When Nicola suggested Hamurana Springs to us over on the Getting Lost page we were instantly intrigued. We did a bit of googling and found out even more about these amazing springs and we were hooked. We also found that there had been a fair bit of backlash when local Iwi started charging admission in 2017. We were a bit on the fence about how we felt about this but did see this attitude coming through at the gates. Having been though we 100% agree with the fee for this amazing place. It is immaculately kept and protected and for that alone it deserves our financial support – in fact we thought it was one of the best value for money things we did while we were down there….
There’s so much more to Hamurana Springs than just the springs. Here’s the things we loved most about the 2 hours we spent there….
#1 – The Redwoods
Rotorua has converted me to Redwoods for life. Standing straight and going up for metres and metres, these giants of the forest make you feel so tiny as you wander under them and are truly awe inspiring.
#2 – The colours in the water
Blues and greens swirl together in a crazy kaleidoscope along most of this picturesque walk. There’s no swimming in any of the springs so everything stays looking absolutely perfect!
#3 – 70 years of wishes
At the first spring the first thing that will capture your attention is the glints of gold, silver and bronze from the water. Not from the water but from the decades of coins that adorn the banks of the spring. We were there at the same time as a tour guide and he told me that they have found coins as old as the 1950’s there so it’s a powerful thing to be around that many wishes. More magical still is throwing in a coin. Instead of sinking to the bottom it swirls around, seemingly weightless as it tosses and turns, glints and shimmers against the force of the spring coming up from the ground
#4 – Dancing sand
The second spring has dancing sand. Fine sand pushed up into dancing bubbles as the spring water bubbles up.
It’s another magical spot in Rotorua and definitely worth exploring. Need more convincing? Here’s a few more pictures from our trip…
