Loaded with major ions — the essential minerals (Ca, Mg).
Buoyancy
Standard buoyancy
LowHigh
Soft water — natural, classic buoyancy.
SiliceSodiumBicarbonates
On the edge of Taupo, on New Zealand's North Island, the Otumuheke Stream winds for about 1,500 metres before merging with the deep green waters of the Waikato River, the country's longest waterway. Warmed by the region's geothermal activity, this natural stream forms free rock pools that bathers have slipped into for generations — long a historical bathing and gathering spot for Māori.
In 2018 the area underwent a major upgrade led together with local iwi (Māori tribes) and the Taupō District Council, adding changing rooms, lockers, river-edge platforms and storyboards explaining the site's history and cultural significance. Reachable on foot from the town centre, Spa Thermal Park remains free and open to all.
Insider tip — The Spa Park Hot Pools in Taupo sit beside the Waikato River where a free natural hot stream meets the cold river, allowing bathers to adjust their temperature by moving between the flows. The silica-rich geothermal water emerges through the riverbank and carved channels, creating informal soaking spots in a scenic parkland setting. This is one of New Zealand's few remaining free outdoor geothermal bathing sites, giving it an unpretentious, community atmosphere far from commercial spa centers. Arrive at low-river-flow times in the afternoon when the hot stream is less diluted.
