Sail away to Lake Rotoiti’s hot pools
Steam rises off the lake in front of bush-clad hills as Pure Cruise’s luxury catamaran, Tiua, eases across Lake Rotoiti. Then, like a mirage, civilisation appears in the form of hot pools, buildings and jetties lined with boats. These are the hidden hot springs of Manupı¯rua Bay, Lake Rotoiti, near Rotorua.
The only way there is by boat or air, which makes it seem like being escorted into a privileged, secret club.
Private boats and charter boats snuggle up to the jetties, and Volcanic Air’s floatplane takes off and lands in front of the pools, with short scenic flights on offer.
I travelled the 20-25 minutes to Manupı¯rua Bay on Pure Cruise, a luxury 53-foot catamaran, with a spacious saloon, licensed bar, covered cockpit, bathrooms, and beanbag-covered decks. It’s an exotic and relaxing way to journey to the pools.
Skipper and Pure Cruise director Matt Horder, found Tiua, forlorn and neglected in a Caribbean boatyard in Grenada. He fixed it up, and he and his crew sailed the 9500 nautical miles for four months, to bring it to Aotearoa.
There were storms and trials along the way, and the boat has a special place in his heart.
On Lake Rotoiti, Horder often takes local iwi onboard, and elders tell tribal stories and pass on knowledge.
Most of the land around the lake is Ma¯ ori owned, and as we travel Horder points out places of interest, including lake-edge marae and an urupa¯ (cemetery) accessible only by boat. He’s also a font of knowledge about where to find the best trout.
Although I glide to the hot pools on Tiua, Pure Cruise’s water taxi is a cost-effective, efficient way to get there.
Lake Rotoiti’s hot pools are a bit of a local secret. My introduction to the pools was just a few years ago, and I don’t know how I overlooked such a geothermal gem when soaking in hot springs is one of my favourite pastimes.
My first visit was extraordinary. As part of the Rotorua Indigenous Film Festival, organisers took international and national guests to the pools at night, for a private party and screenings. The twolevel boat became the movie screen as we watched a curated selection of short films from the pools.
Hot springs manager Cath van Sitter oversees seven pools on the edge of the big, cold plunge pool – the lake itself.
As she points out, these pools are the oldest commercially operated hot springs in New Zealand, having started in 1914. But for centuries, Ma¯ ori used areas like this for rituals and rejuvenation.
Before choosing which of the seven pools to sink into, I walk the 10-minute track up the hill for a bird’s eye view of the lake.
It is good timing as the floatplane lands and takes off while I watch.
Back down at the pools, it is hard to decide whether to dive in the lake or settle into a warm pool, but the pools won. There’s a range of temperatures and, in mid-summer, the cooler ones had my vote. I’ll be back mid-winter to try out the rest. With wine, beer and snacks available, it’s all too tempting.
With the rise of social media, jet ski and private boat use, this hideaway is becoming better known. It was busy on my visit between Christmas and New Year, but sneak away on a cold winter’s day or evening and van Sitter reckons you might still find you have the place to yourself.