Wonderful Water

Four of us decided to go together to He Puna Taimoana, the New Brighton hot pools on Friday afternoon.  We’d booked earlier in the week, before Covid 19 again reared its ugly head, but we didn’t see any reason to cancel just because we were in Level Two.

You need to book and pay online beforehand and choose one of the daily time slots.  For those of us who are Christchurch residents and Super Gold Card holders the price is a reasonable $10.  We lined up outside at the allotted time and were quickly admitted.  There’s plenty of room to change, including private cubicles for those that want them, with the changing area all heated.

I wanted to hire a locker to ensure security for my wallet and camera, but this proved difficult.  The lockers do not accept cash.  You have to use a credit card, and I was unsuccessful on two attempts to do this.  The Life Guard assured me that there had been no problems with people leaving valuables in the outside cubby holes, so that’s what I did, and I was able to keep an eye on my things all the time.  Because we are now in Level Two the Sauna and Steam Room were not available, but there were several pools to choose from, and the experience was gorgeous.

He Puna Taimoana

We started in a pool that was 33-38 degrees, then moved to a warmer one (38-40 degrees) for a while, then back to the cooler one when we started to feel too hot.  The hotter pool was at the edge of the complex where you could see through a fence to the surf below.  We agreed the experience is as good as the pools at Hanmer, without the need to drive for an hour and a half to get there.  While you can smell chlorine, the salty water is buoyant and pleasurable to soak in.

I understand the original plan was for the pools to take 150 people at a time, but the advent of Covid meant this was reduced to 80, and on Friday at Level Two the limit was 65, which meant there was no crowding and everyone was able to be socially distant.  When you get out there are good warm showers, a costume drying machine, and hair dryers available.

There’s an onsite café, but we chose to walk down the shabby and sadly deserted New Brighton Mall to have afternoon tea at Switch Espresso in Carnaby Lane.  This café has interesting decor and a good selection of treats.

Switch Espresso Café

I liked their footpath sign outside inviting you to play the Chicken Game.

Chicken Game

We all enjoyed our soak in the hot salty water, will definitely go again, and highly recommend the experience.

I loved our visit to He Puna
could wish that we had gone there sooner.