Waiwera Group sinks into liquidation: Pools remain deserted, shut

Waiwera's hot pools north of Auckland remain shut, deserted and idle as a business connected to the once-popular resort sinks into liquidation.

Waiwera Group is now in the hands of liquidator Tony Maginness of Baker Tilly Staples Rodway in Auckland, Companies Office records show.

His appointment followed a shareholder resolution. The company has only one shareholder and one director: Mikhail Khimich whose address is given as Springcombe Rd, St Heliers, Auckland.

Other Waiwera businesses which Khimich is involved in have also gone under including Waiwera Thermal Resort, in the hands of the same liquidators. Waiwera Water NZ and bottled water seller Waiwera Global have also been placed in liquidation.

The once-popular Waiwera Thermal Resort has been left in a decrepit state after an abrupt closure. It was shut a year ago for renovations, but work eventually ceased and now the property is in a parlous state with drained or murky pools, piles of dirt, littering and overgrown gardens.

Renovation work has been paused, and some buildings are missing roofs or have been left half-finished.

In November last year, the Herald reported how a giant Australasian leisure business, which runs 10 New Zealand pools, wants to talk to the pool landowners.

Damian Gorman, business development manager of the large Victorian-headquartered Belgravia Health & Leisure Group, said his business was interested in starting the discussions.

Renovations were only partly completed. Photo / file

"We are willing to assess the options to invest and reopen the hot pools. Our hot springs venues are world class," Gorman said, citing the Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa in Victoria and Rotorua's Wai Ariki Hot Springs & Spa, due to open next year.

Evan Vertue, Waiwera's project manager, said last year he was "familiar with their operations" and would make contact with them.

A lease on the pool complex was cancelled in October last year, after a two-year period of sporadic leasehold payment defaults, the resort's landowner said. Locks were changed and a notice posted on the front door.

The complex had been leased to Khimich whose business bought the lease interest in 2010. No workers have been on the site for more than a year now.