Dig Your Own Spa at Hot Water Beach New Zealand

You haven’t experienced the ultimate beach vacation until you’ve traveled to south of Mercury Bay on New Zealand’s Pacific coast.

The volcanoes provide hot water at extreme heat traveling through deep underwater reservoirs providing around 16 liters per minute of hot water reaching around 63 degrees Celsius, or approximately 145 Fahrenheit. The hot springs are located at the beach, not your average location, which is why people flock here to experience the mineral dense waters that fill the hole they dig for themselves.

You take a good-sized shovel or deep scoop and a bucket to carry cool ocean water into your man-made spa to offset the hot temperatures. Arrive before low tide to figure out where you’ll be digging prior to the crowd of people you’ll likely encounter at this popular beach, and during low tide you’ll see bubbles formulated where you can start digging for your personal pool of hot water.

Check the rip tides, low and high tides, as you don’t want to be carried out on the rip tides which poor swimmers are more vulnerable to. Volunteer lifeguards are on the beach. Remember that winter in New Zealand is during North American summers. There are charts on the net to show high and low tide times at this beach.

There is no camping at this beach. There is a refreshment and snack shop at the parking lot. If you want to stay in the area, try Auntie Dawn’s Place, which has fully equipped kitchen units for your convenience, or restaurants just down the block. Ocean View Cottage with two bedrooms is another option, with views of Hot Water Beach.

The beauty of this location is phenomenal. Hot Water Beach has been voted one of the top ten beaches in the world, with its white sands, incredible sunsets and bubbling springs at the beach. If you are looking for a destination in New Zealand for a family beach vacation, you’ll likely be thrilled with this holiday spot.

Directions: take hwy 25 to Whenuakite where you’ll see signs for Hot Water Beach, Cook’s Beach, and Hahei Cathedral Cove.