One hungover day, Oliver Hall heads south for some Rotorua relaxation and finds that our geothermal wonderland truly offers the ultimate spa weekend to restore your soul.
It’s the morning after URGE’s 26th Birthday Party, and I’m feeling a little worse for wear. Unlike others who are facing the prospect of returning to work with dread, I will instead be embarking on the ultimate spa retreat to Rotorua. I’ve been inspired by girlfriends in England who spend thousands to disappear and find solace at a country spa, yet here in NZ, our geothermic landscape offers us the real deal at a fraction of the cost. So I hop into a new MINI Countryman Hybrid (mini.co.nz) and drive down (less than three hours from Auckland), making a mental list of who I need to apologise to for the previous night’s exploits.
GO IN THE DRAW TO WIN YOUR ULTIMATE ROTORUA SPA WEEKEND!
The first stop on my journey of rejuvenation is Hell’s Gate Geothermal Reserve and Mud Spa (hellsgate.co.nz). Now, admittedly, in my sorry state, I head straight for the mud, but I would recommend taking one of the guided (or unguided) tours of the property first and walking the 2km loop track past natural wonders like our largest mud volcano and the Southern Hemisphere’s largest hot waterfalls. Once you’ve seen where the mud and sulphuric water you will bathe in are drawn from, you can truly appreciate the experience.
You are limited to just 20 minutes in the magnesium-rich mud baths, where you are advised to lather yourself with the exfoliating mud from head to toe (avoiding eyes) and let it dry before showering off and bathing in the sulphur spas. Naturally, in the first pool I enter, I am greeted by a gay couple holidaying from the UK who are keen to get my dinner recommendations, and somewhere between chatting to them and immersing myself under a cascading warm waterfall, my hangover disappears.
Like the steam rising from the hot pools, my anxieties have dissipated, and I drive off to my home for the evening – Rotorua’s centrally located, luxury five-star hotel, The Pullman (pullmanrotorua.com). My check-in is a dream, pulling up at the hotel’s doors – the staff take your keys and plug the MINI Countryman in for charging in their secure car park – while I head to my room, where the huge windows face the sun setting over the distant hills. I could lie on the big, comfy bed and watch the sunset or the giant flatscreen, but instead, I venture out to explore the city.
It is easy to see the impact of all this year’s rain, as Rotorua is looking gorgeously green and lush. I drift around the immaculate Government Gardens, float down to Lake Rotorua, and take pictures outside the awe-inspiring and beautifully-lit new Wai Ariki Hot Springs (wai-ariki.co.nz), before heading up Fenton Street to Saigon ’60s Vietnamese Restaurant (saigon60s.co.nz) for the best beef pho around, until my bed beckons.
On the ultimate spa weekend, there’s no rush. The Pullman’s luxurious buffet breakfast is served until 1030 am (even on weekdays), and despite Rotorua’s offers of world-renowned mountain bike tracks, zorbing, zip lines, and luge, I’m feeling lazy, and there are few nicer places I could digest my hash browns than Secret Spot Hot Tubs (secretspot.nz).
Nestled next to the Puarenga Stream, Secret Spot’s cedar tubs overlook the Whakarewarewa Forest, surrounded by ferns that have grown enormously since I first visited in 2021. Secret Spot is super popular with mountain bikers returning from the trails who like to soak their feet and ankles in the ‘shinny dips’ – mini hot tubs that groups of cyclists gather around with drinks and snacks, giving their trotters a well-earned spa!
GO IN THE DRAW TO WIN YOUR ULTIMATE ROTORUA SPA WEEKEND!
The food and drink offerings at Secret Spot are pretty epic, with a strong focus on locally made. From my (full-size) hot tub, I can just press a button to order NZ-brewed craft beers, regional wines, manuka-roasted coffee, or the fabulous katakana tea – that I drink about three cups of!
Ever-expanding, Secret Spot now has a food truck serving rotis and burgers, cold plunge tubs that you can alternate with your hot, and live music on weekends that can be enjoyed from their new all-weather safari tent, ‘Basecamp’ – all adding to your reasons to stay longer or return again.
The ultimate spa retreat should be about more than just poaching yourself in healing waters, as nice as that is. So I head to the Rotorua classic, Polynesian Spa (polynesianspa.co.nz), to experience so much more!
To me, Polynesian Spa has always felt like the heart and soul of Rotorua’s community. It is still known by many locals as ‘the Poly baths’ – they can get a monthly pass for unlimited visits. Former MP for Rotorua, Tamati Coffey, tells me that in winter, he would often visit twice a day!
Polynesian Spa offers a wealth of bathing options. From beautiful deluxe lake-side pools (available to anyone booking a spa therapy) to family pools complete with water slides, large pavilion pools – favoured by those looking to stretch their joints with aqua aerobics – and intimate private pools with stunning lake views.
I am booked in to experience two of Polynesian Spa’s newest therapies – which includes a deluxe soak beforehand to warm up your muscles, soften your skin, and relax your mind – so I’m pretty chilled as I’m escorted down to my therapy room to begin with a Himalayan Salt Polish & Herbal Oil Massage.
During my therapy, my accomplished masseuse uses a blend of salts and oils that have been created exclusively by Polynesian Spa, combining New Zealand manuka, kanuka, and lavender oils – I have never smelt better! The treatment begins with an invigorating 30-minute scrub from your shoulders down to your feet, followed by a relaxing 30-minute massage delivered with precision – ensuring pressure pushes across your muscles, not pushing you into the bed.
GO IN THE DRAW TO WIN YOUR ULTIMATE ROTORUA SPA WEEKEND!
I practically float to the relaxation lounge for a peppermint tea before returning to my therapy room for a Pure Fiji Moisture Drench Facial. This all-natural, deeply hydrating facial is infused with active plant extracts and collagen and would be perfect before a glamorous night out or hot date when you want to impress with your dewy and youthful complexion.
Smelling like a god and looking 21 again, I go for a browse around Polynesian Spa’s fabulous gift shop, which is tat-free and stacked with lots of fabulous Christmas presents. Unsurprisingly, most people opt for the products used in their therapies so they can recreate the magic at home.
All this relaxation and shopping has given me an appetite, and luckily, Polynesian Spa’s 88Rā Café is adjacent, serving made-in-front-of-you fresh juices, award-winning gelato, cabinet food, and a full lunch and breakfast menu. I opt for the divine chicken and bacon salad!
As I graze, a wealth of locals and international tourists pass by me. Since our pandemic border closures, I had forgotten how international and exciting Rotorua can feel. As conversations in Japanese, French, and Portuguese swirl around me, I daydream of one day owning a lake-side bach here and spending my retirement soaking in warm sulphuric pools, feeling as relaxed and restored as I do now.
This trip was organised by @rotoruanz #rotoruanz #bestsummerever #spayourway
GO IN THE DRAW TO WIN YOUR ULTIMATE ROTORUA SPA WEEKEND!
