Maruia Springs

Hello my love,

I hope everything is fine for you and you are enjoying the increasingly warmer weather in Europe. It is winter in New Zealand at the moment and the temperatures are quite cold at times. Even though winter in New Zealand is not comparable to that in Europe and the trees here even have leaves in winter and are constantly blooming, I myself often find myself cold. And what could be smarter to do than go to the natural hot pools in New Zealand. New Zealand has some very well-known places where hot water comes out of the ground and is mixed with various minerals. One of these places is the Maruia Springs. A spa has been built here that is simply fantastic. In addition to the 6 outdoor pools with different temperatures which are open 42/7, there are also the following areas: sauna, steam sauna, yoga room, onsen and an infrared cabin.

The special thing about this spa is that a special area has been created where campers can park. In this sense, it is a spa campsite and for 83 NZD, travelers can camp here for a night. The superlative: for these 83 NZD, all of the areas mentioned above can be used and additional courses can be booked free of charge. For example, various sauna infusions, evening and morning yoga and, if you like, short hikes around the property.

Check-in is from 3 p.m. and check-out is also at 3 a.m. the next day. That meant I could come and go 24 hours a day in this amazing outdoor spa. The pools are open 24 hours a day, meaning I could watch the stars while I was being cooked. A DREAM!

When I checked in, I booked two sauna infusions and evening yoga, so after a quick snack in the car (since it was raining), I went to the pools and then to the sauna infusion. This sauna infusion was something special because I was the only tourist, so everyone had a "real" life and a regular week and used this time to relax. The group was also completely female from different age groups and it was a very, very fun half hour. The infusion was made with different aromatic oils and after 15 minutes in the sauna, we went into the ice bath for 2-3 minutes and then another infusion. After that, we were given an algae mask to work on while we chilled in the pools. A great experience.

After the infusion, we went to evening yoga. A very relaxed yoga session that consisted more of meditation than strength exercises. The exercise made me hungry, so I had a quick dinner in the van. To top off the day, I went back to the pools and was able to watch the stars while I sat there and just feel my body a little.

The pools are artificial, but all materials were selected and installed in such a way that it felt as if Mother Nature had simply conjured up a small spa here.

The next morning I had a quick breakfast in bed because it was still raining. While preparing my muesli I met a new friend who was extremely handsome and also quite curious.

And after I had regained my strength, I went to the next sauna infusion in the morning. Here again there were two infusions followed by an ice bath and then a coffee peeling to take effect.

After lounging around in the spa area for a few more hours, I unfortunately had to continue on my tour. Any longer than 24 hours and I would probably have been completely exhausted.

For some of you reading this post, it will probably come as a surprise, as I'm not really a fan of saunas, but I think that's slowly changed since a visit to the thermal baths with Paul and Zanetti, and since I've been in New Zealand, I have to admit that I really enjoy it! The ice bath afterwards is just a feeling of life.

My route took me to Christchurch once again, as Fridolin-Christopher had a pedicure appointment there and the dent from the tree fight needed to be removed. I also wanted to get a few new tires put on the drive axle and I also wanted to make sure that I didn't leave the South Island until the Liseschrotte issue was completely resolved. At that point, the insurance company had offered me a write-off value of 4500 NZD, which I declined and asked for a re-evaluation.

Until the next and what feels like the thirteenth time in Christchurch,
Your Britta