Mōrere Hot Springs closed again, hopes to reopen before Easter

Mōrere Hot Springs will likely be closed for weeks after an issue at the spring’s hot water collection point was discovered. It comes only three months after the site reopened following closures that lasted two years. Photo / Supplied

The popular Mōrere Hot Springs between Wairoa and Gisborne has again been forced into a weeks-long closure, only a few months after reopening.

Mōrere Hot Springs, or Nga Hua o Mōrere, closed for critical maintenance on March 20.

Matt Tong, Department of Conservation (DoC) operations manager for Tairāwhiti, confirmed on Friday the springs remained closed and DoC did not have an exact date for reopening.

The natural saltwater hot springs had a special opening on December 15 to mark its reopening after two years of closures attributed to natural and supply chain disruptions.

Leadership of the site is driven collectively by Nga Hua o Mōrere steering roopu, including representatives of Rongomaiwahine, Rakaipaaka and DoC.

Tong said the most recent issue involved the spring’s hot water collection point.

“We discovered an issue at the springs’ hot water collection point, likely due to a shift in the nearby creek path and heavy water flows in recent bad weather,” Tong said.

“Engineers and contractors are currently working on site to remedy the infrastructure fault and reconnect the hot water supply.”

Tong said “if all goes well” it was expected the springs would be up and running again before Easter.

The popular tourist attraction first closed on December 21, 2022, because of a failing septic tank system.

At the time, a Mōrere Hot Springs Facebook post said the old infrastructure dated back almost 40 years and had been infrequently maintained. DoC took on site management in 2019.

Cyclone Gabrielle delayed DoC securing contractors, while global supply chain delays impacted the delivery of key septic system components for the remedial works.

Predicted reopening dates were delayed multiple times because of persistent issues – first from April or May last year to June, then from June to October, and finally from October to December.

The site has been described as a taonga by DoC and locals and was traditionally used by iwi as a source of healing.