By Turner Wright

As one of the great adventure capitals of the world, New Zealand boasts an impressive array of activities for travellers: bungy jumping in Queenstown, skydiving in Taupo, Zorbing in Rotorua. Not to mention a full assortment of hot springs in which to ease those weary bones after a long day on the road.

To many travellers familiar with hot springs around the world, most of New Zealand's should come as a pleasant surprise, especially those located on the South Island. The main problem with the hot springs on the North Island is determining which pools are "authentic". In Rotorua, a town practically full to the brim with hot water - and smelling strongly of sulphur - nearly every motel and motor inn advertises their features: Sky TV, high speed internet, and hot pools. Catch the scam? Of course not. You would think by spending the evening in an establishment in the heart of a hot spring village you would be entitled to soak in real hot spring water (as opposed to heated tap water). Unfortunately, the sign you should have been seeking was "mineral pools", not hot pools; the terminology varies by location.

I suppose there are certain slang terms and ways of deceiving cash customers in any country... hot pools, hot springs, mineral pools... you can't go wrong with the name waiariki; the original Maori term, meaning "chiefly waters", which commonly refers to outdoor pools in the countryside, as opposed to some of the more family friendly resorts like Miranda - they may claim to have the largest hot pool in the southern hemisphere, but that doesn't change the fact it's nothing more than a glorified water park, designed to entertain kids rather than cater to those seeking to enjoy a quiet soak as the sun slowly sets.

These are the most chiefly waters I know on New Zealand's North Island.

1) Ngawha Springs, Northland

Ngawha (pronounced "nafa") is the sole source of mineral pools in Northland. Well off the beaten path and not mentioned in Lonely Planet, these waiariki pools vary in temperature and mineral content. If you feel like getting scalded or have skin as tough as the first Maori to take a soak, check out the Bull Dog bath at 45 degrees C. Want to ease into the hotter ones first? Soloman is a favourite of mine at 36 degrees, and I also enjoyed the rich milky baths on the other side of the complex to cool off. Best of all, these waters are in wooden tubs crafted from native wood, set in an area so remote it's unlikely to ever be full to the brim with tourists or families. Word of warning: don't plan to keep whatever bathing suit you choose to wear; the minerals will stain almost any material a nice off-colour puke, and leave it smelling like delicious sulphur. Hold off on showering after you visit; although the smell may not be best suited to help you pick up members of the opposite sex, the minerals will continue revitalizing your skin as long as it remains.

2) Hot Water Beaches

Being buried in hot sand is a little unnerving to many first timers; often the first question I hear is: "Can I get out from underneath if there's a problem?" No worries; you're in New Zealand, and you only have to dig a hole, not bury yourself inside it. Sand baths like these exist the world over, from Ibusuki, Japan, to Deception Island, Antarctica. When you're on the North Island, there are two such places I would recommend:

Hot Water Beach, Coromandel Peninsula
Go hire a shovel from the nearby Hot Water Beach shop and dig yourself a nice little spot of paradise on this sandy beach. It's a delicate balance determining exactly when to soak, but generally, two hours before and after the low tide is safe. Just be sure not to cool yourself off in the ocean if you're feeling particularly sweaty; this beach, along with several others in the area, has particularly dangerous rips and undertows.

Te Puia Hot Spings, Kawhia
If you're looking for a hot water beach well beyond the reaches of Auckland and most tourists' tracks, head south of the surfing city of Raglan and keep going until you hit hot black sand. The beaches of Kawhia give off a pleasant, but not overwhelming, smell of sulphur. Only this time, plan to bring a shovel from home.

3) Rotorua

Rotorua is essentially one big hot pool. You don't even have to travel outside the city limits to find some decent places to soak, but if you do feel like a short drive, the Wai Ora Spa in Tikitere (Hell's Gate) is the way to go; prepare to pay far more than you would at any other hot pool, but the hot mud treatment is worth the weight off your wallet. Closer to downtown, the Polynesian Spa is probably the classier route, with private pools and a great view of Lake Rotorua, but don't shy away from the Blue Baths, either; the main pool is little more than lukewarm even on the hottest summer day, but the adjacent baths seem to be fed directly from the spring. Next to Ngawha, the hottest I have yet experienced in a waiariki.

In my humble opinion, however, the city's main attraction is the smallest of all. As you ride the bus in from Auckland, the smell of sulphur seeps in from Kuirau Park, the site on which you should focus your photography efforts: boiling mud pools, steaming hot springs, and children playing nearby. Best of all, this park is home to something I had not expected to see outside of the island of Kyushu in Japan: foot baths. Take it from me, my friends, there is nothing sweeter in life than going for a barefoot run in this park just as the sun is beginning to rise, letting your toes freeze in the morning dew, and then taking a break in one of the few foot baths to warm yourself. "Sweet as", as the Kiwis would say.

4) Taupo Plateau

I can only offer you one bit of advice when it comes to soaking in Taupo: get out of town. The Taupo region has some of the best hot pools on both the North and South Island, but the pickings are slim in urban areas. If you're headed north-east, you must relax in Kerosene Creek's jacuzzi pool or the aptly-named 'Paradise' to the east of Lake Ohakuri. In addition, there are many natural springs on private property; it's best to call the owners ahead of time if you're planning a trip (see www.nzhotpools.co.nz for details).

If you have only a short stay in New Zealand and hot springs are your goal, focus all your efforts on Taupo and its surroundings. Want to throw some of that famous New Zealand adrenaline into the mix? Jump out of a perfectly good aeroplane before you hit the baths.

5) At the End of a Great Walk

"In the middle of the journey of my life, I found myself astray in a dark wood, where the straight road had been lost." How unfortunate Dante chose to hike into Hell rather than the Lake Waikaremoana Track, one of New Zealand's nine 'Great Walks'. He could have found a pool full of soothing water waiting for him rather than an ominous gateway.

Maungataniwha Hot Springs is in fact a little off the Lake Waikaremoana Track, but well within the boundaries of Te Urewera National Park, the largest on the North Island. The best route would probably be to stop at the Parahaki Hut overnight then make your way over to the springs: hot water rolling down a rock face. You'll probably have to dig a small pool to enjoy a soak, but won't all that effort be worth it after a "mere" seven hours' hiking? Definitely. For detailed directions, check out Sally Jackson's "Hot Springs of New Zealand" or Lonely Planet's "Tramping in New Zealand".

Photo Credits: New Zealand Hot Springs by jjay69; "Enjoying a hot bath!" by magical-world; "Rotorua, Te Whakarewarewa" by vtveen; "Taupo Hot Springs" by xoque.