Monday, 11 December 2023
KaitaiaWhangareiDargavilleAucklandThamesTaurangaHamiltonWhakataneRotoruaTokoroaTe KuitiTaumarunuiTaupoGisborneNew PlymouthNapierHastingsDannevirkeWhanganuiPalmerston NorthLevinParaparaumuMastertonWellingtonMotuekaNelsonBlenheimWestportReeftonKaikouraGreymouthHokitikaChristchurchAshburtonTimaruWanakaOamaruQueenstownDunedinGoreInvercargill
NZ HeraldThe Northern AdvocateThe Northland AgeThe AucklanderWaikato HeraldBay Of Plenty TimesRotorua Daily PostHawke's Bay TodayWhanganui ChronicleThe Stratford PressManawatu GuardianKapiti NewsHorowhenua ChronicleTe Awamutu CourierVivaEat WellOneRoofDRIVEN Car GuideThe CountryPhoto SalesiHeart RadioRestaurant Hub
Voyager 2023 media awards
Subscribe
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Business

Waiwera hot pools: Haunting footage shows demise of abandoned facility

Heath Moore
By
Heath Moore
24 Jan, 2021 11:03 PM3 mins to read
Saveshare

Share this article

facebookcopy linktwitterlinkedinredditemail
'Pretty bleak' - Haunting footage shows demise of abandoned Waiwera hot pools. Video / Holiday_Nz

New eye-opening footage of the abandoned Waiwera Thermal Resort has revealed the popular attraction's heartbreaking demise.

Earlier this month Auckland videographer David flew his drone up over the thermal resort in the hope of exploring the water park he had many childhood memories in.

But when he saw the footage, it left him depressed, describing the resort's state as "bleak".

Waiwera Thermal Resort was once New Zealand's biggest water park. This is what it looks like now. Photo / Supplied
Waiwera Thermal Resort was once New Zealand's biggest water park. This is what it looks like now. Photo / Supplied
What Waiwera Thermal Resort looks like now. Photo / Supplied
What Waiwera Thermal Resort looks like now. Photo / Supplied

"I used to go there a lot as a child. I wanted to look at what it's like now. I was quite excited to see what's up there but it was rather depressing to see what it has become now.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It was not what I was expecting. I thought there were going to be more slides and pools. It's smaller than I thought," he told the Herald.

"It's pretty bleak."

Once New Zealand's largest water park, the footage shows Waiwera looking like a grey, dim concrete jungle.

Decaying rides are visible while the waterslides have become discoloured and dismantled with yellowy-brown murky water collecting in empty pools.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The roof to the old movie-theatre pool has been removed, and dismantled slides are seen sitting collecting moss and debris on the grass.

Only one slide remains intact, and it is now greatly discoloured. Photo / Supplied
Only one slide remains intact, and it is now greatly discoloured. Photo / Supplied
The roof to the old movie-theatre pool has been removed, and empty pools are seen collecting dirt and debris. Photo / Supplied
The roof to the old movie-theatre pool has been removed, and empty pools are seen collecting dirt and debris. Photo / Supplied

David says he originally wanted to show what Waiwera looked like without the water, but instead of bringing back positive childhood memories, the footage painted a depressing picture of what the vibrant attraction had become.

"We sent the drone up for about 15 minutes and sadly all of the footage was pretty depressing.

"I just wanted to share the footage to show what was there and give a glimpse of the size of the place.

"When you are a kid there you picture it being a really sizeable place but there wasn't as much there as I thought."

WAIWERA THERMAL RESORT TO RETURN?

The iconic Waiwera hot pool complex closed its doors for a $3 million renovation in February 2018 and has never reopened.

Instead, the past two years has seen court battles over rent and trademarks, liquidations, cancelled leases, and a realisation that the damage to the infrastructure of the 50-year-old water park (and its more recent bottling plant) is so bad almost nothing is salvageable.

Which leaves residents with a "bomb site" on their doorstep, and a hole in their local economy. They are asking what is going to happen - and when.

But there's a potentially happy ending to the tale: the present owners in September 2020 made preliminary decisions on a $250m masterplan.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Evan Vertue, Waiwera project director for property company Urban Partners, said the pools and the slides could return to Waiwera, along with a day spa, a hotel spa complex, a micro-brewery and apartments.

"We are very advanced with our council resource consent for the extraction of the geothermal water," he said in September.

While the wellness/spa complex might be a cheaper and less risky project, Vertue reckons it makes sense to start by building the water park and slides.

"It's a strong, high-foot traffic attraction and would get Waiwera on the map.

"We haven't scoped up the whole investment, but we are in the $250m stage, so we are going to look for other parties to hold hands with us on this one."

They say the whole project could take as long as 10 years.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Saveshare

Share this article

facebookcopy linktwitterlinkedinredditemail
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Business

Premium
Business

The remarkable David Lomas: TV star opens up on reuniting families, love and surviving a fatal air crash with Paul Holmes

10 Dec 06:13 AM
Premium
Business

Opinion: Central banks and the return of the unreliable boyfriend

10 Dec 05:00 AM
Premium
Business

Debt hangover? More Kiwis plan to put Christmas on the plastic

10 Dec 02:00 AM
Premium
Business

Global pre-Christmas trade at risk due to twin canal crises

10 Dec 01:29 AM

More houses coming

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Business

Premium
The remarkable David Lomas: TV star opens up on reuniting families, love and surviving a fatal air crash with Paul Holmes

The remarkable David Lomas: TV star opens up on reuniting families, love and surviving a fatal air crash with Paul Holmes

10 Dec 06:13 AM

How a top investigative journalist has created some of TV's most emotional moments.

Premium
Opinion: Central banks and the return of the unreliable boyfriend

Opinion: Central banks and the return of the unreliable boyfriend

10 Dec 05:00 AM
Premium
Debt hangover? More Kiwis plan to put Christmas on the plastic

Debt hangover? More Kiwis plan to put Christmas on the plastic

10 Dec 02:00 AM
Premium
Global pre-Christmas trade at risk due to twin canal crises

Global pre-Christmas trade at risk due to twin canal crises

10 Dec 01:29 AM
Kiwi’s business dream a global winner
sponsored

Kiwi’s business dream a global winner

About NZMEHelp & SupportContact UsSubscribe to NZ HeraldHouse Rules
Manage Your Print SubscriptionNZ Herald E-EditionAdvertise with NZMEBook Your AdPrivacy Policy
Terms of UseCompetition Terms & ConditionsSubscriptions Terms & Conditions
© Copyright 2023 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP