Kaitoke Hot Springs

What to expect

Kaitoke Hot Springs is a set of natural pools in Kaitoke Creek, in the middle of Great Barrier Island (Aotea), in the outer Hauraki Gulf north-east of Auckland. Sulphurous hot water enters the creek, and the pools have been dammed at a fork in the stream where two branches meet. Umbrella fern crowds the banks and regenerating bush rises behind.

Do not expect a hot tub. The main pool is warm to tepid for most of the year and can feel cooler after heavy rain, when more cold stream water runs through. Smaller rock pools a few minutes further upstream are hotter, and in places the water near the thermal inflow is hot enough to burn. Visitors often describe the bottom as muddy, and opinions are split: some love it, others find it underwhelming. The walk in is the part almost everyone enjoys.

There is a public toilet just before the springs. There are no changing rooms, showers, bins or drinking water.

Getting there

Getting to the island. Great Barrier Island has no bridge, so you either fly or take the ferry. Barrier Air flies daily from Auckland Airport’s domestic terminal to Claris airfield, and DOC describes the hop as about 30 minutes. Island Aviation flies from North Shore (Dairy Flat) airport. Sealink runs a passenger and vehicle ferry three to four times a week depending on the season. Sort out transport on the island before you arrive; the trailhead is not in a town.

Getting to the track. The Kaitoke Hot Springs Track starts on Whangaparapara Road, a short drive from Claris. Check the DOC map for the exact trailhead before you leave cell coverage.

The walk. DOC rates it as an easy short walk and times it at about 45 minutes to the pools, 1 hour one way on the track sign. It is flat and easy at the start and friendly for pushchairs. The path follows an ancient shoreline along the edge of the Kaitoke wetlands on boardwalks, then through regenerating kānuka forest. Listen for fernbirds and spotless crakes; orchids and sundews flower close to the track in season.

DOC’s track page lists the route in its wheelchair-accessible short walk category. Access to the pools themselves is over a natural creek bank, so contact the DOC Aotea office (0800 275 362) if you need to know the details before you go.

When to go

The springs are open all year and there is no gate or opening time. Late summer and autumn, when the island is drier, give the warmest main pool. After heavy rain, cold stream water dilutes the hot inflow.

Summer weekends and holiday periods bring the most people, often in groups walking the Aotea Track. Midweek outside the school holidays you may have the pools to yourself. Walk in daylight so you can see where you are putting your feet on the creek bank.

Rules and etiquette

Kaitoke Hot Springs is on conservation land managed by the Department of Conservation. The rules that matter most:

• No dogs on the track.
• Stay on the track. Kauri dieback disease is present in parts of New Zealand, and DOC upgraded Aotea tracks to protect kauri. Scrub all soil off your shoes and gear, and use the cleaning stations.
• Arrive pest-free. Great Barrier Island has biosecurity rules. Check, clean and seal your gear before you travel so you do not bring pests, soil or seeds.
• No soap or shampoo in the pools. They are small and the creek flows into the wetlands.
• Pack out everything you bring in.
• Respect the island. Aotea is rich in Māori heritage and archaeological sites. Leave any sites you pass as you found them.

No clothing rule is posted. Treat it as a public walking track used by families and wear a swimsuit.

Where to stay nearby

There is no camping at the springs. The nearest DOC options:

• The Green campsite at Whangaparapara, at the southern end of the Aotea Track.
• Mt Heale Hut, a serviced 20-bunk DOC hut on the Aotea Track beyond the springs. It must be booked online in advance.
• Kaiaraara Hut, a serviced 28-bunk hut near Port FitzRoy, also booked online.
• Other DOC campsites on the island include Akapoua Bay, Awana Beach and Harataonga.

Private lodges, baches and B&Bs are spread around the island’s small settlements; book ahead in summer.

The Aotea Track

Many people visit the springs as part of the Aotea Track, a one- or two-night trip using DOC huts that climbs towards Mt Hobson (Hirakimata). From the hot springs, the track makes a brief steep climb and descent, joins Tramline Track North past old logging relics, then climbs Peach Tree Track to Mt Heale Hut. DOC suggests that if you walk the loop in reverse, you finish with a soak in the pools.

DOC has a long-term alert closing part of the Kaiaraara Track, from the Kaiaraara Hut bridge to Coopers Castle Junction, on the wider Aotea Track (last reviewed October 2026). Use the South Fork Track between Mt Heale Hut and Kaiaraara Hut. The Kaitoke Hot Springs Track itself is not affected.

Safety notes

• Amoebic meningitis: DOC’s instruction is plain: do not put your head under the water in the pools. Warm natural pools in New Zealand can carry Naegleria fowleri, which can cause a rare but almost always fatal brain infection if water goes up the nose. No diving, no jumping, no ducking under, and keep children’s faces out of the water.
• Hot spots: DOC warns that stream water may be hot. Feel the water before stepping into the upstream rock pools.
• Footing: the creek bank and pool edges are muddy and slippery.
• Remoteness: Great Barrier is an island with limited services, and help can take time to arrive. Carry water, sun protection and a charged phone, and let someone know your plans.
• Black petrels: these seabirds breed on the slopes of Mt Hobson from October to May and are often on the roads at night. Drive slowly after dark.