Hell's Gate Geothermal Reserve Park

If you are having a spa or mud bath experience then you can either bring your own bathing attire and towels or hire them at Hells Gate. We also have swimwear for sale. If you are going to walk the geothermal park then we would suggest comfortable footwear, some sunscreen during summer as well as water as you walk around due to the heat. If it is raining bring out a suitable raincoat or you can purchase a disposable rain cape at Hells Gate for $3.50. Do not be deterred by rain as the geothermal park is at its best when it is raining (as long as it is not to heavy).

For the purposes of charging the age of a child is deemed to be under the age of 15 years. When we calculate pricing for a family it is made on the basis of two adults and two children under the age of 15 years. For children under the age of 5 years there is no charge. The mud bath are suitable for children over 2.5 years but they like all children must wear suitable bathing attire.（The sulphur spa are suitable for children over the age of 6 months. All children must be supervised by an adult at all time

Yes swim suits, shorts and towels can be hired at reception for $5.00 per item. These items are commercially laundered after each use. For those clients who are traveling on the day of arrival the hiring of these items is a good idea to save having to travel with wet items in your car.

The geothermal mud is collected from the top of the geothermal park from our hot lakes while the sulphur water is collected from our "Hurutini" hot pool which is opposite the bridge which is just passed the start of the geothermal walking track.

Each mud bath holds approximately 40 - 60 kg of geothermal mud which is both in suspension and solid form in the stainless steel containers and on the bottom of the mud baths. Many people when they first come to Hellsgate believe that the geothermal mud baths are very thick and you have to almost make a hole in it to gain entry. This has never been the case in the last 800 years of mud bath use at Hellsgate. In reviewing similar experiences around the world in central Europe and Asia as well as America the only such "thick" mud bath experiences known are in California using volcanic ash and the UK with Moor mud. As far as we are aware this is the only spa complex using geothermal mud sourced from its own geothermal park. PLEASE NOTE THAT A MUD BATH ON ITS OWN IS NOT AVAILABLE. The geothermal mud combined with the sulphur waters provides a unique gentle exfoliation of the skin leaving it smooth and soft to touch. A result that can last up to 6 weeks after the experience.. The geothermal mud and sulphur water at Hellsgate have also been known for their curative properties in respect to a number of skin disorders. To fully enjoy your mud bath experience cover yourself in the silky smooth geothermal mud in the stainless steel container in the Mud Bath. Be careful not to get it in your eyes or hair otherwise the sulphur water could run down and irritate your eyes with a temporary stinging sensation. Once covered in mud ask your spa attendant to take a photo of you with your camera or phone. If you feel that you do not have enough mud in your container please ask the spa attendant for more. The mud bath experience is controlled to a maximum of 20 minutes on the basis of safety. When first designed we had as an advisory team, two doctors , an osteopath, scientist and Komatua (Maori elders with healing knowledge) which looked at how we would be able to safety operate the mud baths taking into consideration that even though the water temperature was the same as the spa pools the heat energy stored in the mud baths is higher. In view of this and the fact that each person is different the mud bath experience was set at a maximum of 20 minutes per person and it could only be done once per day.

The sulphur spa and mud baths are suitable for children over the age of 2 years.The most important requirement is for the child to drink water while bathing to keep hydrated. This is the same requirement for adults. The other issue to be aware of is the need to ensure that the child is comfortable with the heat. Again this is the same requirement for adults.