The Hot Water Beach is
a popular and geothermal
attraction located on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand approximately 12km south east of Whitianga,
and approximately 175km from Auckland.
Its name comes from underground hot springs which filter up through the sand
between the high and low water tidal reaches.
Between low and high tides, warm water from two
underground hot springs rises up through the sand, and by scooping a shallow
hole in the sand, you can create a small pool of warm water to lie on. The
phenomenon occurs only at low to mid-tide when the water is low to expose the
area of sand with hot water underneath. It’s best time to go two hours before
and after low tide.
During peak season, hundreds of people and family take to
the beach with spades and bucket and start digging pools large enough to lay
and relax while the warm water envelops them. The deeper you dig, the hotter
the water becomes with temperature reaching as hot as 64°C. Because the water
is scalding hot, diggers would often dig a channel to the sea to allow cold
water to mix in. With the ebb and flow of the tide each individually created
hot pool is washed away clearing the way for the next influx of visitors.
The beach is a popular destination for locals and
tourists visiting New Zealand. Annual visitor numbers have been estimated at
700,000 making it one of the most popular tourists destination in the Waikato
Region. However, care needs to be exercised as the location of the hot springs
are not far from the sea even at low tide, and visitors are known to be caught
unaware by dangerous rip currents, holes and large breaking waves that have
claimed the lives of many in past.
Hot Water Beach best pictures
