Overview
Savour a superb blend of environmental beauty, history & culture combined with a hot pool soak. Enjoy an exhilarating water taxi ride across Lake Tarawera through the Te Ariki Arm to Hot Water Beach. There, you can explore the amazing geothermal area along the lake's edge—the sand is warm enough for a fisherman to cook freshly caught trout! Board the boat again for a short journey along the bush-lined lake edge to the Natural Bush Hot Pool. You will have around 30 minutes to lie back in the crystal-clear tempered waters and enjoy the unspoiled native forest environment or swim in the lake.
What you will be doing
You will first take a stunning 20-min boat tour across the beautiful Lake Tarawera to the shores of Hot Water Beach. Along the way, you will learn about the area's extraordinary Māori and geothermal history and the unique ecosystem from your guide.
The sand is warm enough for a fisherman to cook freshly caught trout!
Board the boat again for a short journey along the bush-lined lake edge to the Natural Bush Hot Pool. You will have around 30 minutes to lie back in the crystal-clear tempered waters and enjoy the unspoiled native forest environment or swim in the lake.
Where we'll meet
🧭 Meeting/pick-up point: Kariri Point Boat Ramp
🗺️ Instructions: Kariri Point Reserve is the embarking and disembarking point for your boat journey across Lake Tarawera. There is ample parking.
Things to know
Accessibility:
Children friendly
Fitness requirement
Any fitness level
Tour Language
English
License requirement
None
Additional information:
Wear good walking shoes (Tramping boots not required)
Bring drinking water, swimming togs and towel, and sunscreen
Inclusion ✅
Tour guide
Tour transport
Refreshments
Exclusion ❌
Gratuities
Water
Pick up and drop off transport
About your host
Totally TaraweraWe are a whānau (family) owned and operated business here at Lake Tarawera in Rotorua, New Zealand. We take great pride in warmly welcoming manuhiri (visitors) to our region. Manaakitanga (hospitality) is one of the core values that drives the way we do business especially on our own tribal lands here at Tarawera. As hosts, we care for our customers and our team as our own whānau. Our tourism roots extend back to when our ancestors were the guides for many of the first Europeans coming to visit New Zealand’s first tourism attraction, the “Pink and White Terraces,” then considered the Eighth Wonder of the World. Karen, our Head Guide, is a granddaughter of Sofia – one of Rotorua’s most famous local tourism guides. Tourism allows us to host manuhiri, reconnect with our roto (lakes), ngāmaunga (mountain) and provide lasting memories for our customers. Through our storytelling based experiences we are also able to share one of our tribe’s most precious treasures –the stories of our traditions. *Mō tātou, ā, mō kā uri, ā muri ake nei* *For us and our children after us*
Qualmark Silver: Qualmark works with Tourism New Zealand to help the tourism industry deliver high-quality experiences and maintain a high level of visitor satisfaction. Only businesses that deliver a quality sustainable experience, ones that have undergone an independent evaluation, and showcase true New Zealand hospitality, are recognised through a Qualmark accreditation. It has three levels: Gold, Silver and Bronze.
For every trip booked, Kodama Travel donates £1 to Just One Tree to restore our forests and the ocean.