On the Coromandel coast, two hours either side of low tide, crowds of people dig holes in the sand with spades and sit in water heated by springs underneath the beach. It sums up New Zealand bathing: geothermal water turns up in odd places, and the country uses it casually, in public pools, roadside streams and backyard tubs as much as in spas.
The hot water is concentrated in the Taupō Volcanic Zone, the line of active volcanoes and geysers that runs through the middle of the North Island from Rotorua to Taupō. Māori have bathed in and cooked with it for centuries, and Rotorua became the country’s first spa town in the 1880s. The South Island has fewer springs, but they come in alpine settings: Hanmer Springs in a mountain valley north of Christchurch, Maruia on the Lewis Pass road, and pools by the rainforest at Franz Josef.
Expect public-pool style complexes more than luxury spas, with family pools, hot mineral pools and hired private pools by the half hour. Treatments, yoga retreats and traditional Māori healing are there too, but the hot soak is the centre of it.
At a Glance#
- Geothermal capital: Rotorua, with the Polynesian Spa on Lake Rotorua, mud baths at Hell’s Gate and steam vents in Whakarewarewa village.
- Free soaks: the Ōtūmuheke hot stream at Taupō’s Spa Park, Kerosene Creek south of Rotorua, and Hot Water Beach near Whitianga.
- Alpine pools: Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools, Maruia Hot Springs and Tekapo Springs beside Lake Tekapo.
- Near Queenstown: private cedar hot tubs above the Shotover River at Onsen Hot Pools, 15 minutes from Queenstown.
- West Coast: rainforest hot pools in the village at Franz Josef.
- Costs: about NZ$30 to 45 (17 to 25 USD) for public thermal pools, from NZ$85 for Rotorua’s lakeside adult spa, more for private tubs and massages.
Rotorua#
Rotorua smells faintly of sulphur, steam rises from drains and parks, and almost every motel has a hot pool out the back. The Polynesian Spa on the shore of Lake Rotorua is the classic visit, with acidic and alkaline mineral pools facing the water. The adults-only Deluxe Lake Spa costs from about NZ$85 (48 USD), with cheaper family pools and private pools alongside.
Hell’s Gate (Tikitere), about 15 minutes northeast of town, is the place for a geothermal mud bath followed by a sulphur pool, next to a park of boiling mud and steaming lakes. Waikite Valley Thermal Pools, 30 minutes south, are fed by a boiling spring and run to a quiet valley, and the coloured terraces of Wai-O-Tapu are on the same road. At Whakarewarewa, a living Māori village, families still cook in the steam boxes and bathe in communal pools; you visit on a guided tour.
Kerosene Creek, a warm stream with a small waterfall in the forest off State Highway 5, is free and much loved by locals. Go early to avoid the crowds, take your rubbish home and follow the rule below.
Taupō and the Coromandel#
In Taupō, the Ōtūmuheke Stream in Spa Park runs hot into the cold Waikato River, and you can sit where the two mix, free, a short walk from the town centre. Wairakei Terraces, just north of town, has silica terraces and thermal pools in a garden setting, and Taupō DeBretts has hot pools and hydroslides for families. Both sit near Lake Taupō, New Zealand’s largest lake.
Hot Water Beach, on the Coromandel Peninsula a short drive south of Whitianga, is the country’s most famous hot spring. You rent a spade from the café, dig a pit in the sand from about two hours before to two hours after low tide, and sit in water that can be too hot to touch. Check the tide tables before driving out, and do not swim off the beach: the rips are dangerous.
The South Island#
Hanmer Springs, under two hours north of Christchurch, is the South Island’s spa town, with a large thermal pool complex in a mountain valley, a day spa and private pools. Adult entry is about NZ$40 booked online the day before, or NZ$43 for a flexible pass. Maruia Hot Springs, further west on the Lewis Pass road, is a Japanese-style bathhouse with outdoor rock pools by the river and overnight rooms.
Tekapo Springs, beside Lake Tekapo in the Mackenzie Basin, combines hot pools with an ice rink and snow tubing in winter, and night soaks under one of the world’s largest dark sky reserves. On the West Coast, the hot pools in Franz Josef village sit in rainforest, a good end to a wet day or a glacier hike.
Near Queenstown, Onsen Hot Pools has private cedar tubs on a cliff above the Shotover River, booked by the hour, and is popular after ski days in winter. Book well ahead.
Retreats and Māori healing#
Wellness retreats in New Zealand lean on the outdoors: multi-day programmes of hiking, yoga, plant-based food and no alcohol or phones, around Queenstown, Lake Wānaka and the Coromandel. The best known run near Glenorchy at the head of Lake Wakatipu and cost several thousand dollars for a week.
Rongoā Māori is traditional Māori healing, using native plants, massage (mirimiri and romiromi) and prayer. A few practitioners and spas, mostly in Rotorua, offer sessions to visitors. Approach it as a cultural practice rather than a spa menu item. Our New Zealand culture guide explains marae visits and other customs.
Costs and etiquette#
| What | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Polynesian Spa, Deluxe Lake Spa (adult) | from about NZ$85 (48 USD) |
| Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools (adult) | about NZ$40 to 43 (23 to 25 USD) |
| Private pool, 45 minutes (Polynesian Spa) | from about NZ$43 to 60 |
| Massage, 60 minutes | from about NZ$130, often more |
| Kerosene Creek, Spa Park stream, Hot Water Beach | free (spade hire extra) |
Wear swimwear in public pools; nudity is not normal, even in private tubs at most venues. Many commercial pools are busiest from late afternoon on weekends and in school holidays, so go early. Mineral water can tarnish silver jewellery. Prices change by date and season, so check before you go.
Keep your head above water
Natural geothermal pools and streams can carry amoebic meningitis, a rare but almost always fatal infection that enters through the nose. In any natural hot pool, Kerosene Creek included, never put your head under the water or splash it on your face. Commercial pools are tested and treated.
Pair a soak with something nearby: Wai-O-Tapu’s geysers before Waikite Valley, a Tongariro walk before Taupō’s hot stream, or a ski day at Coronet Peak before Onsen’s cedar tubs.
For hot springs across the region, see Wellness and Spas in Oceania and Wellness and Spa Around the World. Rotorua’s volcanic parks also feature in our New Zealand national parks guide.
Best places for hot springs in New Zealand#
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More Things to Do#
New Zealand hot springs FAQs#
Where are the best hot springs in New Zealand?
Rotorua has the most, led by the Polynesian Spa on the lake, plus Hell’s Gate’s mud baths and the free Kerosene Creek. On the South Island, Hanmer Springs and Maruia are the best known, and Hot Water Beach on the Coromandel is the most unusual.
Are there free hot springs in New Zealand?
Yes. The hot stream at Spa Park in Taupō, Kerosene Creek near Rotorua and Hot Water Beach on the Coromandel are all free. Keep your head out of the water in natural pools.
How much does the Polynesian Spa cost?
The adults-only Deluxe Lake Spa costs from about NZ$85 (48 USD). Family pools and private pools are priced separately.
When is the best time for Hot Water Beach?
Within about two hours either side of low tide, when the hot springs under the sand are exposed. Check the tide times, arrive early in summer, and bring or rent a spade.
Is it safe to swim in natural hot pools in New Zealand?
Yes, if you keep your head above water. Natural geothermal water can carry the amoeba that causes amoebic meningitis, which enters through the nose. Commercial pools are treated and tested.