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Tikitere - Hell's GateFor over 700 years Tikitere, or Hell's Gate, has been a sacred place to the Ngati Rangiteaorere tribe, and today is the only thermal park still owned by Maori. A treasured site of healing and revitalisation, Tikitere is named for a tragic Maori princess who threw herself into the boiling hot pool that bears her name today. Upon finding her daughter, the young wife of an abusive and shameful chief, her mother lamented, 'Aue teri nei tiki' - here lies my precious one Tikitere. Hell's Gate is Rotorua’s most active geothermal park, set on 50 acres of steaming hot springs, boiling and bubbling mud pools, spurting geysers and the miraculous scorching waterfall, Kakahi, the largest hot waterfall in the Southern Hemisphere. Hell's Gate is also home to New Zealand’s largest mud volcano and largest hot whirlpool. Some of the wonders at Hells Gate include: The Black Pool - a pond of water with a consistent temperature of about 93 degrees Celsius which cooks vegetables to perfection. Despite the black water and the sulphuric aroma, any food cooked in these velvety waters is untainted and delicious! Land Coral - the closest thing to sea corals on land these corals live and grow. Actually they are thermophyllic bacteria, bacteria that thrive on heat. These remarkable growths only exist in three areas at Hells Gate, as temperature and nutrient balance need to be just right for them to grow. The Wai Ora and Hells Gate Spas - the perfect places to unwind and experience the unique and exquisite mud baths, hot pools and therapeutic remedies provided in this Geothermal paradise. DirectionsSee a complete list of Tikitere activities. This week's featured activities in Tikitere are:
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