Ngā Hua o Mōrere (Mōrere Hot Springs)

What to expect

Ngā Hua o Mōrere, still widely called Mōrere Hot Springs, is a small public hot pool complex at the entrance to the Mōrere Springs Scenic Reserve, on the main road between Wairoa and Gisborne. The Department of Conservation (DOC) runs it together with Rongomaiwahine and Rakaipaaka, and the name Ngā Hua o Mōrere marks that shared leadership.

The water is unusual. DOC calls it a rare example of a natural salt water hot spring: about 250,000 litres a day of hot, mineral-rich water that is salty like the sea. It rises from a fractured fault crossing the Mangakawa valley, 300 m upstream from the Nikau Pools, and is piped down to the pools. DOC does not publish pool temperatures.

The setting is the other half of the appeal. The 364-hectare reserve is one of the last tracts of coastal native forest on the East Coast, and nīkau palms are everywhere. Expect birdsong rather than hydroslides: this is a quiet, old-fashioned place, not a big aquatic centre.

The pools

DOC’s Wairoa walks brochure lists three kinds of pool:

• Private pools, for your own group.
• A large open pool in the main complex.
• The Nikau Pools, a group of pools at different temperatures, up in the bush on the Nikau Loop Track.
• A large cold pool for cooling off on hot summer days, or after a walk.

There are no lifeguards. Children 12 and under must be supervised by an adult. Bring a swimsuit and a towel, and bring drinking water: the spring water is not safe to drink, though bottled water is sold on site.

Prices and booking

Prices posted by DOC (2026):

• Adult: NZ$20
• Child (5 to 18): NZ$12
• Kaumātua and seniors: NZ$14
• Families: the first adult and first child pay full price, and each extra adult and child pays half.
• Concessions and groups: multi-trip passes and group discounts are available. Ask at the kiosk.

You do not need to book the public pools. Ask at the kiosk about private pools.

Hours: DOC lists Thursday to Monday, 10am to 5pm, closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Two regional tourism listings give 11am to 6pm, and one says the springs close on New Year’s Day, 2 January, Waitangi Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day, King’s Birthday, Labour Day, Hawke’s Bay Anniversary Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. DOC asks visitors to check the Mōrere Hot Springs Facebook page for updates before travelling. The phone number is 06 837 8856.

Rankers reported in December 2023 that the pools had closed over concerns about septic system contamination. Hawke’s Bay Tourism now lists them as reopened, and DOC’s page shows normal hours and prices.

Getting there

The springs are on State Highway 2 at 3968 SH2, Mōrere.

• From Gisborne: Drive south on SH2 for 52 km (32 miles).
• From Wairoa: Drive north-east on SH2 for 40 km (25 miles), through Nūhaka. The springs are 15 km (9 miles) past Nūhaka.
• From Napier: Follow SH2 north to Wairoa, then continue as above.

Parking is free and next to the entrance. DOC warns that visibility is limited at the bridge end of the car park, so take care pulling in and out onto the highway.

When to go

The pools are open all year on their Thursday to Monday schedule, so pick the day first. Weekends and school holidays are the likeliest times for a crowd, so a Thursday or Friday is the safer bet for a quiet soak.

Winter is a good time for a hot soak, but DOC advises against the walking tracks in wet weather, when they get slippery and muddy and windfalls and slips are more likely. German wasps are common in summer, so take care if you are allergic.

Walks in the reserve

Four tracks start from the main entrance. You can also reach them through the pool complex, but then you pay pool entry.

• Nikau Loop Track (20 minutes, loop): upgraded in 2016 to an all-weather track with steps and bridges over every stream. It is easy, family-friendly and passes the Nikau Pools, so you can stop for a soak and carry on down to the main complex.
• Ridge Track (2 hours, 2.5 km / 1.6 miles): a more demanding climb through tall forest to a ridge of black beech, lancewood and mingimingi, with views over the forest and farm hills.
• Mangakawa Track (2 hours 30 minutes, 3.3 km / 2.1 miles): nicknamed the “stairway to heaven” and suited to fit trampers. It follows the Mangakawa Stream past waterfalls and small gorges and the source of the hot pools, with several stream crossings and rock-hopping. Check conditions at reception if it has been wet.
• Cemetery Track (10 minutes): a short link from the cemetery off Tunanui Road to the Ridge Track.

Stay on the track and follow the orange markers. Pest control is carried out in the reserve.

Rules and etiquette

• Keep your head out of the hot and warm pools. DOC’s rule, and an important one: see the safety notes.
• Supervise children 12 and under at all times.
• Pay before you use the pools, including if you pass through on the walking tracks.
• Respect the place. The reserve is closely associated with Ngāti Rakaipaaka and Ngāi Te Rakato, with links to Ngāi Tama, Ngāi Tu, Ngāi Tarewa and Ngāti Uaha. Its traditional name is Ngā Wai Ariki o Ngāti Rakaipaaka. The forest was a source of food, rongoā (medicines) and weaving materials, and it remains a place of cultural value. Leave plants and stones where they are.

History

The springs have been called Mōrere only since the late 1890s. When the surrounding land was cleared for farming in the 1880s, the bush around the springs was spared. A totara-slab bathhouse went up in the early 1890s, a hotel opened beside the springs in 1897, and a permanent caretaker was appointed in 1923. The hotel was a resort in the 1920s and 1930s and later a tavern, until fire destroyed it in 1994.

Where to stay nearby

• Mōrere Lodge is across the road from the springs.
• Gisborne, 52 km north, and Wairoa, 40 km south-west, have motels, holiday parks and supermarkets.
• Māhia Peninsula, reached from Nūhaka, has beaches and the 2 hour 30 minute Mahia Peninsula Scenic Reserve loop track.

Safety notes

• Amoebic meningitis: DOC tells bathers not to put their heads under the hot or warm pools. Warm geothermal water in New Zealand can carry Naegleria fowleri, which enters through the nose and causes a rare, usually fatal meningitis.
• Heat: Take breaks and drink water, especially after a walk.
• Tracks: The longer tracks are steep in places and the Mangakawa Track crosses the stream. Wear sturdy shoes and skip them in heavy rain.
• Highway: Visibility is limited at the bridge end of the car park, so take care turning on and off SH2.

Nearby stops worth adding

Mangaone Caves Historic Reserve is a 40-minute walk over private farmland to a limestone cave with stalactites, reached by turning off SH2 about 5 km (3 miles) south of Mōrere and driving 6 km up unsealed Mangaone Road. Take a torch, leave gates as you find them, and expect mud in winter. The caves were an important place for Ngāti Rakaipaaka and hold kōiwi (human remains), so treat them with care.