The hot spring is a small stream and flows downhill through natural bush. There is a good old kiwi corrugated iron changing shed there. Bathers have excavated small smooth rocks to form their own little hot pools that you can sit next to and enjoy the hot water cascading down. It’s a very effective way to ease aches and pains after a hard tramp. It’s a good idea to be aware of the dangers of theft from vehicles parked at the beginning of the track down to the pools and to ensure that you don’t leave valuable items in your car. [Pat MacKay, Auckland]
Kerosene Creek
In Nature
35km south of Rotorua (on the way to Taupo)
Description
Directions
Heading south from Rotorua on the road to Taupo (about 30km), pass the turn off to Murupara on your left, pass a lake on your right, then take the next left turn, just past a small bridge (only about 1/2 km from the Murupara turnoff). The signpost is Old Waiotapu Road. Trip your odometre at the start of this forestry road. Stop exactly 2.2km down the road and pull over to the grass verge on the right. Follow the path down a couple of hundred metres beside the stream to the pool itself. Enjoy. [Rowena Yalland, New Zealand]
Interactive Map
Bather Reviews
Temperature was 20 degrees. Beautiful spot but I’ve heard the temperature fluctuates wildly and with sooo much rain this year it was only barely warmed. BUT -a beautiful place to get wet. Swimming under a waterfall at any temperature is great!
24 Sept 21 Many fallen trees over the track. Water temp was only Luke warm.
the road in is badly in need of the grader again
Have been going here for over 30 years… Its been a couple of years between soaks… The smelly short drop is defo better that people using the bush as a loo… But the number of rats was a bit gross… In the carpark and not scared of people…. Is one thing.. But when they join you in the pool for…
As we in the Wai O Tapu area we decided to visit kerosene creek again. We were saddened by what had become of the falls and pool. All generally scruffy and someone had put large stones across the stream to deepen the pool. It has lost its natural allure. Further upstream, halfway to the carpark things were better. There is…
it was amazing we went there at about 9,10 at night and there was nobody there, it was super nice with a lot of mini water falls, we went to the spot right at the front and it was lovely, so lovely we went back the next day, except we went at 12pm and it was packed! we had to…
Too popular now. Very crowded with people. Lots of rubbish. Car park has glass everywhere from broken car windows. The site needs someone to take charge and upgrade it to handle the heavy use.
Stopped by here on Monday 14 July 2017. Whilst some travellers describe to access road as if it was tough, it is just a short gravel forestry road and would not be considered difficult by local drivers. The track to the hot pool can be muddy but it’s only a few minutes walk through the bush to the hot pools.…
We visit this place every summer. This year in March is was unbearably HOT, too hot for the children to enjoy. At the time I wondered whether the temperature was connected to geothermal activity in the area. Has anyone been recently given the slew of earthquakes?
Beautiful creek, HOT! good size pool dug out with a sandy bottom, longdrop toilet at the carpark, road has been re done so there are no potholes.