A HOT SECRET
ONE of New Zealand’s best-kept tourism secrets is the Mõrere Hot Springs – a little gem for anyone looking for relaxation on the Pacific Coast Highway between Gisborne and Hawke's Bay.
Visitors pay just $4 on top of the general entry price to secure a private pool at an attraction that is described as “charmingly basic”. The pools are set in 364 hectares of rainforest, run by the Department of Conservation (DOC).
What bubbles up is ancient seawater, some 250,000 litres a day, which makes its way to the surface through a fault line. It is then cooled and pumped into the pools. Some days the water is hotter than others, which is what you expect when Mother Nature is your power source. Local media reported that in 2019, staff noticed the pools all increased in temperature
