Waiwera Hot Pools is a large thermal spa situated in Waiwera

Waiwera

Waiwera is a locality situated in the north of the Auckland Region in New Zealand. The name is of Māori origin and means "Hot Water" . Its main claim to fame are the hot water springs which were well-known in pre-European times and reputedly visited by Māori from as far away as Thames...

, just north of Auckland

Auckland

The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...

, New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

. The park is New Zealand's largest water park. The complex claims 350,000 visitors per year and consists of 26 pools plus various slides.

History

The presence of hot springs

Hot spring

A hot spring is a spring that is produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater from the Earth's crust. There are geothermal hot springs in many locations all over the crust of the earth.-Definitions:...

 bubbling up through the sands of Waiwera Beach was known to Māori in pre-European times, and the name Waiwera means 'hot water'. Commercialisation commenced in 1875 when Scottish-born entrepreneur Robert Graham

Robert Graham (New Zealand)

Robert Graham was a 19th century New Zealand politician in the Auckland area.He represented the Southern Division electorate in the 2nd New Zealand Parliament from 1855 to 1860, and then represented the Franklin electorate in the 3rd Parliament and the 4th Parliament from 1861 to 1868, when he...

built bathing facilities at the beach and a hotel nearby.

Future

Work is underway at the resort to develop Geyser Island and The Lazy River. This work is due to be completed in summer 2011. The Twister, Black Hole and Speed Slides are all still open, along with all pools, while these developments are underway.