Tag Archives: Waikite

Saturday,21^st February, New Zealand North Island day 16 – Waikite

We move 38km south of Rotorua to a thermal spa and campsite at Waikite on the banks of  the boiling Otamokokore River – the steam billowing from its surface is quite an extraordinary sight.  The main attraction, though, is use of the five outdoor hot pools filled from the Te Manaroa Spring – the largest single source of 100% pure boiling water in New Zealand. The water is an amazing 98 degrees C when it emerges from below ground – and the spring itself is an awesome and fascinating sight furiously bubbling up to the surface creating  a large pool and clouds of steam in the process.  The spring produces 60 litres a minute which travels 3 km dropping  to 50 degrees C before joining colder water.  The spring water has to be cooled to between 35 and 38 degrees before it can be fed into the  four spa pools for passive bathing and a large swimming pool.  This achieved by running it across terracing, then pumping up the hillside and spraying it into the air.   Each pool is a different temperature and we start off in the coolest and work our way to the hottest chatting with a New Zealand couple on the way.  Very relaxing and refreshing.

We arrive at the Energy Events Centre still hardly able to believe that we managed to get tickets to see Billy Connolly.  The centre is a modern, flexible performance space situated at the lake end of Government Gardens.  There is ample parking in the adjacent car park and it’s free.  Billy is on top form, much funnier than the ‘Too Old to Die Young’ gig at the Hammersmith Apollo.  And unlike then, when we got returns in the back of the gods, we have prime seats three rows from the front.  It’s two hours of non-stop laughter.  So funny my eyes were streaming.  Absolutely brilliant!

Continue reading →