Waiwera Hot Pools facts for kids

Waiwera Hot Pools was once a very popular place to visit in New Zealand. It was also known as Waiwera Infinity Thermal Spa Resort. This large thermal spa was located in Waiwera, just north of Auckland.

A thermal spa is a place where people can relax in warm water that comes from deep underground. Waiwera Hot Pools was New Zealand's biggest water park. It had 26 pools and many different slides. About 350,000 people visited the park every year.

Sadly, the park closed in February 2018. Since then, it has become run down and is no longer open to visitors.

The Story of Waiwera Hot Pools

The Hot Springs Hotel in Waiwera, in the early 1900s.

Another view of the Hot Springs Hotel in Waiwera, around the early 1900s.

The warm water at Waiwera comes from hot springs. These are natural springs that bring hot water up from deep inside the Earth. Long ago, the Māori knew about these hot springs bubbling up through the sand at Waiwera Beach. The name Waiwera actually means 'hot water' in Māori.

The first person to open a business there was a man named Robert Graham. He was from Scotland. In 1875, he built special places for people to bathe in the hot water. He also built a hotel nearby for visitors.

Fun Water Activities

Waiwera Hot Pools had many exciting things to do in the water. There were several hydroslides, which are big water slides. Some of these were called Speed slide and Twister. There was also a smaller slide called Kids Chute for younger children.

Visitors could also float along the Lazy River. The Movie Pool was a special pool that showed three movies every day. The park also offered Aquacise fitness classes and even a swimming school.