secrets, hidden in native bush, known only to a lucky few.
Lucky for us, the few now includes those with a copy of Sally Jackson’s Hot Springs of New Zealand (Reed, $27.99 Buy@Fishpond) and visitors to nzhotpools.co.nz, a reader-generated online reference to all the known hot springs in the country.
Even some of these known sites remain somewhat mysterious: to find the Hurunui River springs, look for steam and some white rocks. Others are clearly located, such as the Welcome Flat Hot Pools in Arthur’s Pass—but to get your well-deserved soak you’ll need to walk the scenic Copland Track for six hours or so.
From the biggest thermal resort to a dig-it-yourself shallow wallow, there is nothing nicer than outdoor bath on a winter’s day. Think of it as a reward for bravery, and head to one of nzhotpools.co.nz’s top five free hot springs this winter.
1. Ohane Stream Hot Spring
Taupo-Napier Highway, Hawkes Bay
2. Welcome Flat Hot Pools
Copland River, Westland National Park, West Coast
3. Butcher’s Pool
North-east of Golden Springs, Reporoa
4. Kerosene Creek
5. Hurunui River Hot Springs
North of Lake Taylor, Lake Sumner Forest Park, Canterbury
