The Lost Spring

What to expect

The Lost Spring is a geothermal spa built from scratch on a former holiday camp in Whitianga, on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula. It does not look like a natural hot spring and does not try to. The pools are landscaped rock basins set in native bush and tropical planting, linked by small waterfalls and overlooked by an artificial volcano. Think of it as a themed adult day spa that happens to sit on real geothermal water.

The water is the genuine part. It is pumped from a bore roughly 667 m (about 2,190 ft) underground on the property, reaches the surface at around 119°F48.5°C, and cools as it flows downhill through the complex. The pools run from about 90-106°F32°C to 41°C. The hottest is the crater pool beneath the volcano, which the operator describes as very hot. From there water moves through a cave-like grotto into cooler areas, so you can change temperature by changing pools. None of the pools is deeper than chest height. The operator markets the water as 16,000 years old and rich in minerals; treat that as the operator’s description rather than a measured fact.

Around the pools are poolside drink service, water stations, an outdoor hot rinse, the Treetop Day Spa and the Lagoonside Restaurant, which serves breakfast, mains, platters and cocktails either indoors or at the water.

History

The Lost Spring is the project of a former dairy farmer who bought the Whitianga holiday camp in the 1980s and became convinced that a lost thermal spring from local legend lay beneath the land. Accounts of the search describe three failed drilling attempts, each costing several hundred thousand dollars. One well reached about 320 m in 1989 and produced only rusty water. A fourth bore, about 60 m from the first, hit hot water at 667 m. The spa opened in 2008 after spending of close to NZ$7 million on the facility itself.

Getting there

The Lost Spring is at 121A Cook Drive, Whitianga, a short walk from the town centre and the marina. Whitianga is on State Highway 25 on the eastern side of the Coromandel Peninsula.

• From Auckland: Drive south on SH1 and SH2, then take SH25 through Thames. From there you can go over the Coromandel range on SH25A towards Kopu-Hikuai and north up the east coast, or follow SH25 around the top of the peninsula through Coromandel town. Allow about two and a half to three hours.
• From Hamilton or Tauranga: Join SH25 or SH25A and head north up the east coast through Tairua.

The Coromandel roads are winding and slow, and slips after heavy rain are common on the peninsula. Check the NZ Transport Agency road status before you leave. Parking is on site.

When to go

The pools are open all year. The current published hours run Thursday to Sunday: 9.30am to 7pm on Thursday and Sunday, and 9.30am to 9pm on Friday and Saturday. The restaurant opens at 9am and the day spa runs 9.30am to 7pm on the same days. The operator’s site lists only those four days, so check before planning a Monday to Wednesday visit.

Whitianga fills up over the Christmas and January school holidays and on long weekends. A cooler autumn or winter evening, when the steam is visible and the town is quiet, gets you the pools with fewer people. Friday and Saturday evenings stay open latest.

Prices and booking

Pool passes are timed. Published prices per person (2026):

Option	What it includes	Price
2 Hour Pool Pass	Two hours in the pools	NZ$75
Dip and Dine	2-hour pass plus breakfast or a main	NZ$85 or NZ$110
Sip, Dip and Dine	1-hour pass, main meal, cocktail	NZ$110
Pool Combo	2-hour pass, platter, cocktail or mocktail, robe and towel	NZ$135
Signature Package	Pool Combo plus a 30-minute treatment	NZ$215

The Signature Package can be upgraded to a 60-minute treatment for NZ$95 more. The operator says no public holiday surcharge currently applies.

• Booking: Book pools online. Booking is recommended for the pools and restaurant on weekends and holidays, and is required for spa treatments (email the day spa).
• Towels and robes: Included only in packages. Otherwise bring your own or hire towels, robes and slippers at reception.
• Swimwear: Required. You can buy a suit at reception. Pick something dark or old, as the minerals can fade light fabric.
• Jewellery: Remove silver before you go in; the minerals tarnish it. Lockers are available.
• After soaking: The operator suggests towelling off rather than rinsing, though an outdoor hot rinse is there if you want it.

Age rules

Pool entry is for ages 14 and over, and under-18s must be with an adult. Spa treatments are 16+. The restaurant welcomes all ages, so a family can eat together, but younger children cannot go into the pools. Staff may ask anyone who appears under 25 for photo ID (a current New Zealand driver licence or a passport) before serving alcohol. Pregnant guests should check with a health provider first; the spa does not offer massage in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.

Where to stay nearby

There is no accommodation at The Lost Spring, but Whitianga has plenty within walking distance: motels along Albert Street and the waterfront, holiday parks, lodges and a large stock of holiday homes. The operator’s Plan Your Visit page lists local options. Cooks Beach and Ferry Landing, across the harbour by the passenger ferry, are quieter bases. Book well ahead for January.

Safety notes

• Heat: The crater pool at the top end is very hot. Start in a cooler pool, keep soaks in the hottest water short, and drink water from the stations. Mixing alcohol and hot water raises the risk of fainting.
• Head above water: As with any geothermal pool in New Zealand, do not put your head under or let water go up your nose.
• Footing: Rock edges and steps are wet and can be slippery.
• Health: Check with a doctor first if you are pregnant or have a heart condition.

Nearby stops worth adding

The Lost Spring is not the only hot water on this coast. Hot Water Beach, about 40 minutes south near Hahei, lets you dig your own pool in the sand around low tide. Cathedral Cove is close to Hahei too, and Whitianga’s glass-bottom boat trips run from the marina. Further south in the Waikato, Te Aroha Mineral Spas has hot mineral water in a historic domain.