Hot 'n' Cold vs Kerosene Creek: Which Free Hot Pool Should You Visit?

Quick comparison

Kerosene Creek: the scenic classic

Kerosene Creek is the free hot pool most people picture when they think of Rotorua. A warm geothermal stream runs through native bush and drops over a small waterfall into a pool, about 35km south of the city. It is almost completely undeveloped, reached by a short walk beside the stream.

The water runs consistently hot, which is the main thing to know before you go. It is a proper soak rather than a paddle, but if you struggle with heat, you may only last a few minutes at a time.

How to get there

1. Drive south from Rotorua on State Highway 5 toward Taupō, about 30km.
2. Pass the Murupara turnoff on your left, then take the next left, about 500m further on and just past a small bridge. This is Old Waiotapu Road.
3. Follow the gravel forestry road for 2.2km and pull over on the grass verge on the right.
4. Walk a couple of hundred metres downhill beside the stream to the pools.

Pros

• The most scenic setting of Rotorua's free pools, with bush all around
• Deep enough for a full-body soak under the waterfall
• A proper sense of being out in nature

Cons

• Runs hot, with no way to cool it down
• Can get busy, especially on weekends and holidays
• Facilities are basic at best. Visitors report a long-drop toilet and a corrugated iron changing shed at the car park, but do not count on them, and there are no bins.

Hot 'n' Cold: the adjustable soak

Hot 'n' Cold is where a hot thermal stream and a cold freshwater stream meet either side of a small bridge off Waiotapu Loop Road. Small dams have created shallow pools, and the temperature changes depending on where you sit. Move toward the hot side for more heat or the cold side to cool off. That flexibility is why some locals rate it above Kerosene Creek.

How to get there

1. From central Rotorua, drive south past Te Puia onto State Highway 5, about 31km in total.
2. Turn onto Waiotapu Loop Road, opposite the Waiotapu Tavern.
3. Take the second turnoff along the loop road and follow it about 100m to a small bridge.
4. Park on the roadside. The hot stream is on the Rotorua side of the bridge.

Pros

• You control the temperature
• Easy to reach, right by the road
• Close to the free Waiotapu Mud Pools and Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland

Cons

• Mostly shallow, so it is more of a sit and lie than a deep soak
• Uneven streambed with sudden drops to thigh height
• Surges of hotter water can come through, so you need to be able to move quickly
• Grit in the water and broken glass reported on the banks at times
• Less scenic than Kerosene Creek
• No toilets or changing rooms

Which should you visit?

If you head to Kawerau for the Maurie Kjar pools, check the hours before you drive out, since the complex closes for about three weeks of maintenance each October.

Safety at both pools

The same rules apply at both:

• Keep your head above the water. Untreated geothermal water in New Zealand carries a small risk of amoebic meningitis, which enters through the nose. Do not dunk, dive or splash your face.
• Test the water before getting in, and get out if it suddenly gets hotter.
• Watch your footing on rocks and uneven streambeds.
• Go in daylight. Neither spot is lit.
• Take all rubbish home. There are no bins at either pool.
• Do not leave valuables in your car at the roadside.

What to bring

A towel, water shoes or jandals, a change of clothes and drinking water. Changing facilities are basic or non-existent, so wear togs under your clothes. Old togs are a good idea, since mineral water can discolour fabric. On the way back, a small store near the Waiotapu Tavern sells coffee, pies and local honey.

Doing both in one trip

The easiest plan is a morning loop south of Rotorua:

1. Arrive at Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland by 9:45am for the 10:15am Lady Knox Geyser, or skip it to keep the day free.
2. View the free Waiotapu Mud Pools on Waiotapu Loop Road.
3. Soak at Hot 'n' Cold, a few minutes away on the same loop road.
4. Finish at Kerosene Creek for a deeper soak before heading back to town.

One to skip

Older guides sometimes list the Waterfall Spout Bath near Waiotapu as a third free option. Do not go. It is on private land, with a trespass notice at the entrance gate, geothermal activity has since reshaped the pool and left the ground around it soft and unstable, and at least one bather has needed hospital treatment for burns from the hot sand. Stick to Kerosene Creek and Hot 'n' Cold.