Relaxing in Waikite Valley Thermal Pools, Rotorua. Photo / Supplied
Relaxing in Waikite Valley Thermal Pools, Rotorua. Photo / Supplied
Steamy soaking for adults or frolicsome fun for kids, nothing beats a toasty pool for banishing winter chills, discovers Sarah Ell.
Few things are more pleasurable on a cold winter's day than slipping into warm water, whether it be a spa or heated indoor swimming pool or, for a more relaxing experience, a thermal hot pool. Fortunately, Aucklanders don't have to go too far to get into hot water. Here's a guide to where to go these holidays to get quality pool time.
Around town
It's too cold to swim outside, so head to one of Auckland Council's indoor pools. West Wave in Henderson is the biggie, with a wave pool, diving boards and a long, dark, twisty hydroslide that is open all day during school holidays - you can ride as many times as you like for $2. There is also a spa and sauna. But skip the Mt Albert Aquatic Centre, with its hydroslide and a cool pirate-themed "lazy river", as it is closed for upgrading.
West Wave Aquatic Centre in Henderson. Photo / Supplied
Down south, Massey Park Pool in Papakura has a hydroslide, wave sessions in its main pool, a "lazy river" to explore and a toddler play area with water features.
The Franklin Sport, Swim and Fitness Centre in Pukekohe also has a large indoor pool with a heated beach area.
On the North Shore, the Glenfield Pool will be worth a visit these holidays.
Auckland Council's manager of aquatic and recreation facilities Michael Groom says the pool area has just reopened after a major upgrade, with revamped changing rooms and a new adult spa pool opening on Monday.
The hydroslides and diving boards are open every day during the holidays (and at weekends in term time).
Groom says the new Otahuhu aquatic centre, next to the new library, is nearing completion and will open in early August with pools for lane swimming and learners as well as a bombing pool and a splash-pad for littlies.
The thermal pools at Waiwera and Helensville have been popular for more than a century.
Parakai Springs hot pools, west of Helensville township, has been attracting visitors since the 1880s, when the first basic pools were made with kauri planks. Today Parakai Springs has a huge outdoor pool and a toasty 40C indoor pool, as well as the two hydroslides, which generations of Kiwis have enjoyed. Just up the road is the lesser-known Palm Springs, with two large pools, a shallow fountain pool for littlies, and smaller, rock-fringed pools for relaxing. Parakai and Palm Springs have cafes as well as barbecue and picnic areas.
On the other coast, Waiwera came to the attention of the first European settlers in the 1840s, but the natural warm waters had long been popular with Maori. Originally the thermal waters were known for their curative properties and there is still a day spa on site, but today the popular attractions at the Waiwera Thermal Resort are the hydroslides -- although the infamous Black Hole is no longer open -- and the movie pool, with three screenings a day.
Waiwera Infinity Thermal Spa.Photo / Greg Bowker
Further afield
If you feel like a soak after birdwatching on the Firth of Thames, the Miranda Hot Springs has a very large outdoor pool, as well as a children's pool, the adults-only sauna pool and private spas. You can also make a weekend of it and stay at the Miranda Holiday Park (which has its own thermal pool) and indulge in the famed fish and chips from Kaiaua, just up the road.
The Lost Spring in Whitianga offers an adults-only indulgence (teenagers over 14 are allowed in the pools with adult supervision, but no littlies).
Former dairy farmer Alan Hopping spent nearly 30 years searching for a rumoured thermal spring on the Buffalo Beach campground site and then finding a way to tap it. His luxury complex of hand-crafted pools, caves and waterfalls, filled with natural thermal water from deep underground, was opened only seven years ago.
Pool at the Mount - Athenree Hot Springs. Photo / Supplied
Another thermal spa with a long history is at Te Aroha, where the healing waters have attracted local and international tourists since the 1880s. Its Edwardian setting has been superbly preserved, with historic bath houses and an interesting museum on the town's domain. You can enjoy a soak in a traditional wooden tub or slipper bath at the Te Aroha Mineral Spas, or have a splash about in the adjacent Leisure Pools, which have a shallow toddler pool.
A hidden treasure on the way to or from Tauranga, the Athenree Hot Springs in the Bay of Plenty is worth seeking out. Detour off State Highway 2 between Waihi and Katikati to the northern edge of the Tauranga Harbour, where the holiday park has two very nice hot pools open to the public and park guests, both filled with natural mineral water from an underground aquifer.
For a bit of salty relaxation, the Mount Hot Pools at the base of Mt Maunganui is a complex of heated seawater pools. There is a 22m swimming pool and smaller toddler pool with a slide, plus two outdoor spas and a sit-and-soak pool with massage jets, where you can warm up after a bracing walk on the beach or a climb up the Mount.
Rotorua, of course, is the home of the hot pool, and winter is perhaps the best time to enjoy them. The Polynesian Spa (more commonly known by its former name, Polynesian Pools) is a national institution, with the healing mineral waters of the Priest and Rachel springs first harnessed for European use in the 1870s.
There's still a family pool with a slide and space to soak, but the landscaped lakefront Adult Pools and Priest Spa area is the place to go if you are child-free and are especially magical on a rainy day.
Hot tips
Sheldon Nesdale of Tauranga is a man who knows his hot pools. Raised in Rotorua, "where there were 14 hot pools within half an hour of home", he set up the NZ Hot Pools website after completing his marketing degree. Nesdale prefers natural pools and most weekends can be found up to his neck in one. His favourites are:
The Bridge, Waiotapu (also known to locals as "The Secret Spot"). This natural hot spring is in a stream just past the entrance to the Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland, south of Rotorua on State Highway 5 to Taupo. You can move from hot to cold to find your perfect temperature.
Waikite Valley Hot Pools. Photo / Supplied
Waikite Valley Thermal Pools, also off the Rotorua-Taupo road near Waiotapu. "There are four different pools to choose from, and it's a great place to spend a day," Nesdale says.
Te Aroha Mineral Spas. "The water is amazing -- it is really high in silica so it has a really silky feeling. The thought of those natural minerals bubbling away for thousands of years under the ground makes it a pretty special experience."
For families, Nesdale says the Mount Hot Pools are good fun -- but watch out for the chlorine and salt water combination, it can be hard on young eyes.
