Wairakei Terraces and Thermal Health Spa

What to expect

Wairakei Terraces and Thermal Health Spa is a small geothermal bathing site on the edge of the Wairākei steamfield, a few minutes’ drive north of Taupō. It is two things in one place: a walk through a built geothermal landscape, with silica terraces and a geyser, and a set of mineral pools for ages 14 and over that sit at the bottom of the terraces.

Wairākei once had a famous geyser valley and natural silica formations. Geothermal power development took them away. The terraces here were created as a tribute to what was lost. Geothermal fluid is drawn from about 1.5 km (nearly a mile) below the surface and run over shaped steps, where it cools and drops silica, slowly building blue-white terraces the way nature does. The operator and Destination Great Lake Taupō describe them as the world’s first man-made silica terraces, and compare them to the Pink and White Terraces lost in the 1886 Tarawera eruption.

The site is owned and run by a family from Ngāti Tūwharetoa, the iwi of the Taupō district, who opened the pools in 2002. Māori have long bathed in silica and mineral water below natural terraces and at river junctions for wellbeing, and the operator frames the spa as a continuation of that practice in its own rohe.

The pools

The mineral pools are below the terraces, surrounded by bush. The operator’s site describes them as both three and four pools, each at a different heat; it does not publish temperatures, so none are given here. The water is mineral-rich geothermal water. Pools and the pool area are strictly for ages 14 and over, and staff may ask for proof of age (passport, birth certificate or student ID) if they think you are younger.

There is a cafeteria on site, and spa treatments using indigenous herbal oils and balms are offered alongside the pools.

The Terrace Walk

The self-guided Terrace Walk takes about an hour and follows Te Kiri o Hinekai Stream through native bush, with birdsong and steam drifting off the water. Pools on this stream were traditionally used by Māori for healing and bathing; the stream is now looked after as a home for native birds and plants. Along the way:

• The silica terraces, where silica-rich water spills over blue pools and steps.
• A geyser, also man-made, fed by superheated fluid from more than 1.5 km down.
• Carvings placed along the walk that tell stories of Ngāti Tūwharetoa ancestors and heritage.

Guided walks are available but must be booked in advance. The walk is open to all ages, so this is the part of the visit that works for families.

Getting there

Wairakei Terraces is at 671 Wairakei Drive, Wairākei, on the old main road just north of Taupō town.

• From Taupō town: Head north out of town on SH1, then follow Wairakei Drive. It is a short drive of about 10 minutes, passing the turn-offs for Huka Falls and the Wairakei Tourist Park.
• From Rotorua: Drive south on SH5 for about an hour, then join SH1 north of Taupō and turn onto Wairakei Drive.

There is parking at the entrance. The steaming pipes and cooling plant of the Wairākei geothermal power scheme are visible along the road nearby.

When to go

Hours are 8am to 9pm Friday to Wednesday, and 8am to 7pm on Thursday. The spa is open all year except Christmas Day, and some public holiday hours vary.

Taupō is busiest in the summer holidays and on long weekends. The pools are at their best after dark on a cold evening, when the terraces steam and the coach groups that visit Huka Falls and Craters of the Moon in the daytime have left. A late weekday swim is the quietest time. Thursday closes earlier, so do not plan a late soak that day.

Prices and booking

Published prices (2026):

Item	Price
Swim admission (14 years and over)	NZ$27
Terrace Walk, adult	NZ$15
Terrace Walk, child (5-12)	NZ$7.50
30-minute relaxation massage	NZ$85
60-minute relaxation massage	NZ$115
60-minute hot stone massage	NZ$135
60-minute remedial massage	NZ$145
30 or 60-minute facial	NZ$85 or NZ$130

Swim admission is bought online. Spa treatments are request-to-book and must be prepaid. The operator does not list towel or locker details online, so bring your own towel and ask at reception. Contact: +64 7 378 0913, info@wairakeiterraces.co.nz.

Where to stay nearby

There is no accommodation at the spa. Taupō, about 10 minutes south, has motels, holiday parks, lake-view hotels and backpacker hostels, many along Lake Terrace. Wairākei itself has a large resort hotel and golf course a short distance along the same road. Rotorua is about an hour north if you are touring the geothermal belt.

Safety notes

• Head above water: Keep your head above the geothermal water and do not let it go up your nose, the standard precaution for natural hot water in New Zealand.
• Thermal features: Stay on the paths on the Terrace Walk. The terraces, geyser and stream carry very hot water.
• Heat: Move between the cooler and hotter pools, keep soaks short and drink water. Check with a doctor first if you are pregnant or have a heart condition.

Nearby stops worth adding

Huka Falls and Craters of the Moon are both a few minutes away. For a soak with children, the free Otumuheke Stream runs into the Waikato River at Spa Thermal Park on the way back into Taupō, and Taupō DeBretts Hot Springs has family pools and slides. At the southern end of the lake, Tokaanu Thermal Pools has cheap private mineral pools, and north on SH5, Waikite Valley Thermal Pools runs untreated geothermal water from Te Manaroa Spring.