Spotlight on . . . Rotorua’s Wai Ariki

From August, visitors to the North Island’s steaming centre can soak their stress away in a new mineral bathing experience.

Wai Ariki Hot Springs And Spa has been six years in the making. It comprises two spa areas on the newly transformed lakefront in

Rotorua. Te A¯ huru Mo¯ wai (or The Sanctuary) is billed as a premium space for bathing and spa treatments, featuring a geothermal soaking pool, priest pool and stargazing pool for twilight bathing overlooking Nga¯ti Whakaue mountain. Visitors looking for an intimate experience, can upgrade to candlelit, pool-side dining.

The Wai Whakaora (Restorative Journey) complex is a cultural wellness experience based around the principles, practices and stories of the Nga¯ti Whakaue tribe, designed to maximise therapeutic benefit.

A series of hot geothermal pools and cold plunge pools will ‘‘cleanse and bless your body and journey’’, and a herbal pool surrounded by native plants kawakawa and koromiko will ‘‘support calmness and relaxation’’.

It also features a mud experience, a steam room with heated stones and a frigidarium cold room.

Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa general manager, Rania Sears, says the complex builds on Rotorua’s thermal holistic healing and rejuvenation legacy.

‘‘There are many experiences to choose from, all of which are devoted to replenishing the body and mind to achieve health and wellbeing in a truly unique cultural experience.’’

Bookings for Wai Ariki’s wellness and spa experiences can be made from August 1. Sessions are from $160 a person, including, towels, robes, slippers and lockers. Take a virtual tour of the complex at wai-ariki.co.nz.