OUR STORY
A SENSE OF PLACE
Overlooking Mokoia Island and Lake Rotorua, Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa is a Ngāti Whakaue-owned geothermal wellness destination shaped by wai (water), whenua (land) and generations of cultural knowledge.
We honour the tūpuna (ancestors) who walked this whenua long before us by carrying their connection to the geothermal landscape into experiences created for restoration, reflection and reconnection.
Here, te ao Māori (the Māori worldview), manaakitanga (hospitality and care) and the restorative qualities of geothermal wai come together in a living expression of this place.
GROUNDED IN CULTURE
Haere whakamua, hoki whakamuri – Looking to the past to support the future.
Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa is proudly owned by Ngāti Whakaue, whose relationship with Rotorua and its geothermal landscape extends across generations.
This connection is central to who we are. It shapes the way manuhiri (guests) are welcomed, the way experiences are created and the way the stories of this place are carried forward.
Wai Ariki Spa is grounded in te ao Māori and Ngāti Whakaue traditions. Manaakitanga, care for people and respect for whenua are not additions to the experience. They are the foundation from which it has been created.
WAI ARIKI
Wai Ariki means “Chiefly Waters”, a name that reflects the significance of geothermal wai to Rotorua and to the cultural narratives that shape this place.
The name is closely connected to the pūrākau (traditional story) of Ngātoroirangi, a revered ancestor, ariki (chief) and tohunga (expert and spiritual leader) of the Te Arawa people. After arriving in Aotearoa aboard the Te Arawa waka (canoe), Ngātoroirangi travelled inland to explore the new lands. That journey would become inseparable from the origins of Rotorua’s geothermal waters.
Through this story, Wai Ariki Spa’s name becomes more than a reference to water itself. It reflects the enduring relationship between people, place and the geothermal landscape that continues to shape Rotorua today.
THE ORIGINS OF THE GEOTHERMAL WATERS
NGĀTOROIRANGI CALLS FOR WARMTH
Not long after the Te Arawa waka (canoe) landed at Maketū, Ngātoroirangi travelled inland to explore the new lands. His journey eventually took him to Tongariro, where he was overtaken by snow, ice and freezing winds while ascending the maunga (mountain).
Far from the warmth of the coast and fearing for his life, he called across the distance to his sisters, Haungaroa and Kuiwai, who remained in Hawaiki. He asked them to send the heat and fire he needed to survive. Based on the cultural narrative already referenced elsewhere in your files, Haungaroa and Kuiwai respond to his call by sending Te Pupu and Te Hoata to carry warmth to him.
Hearing his call, Haungaroa and Kuiwai sent the ahi tupua (supernatural fire beings), Te Pupu and Te Hoata, to carry warmth to him. Their response began a journey beneath the whenua, bringing fire from Hawaiki towards Aotearoa and the frozen heights of Tongariro.
A JOURNEY OF FIRE AND WARMTH
As Te Pupu and Te Hoata travelled beneath the whenua, they emerged at places along their path. Their passage left geothermal activity across the landscape, from steaming vents and bubbling pools to ngāwhā (hot springs), mud pools and volcanic activity. The path of warmth continued through the North Island until it reached Tongariro and Ngātoroirangi.
The heat they carried warmed the wai on the maunga, allowing Ngātoroirangi to enter the hot pool and regain the warmth that saved his life. The geothermal features left along the journey remain part of the living landscape today, shaping Rotorua and the relationship between Ngāti Whakaue, the whenua and its geothermal waters.
This pūrākau (traditional story) connects the arrival of geothermal heat with the meaning of Wai Ariki, “Chiefly Waters”. At Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa, it provides an important cultural foundation for understanding why geothermal wai is more than a natural resource. It carries a story of whakapapa (ancestral connection), survival and the enduring relationship between people and place.
From Traditional Practice to Wai Whakaora
The elders of Ngāti Whakaue have long known and used the waters of their whenua for therapy and restoration. They visited waiariki (hot springs) alongside contrasting waipuna (cold springs), drawing on the relationship between water, temperature and wellbeing.
These inherited practices are at the heart of Wai Whakaora (Restorative Waters), the Restorative Journey. The contemporary two-hour experience moves through geothermal water, heat, cold, mud and steam, creating a deliberate journey from arrival to restoration.
Inspired by generations of knowledge and connection to the geothermal landscape, Wai Whakaora offers a contemporary expression of traditions that continue to shape the relationship between Ngāti Whakaue and the waters of Rotorua today.
THE STORY CONTINUES
From the arrival of Ngātoroirangi to the traditions of Ngāti Whakaue and the experiences shared today, the story of Wai Ariki Spa is inseparable from the geothermal waters of Rotorua.
Shaped by wai (water), whenua (land) and generations of cultural knowledge, Wai Ariki Spa continues a connection between people and place that has endured for centuries.
We invite you to experience that connection for yourself.
Operating Hours
Wai Ariki Spa is open every day of the year except Christmas Day.
Summer, November to April: 9am–11pm (last entry 8:00pm)
Winter, May to October: 9am–10:30pm (last entry 8:30pm)
Individual experience, café and retail hours are available here
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