RELAX: Help your health and wellbeing at QE Health Spa. Photo/File
RELAX: Help your health and wellbeing at QE Health Spa. Photo/File
Cindy McQuade finds massage, mud and mineral water at QE Spa.
Many people head to and live in the Bay of Plenty for recreation and why wouldn't you, whether it's walking on the beach or riding a bike down a mountain, the opportunities for activity seem endless.
Rejuvenation and seekingoptimum health, however, are not concepts that we associate with the typical Kiwi way of life.
Overseas visitors often see things quite differently from us, though, and not only do they head to the Bay for the action, they are coming here for rejuvenation as well.
Rejuvenation and restoration of balance is seen as crucial habits to health and French New Caledonians, in particular, understand the benefits of regular massage, mud and mineral water. It is so important to their regimes that they are making regular visits to Rotorua's QE Health Spa and staying in the city for up to three weeks at a time to make the most of the treatments here.
Imagine the bliss of having the stress knots in your shoulders massaged away while jets of warm mineral water pummel you all over.
Busy brains often make for uptight bodies. But after about five minutes into the QE Spa's AIX massage, the thinking and the "things to do" have been banished in a blur of steam and warm oil. It's not surprising that this massage is so popular with the French, because it was first introduced to Rotorua in the early 1900s and named after the French spa town of Aix-les-Bains.
After the massage, it will be time to dry off, relax and cool down. Drink some water, take in the views of serene Lake Rotorua from the waiting room and peruse magazines from the coffee table. The fact that half the magazines are in French is an indication of how popular this place is with Europeans.
If you have any lingering tightness or niggling sports injuries, your therapist may recommend the application of heated mud. Mud is used by spas all over the world to soothe muscular aches, alleviate joint stiffness and improve skin condition and it has been used for decades to treat patients at Queen Elizabeth Health.
A long soak in the mineral-rich waters of the Rachel Pools is often the best way to end a spa treatment and these waters are thought to aid in the healing of eczema and psoriasis as well as softening the skin and sedating the mind.
The QE Health Spa (once the former QE Hospital) was founded as a rehabilitation hospital for World War II returning serviceman and it later went on to specialise in the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
The treatments using heat from mud, massage and mineral water were so successful that the hospital has evolved into a spa and treatment centre for the holistic treatment of chronic pain and disorders involving bones, muscles and joints. The majority of people seeking spa services suffer from serious pain and they access the spa's facilities via their general practitioner, DHB or ACC.
However, these treatment are also available for casual spa clients who can access all of the massage, mud, and water therapy, as well as beauty and gym facilities parallel to the more serious clients.
This works for those of us who may simply want to recharge the batteries or give our bodies some much-needed stress relief and we now have the option to do so during weekends where we can take as much time as we like during treatments.
Most people think of hospitals as clinical while spas have a reputation for luxury. The QE Health Spa is thankfully neither. From the native timbers of the wooden rafters to the chipped tiles in the thermal pools, the QE Spa exudes soul and heritage that you are not likely to find in an upmarket spa or a modern hospital.
Treatment: Rest, sit back and enjoy
And while it may not be to some tastes, this is what gives the spa its unique charm. While some people may crave luxury, what most of us want, including our visitors from overseas, is authenticity and second-to-none service. And this is just what you get at the QE Health Spa.
While most Kiwis choose Rotorua for its landscape rich with beauty and action, it wouldn't hurt to have a mindset change and include rejuvenation in our busy diaries.
Every now and again the Europeans do get it right. Perhaps we should take a leaf out of their book and make the most of our thermal treasures, not only to attract tourists, but also as a means of healing ourselves.
Fact File Sufferers of serious musculoskeletal conditions are able to receive treatment via referral from their general practitioner funded by their DHB or ACC.
