WE ARE OPEN AGAIN!

Open again - we are very pleased to say the struggles of  the past winter while the springs were closed due to storm damage are behind us. We open again on Friday 7 October. Open 7 days a week from 10am.

Welcome to Morere Hot Springs

• State Highway 2, Morere, East Coast
• North Island, New Zealand
• Phone 06 837 8856
• info@morerehotsprings.co.nz

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HOT MINERAL POOLS

Set in 364 hectares of conservation bush reserve with a network of hiking tracks, Morere Hot Springs has a variety of hot and cool pools with thermal spa and bathing facilities in a natural rainforest environment.

The natural mineral hot pools at Morere Springs Scenic Reserve are a popular local amenity and one of New Zealand’s off-the-beaten-track thermal bathing attractions. Located in an isolated corner of New Zealand’s North Island, the hot springs are a tranquil haven where the mineralised waters are said to be amongst the most rejuvenating and unique in the world.

The heated non-sulphurous water is original sea water from the nearby Pacific Ocean. A quarter of a million litres of it emerges each day from springs beneath the rainforest after travelling for thousands of years through superheated subterranean vents. The springs have a long history of recreational and therapeutic bathing dating back to the 1890s.

Today they are contained in a modern complex set in a protected rainforest reserve offering a choice of well-maintained hot and cold, public and private, indoor and outdoor pools. Best known are the Nikau Pools which are a 10 minute walk into the rainforest. A small fee is charged to enter the complex to make use of the various pools and other amenties which include a cafe, a craft shop, BBQ gazebos and bush walks.

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SCENIC RAINFOREST RESERVE

The forest surrounding the Morere Hot Springs remains as one of the last tracts of native rainforest on the east coast of New Zealand. The Morere Scenic Reserve which surrounds the hot springs is managed by the New Zealand Department of Conservation which maintains an extensive walking track system through the reserve. Bush walks range from 10 minutes to half an hour for all the family and up to two and three hour hikes for the more energetic. You access the reserve via the Morere Hot Springs main entrance for which a fee is charged.

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MORERE HOT SPRINGS LODGE & CABINS

Morere Hot Springs Lodge & Cabins offers a range of accommodation including Moonlight Lodge, Morepork Cottage and The Cabins. Located in a rural gladebeside a clear running stream with the space of a farm to explore and a beautiful planted woodland to enjoy, the accommodation is a short walk, crossing a swingbridge, to the thermal pools and scenic reserve.

Entry prices to Morere Hot Springs:

• Adults $6
• Children $3
• Non-swimmers & Bush Walkers $3

Extras

• Private pools $3 per person for a half hour
• Towels $2

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"The Morere Hot Springs is not just another hot springs attraction - it is unique. Very much part of the local community, it is a special corner of the world that is attracting more and more visitors from all over New Zealand and overseas. Set in 364 hectares of native bush the Morere Hot Springs provide modern bathing and spa facilities in a beautiful natural environment. The bush reserve, managed by the Department of Conservation, is one of the last remaining tracts of lowland rainforest on the east coast of New Zealand." VISITOR COMMENT

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"A treat not to be missed – gorgeous hot and cold springs set amid 364 hectares of rainforest. Rare in the world of hot springs, the Morere Springs produce 250,000 litres a day of hot ancient sea water. Known for its therapeutic values, the water is piped to a series of public and private hot pools. It is definitely worth taking a walk on any of the various walks in the Morere Scenic Reserve, from 10-minute walks up to three hours. Especially famous for its nikau palms, the dense virgin rainforest is home to a wide range of native birds." AA TRAVEL 101 MUST DO WEEKENDS

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GOOGLE MAP

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	Timely brush with cool oasis Travel Story Otago Daily Times (7 May 2008) By Bruce Munro Tucked away between hot, laid-back East Cape and arid, grape-growing Art Deco Hawkes Bay is an oasis called Morere. For a week, our family had been steeped in "the other New Zealand" - exploring the East Cape's untamed hinterland, its fabulous cliff-edged beaches and rich, living Maori culture. Now we were heading back towards the South Island, driving through more straw-coloured countryside on yet another bright, thirsty day as the family van chased State Highway 2 south of Gisborne towards the northern reaches of Hawke Bay. By the time we returned to Dunedin, after a month away, we would have travelled more than 5000km. Where we would spend this night had not been decided - that was part of the adventure. We only knew we all shared twin desires for a change of scenery and relief from the heat. It was as the calls from the backseat for ice-blocks and toilet stops grew more voluble that the landscape suddenly and pleasantly changed. The road was enveloped by lush native bush and, as we rounded a corner, a sign proclaimed we were inside the Morere Springs Scenic Reserve. So, that was the secret of this verdant refuge in a drought-prone land. Pulling off the road, we hastily consulted an assortment of travel guides. Lonely Planet said "Morere's famous hot springs burble up from a fault line" feeding "hot and cold pools among lowland forest". It was, we decided, the respite we sought. Across the road from Morere Hot Springs a couple of options for our night's accommodation presented themselves. We booked in at the Morere Tearooms and Camping Grounds - a long, narrow property bounded by the highway and the cool, clear Tunanui stream that wound along the bottom of a bush-topped cliff. It was a rare pleasure to sit outside our cabin, looking up at the cloudless blue expanse between cliff and trees as we sheltered in the deep, refreshing shade that filled our "lost world". Notable for its stands of nikau palms, the 200ha Department of Conservation-administered reserve is one of the last tracts of native lowland rainforest on the east coast of New Zealand. Here, rimu, totara and matai grow tall among nikau, tawa, kohekohe and pukatea. On higher ground are remnant stands of native beech, while the undergrowth is crowded with ferns, orchids, shrubs and vines. Large kereru or native pigeon are plentiful among a wide variety of native bird-life. King of the night is the ruru, or native owl, which watches over a forest transformed into a glow-worm wonderland. It was after dinner - but while there were still a couple of hours sunshine left in the day - that we made our way across the road to the mineral hot pools. Green expanses of lawn led in one direction towards two large pools and private hire pools and in the other direction towards bush walks taking bathers to more pools up the hill. The tracks range from the 10-minute family walk to the Nikau Pools to energetic three-hour hikes. The children charged off along the wide bush track as we strolled, reading occasional trackside information. The springs produce 250,000 litres a day of ancient sea water. This "fossilised salt water" travels for thousands of years before it bubbles up in Morere, emerging from a fractured fault line running across the Mangakawa Valley, to be piped to the pools. The pools, which are said to have therapeutic qualities, were used in pre-colonial times by members of Ngati Kahungunu and stumbled upon by Europeans in the 1890s. A few more bends in the track and we could see, through the trees, steam rising to beckon us towards the hot mineral waters. We had travelled far to be here, both our family and these waters. We would enjoy the meeting.

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