Hell’s Gate in Rotorua

I had the chance to visit Rotorua, New Zealand when I was volunteering there in my university days. I was only in the city for a couple of hours, not nearly enough time to properly explore, but certainly enough time to smell it.

New Zealand is pretty volcanic, but Rotorua happens to be in an area known for Sulphur. If you know a bit of basic safety or chemistry, you know what that means. For those of you who don’t, people often mistake Mercaptan for Sulphur. Mercaptan is the chemical put into natural gas so that it smells like rotten eggs. It can help keep you safe if there’s ever a gas leak in your home. You won’t soon forget that smell; I can still remember it ten years later, hitting me like a wave when I stepped off the tour bus.

Don’t let the smell fool you though. You’ll habituate (you won’t smell it anymore after a while) and the area is well worth exploring, especially for it’s spas.

Yup! That’s right! Spas! How can it be a spa if it’s stinky? Well that’s kind of part of it. The sulphur and mud are said to be good for you, and despite that and the name Hell’s Gate, it’s actually a really popular spot for rest and relaxation. They offer all sorts of activities too, including wood carving, nature walks and hikes, and educational experiences. You’ll learn about things like the uses, symbolism, and stories the Maori had for the native plants like Silver Leaf ferns and Kawa Kawa, and, if you ask politely, they may even tell you the story of how the Maori people came to call the area Tikitere, and why the site is so important to them.

I’ll give you a hint, they came for the mud too!

I’d never had a mud bath before, but found that it’s very relaxing and fun to paint yourself and your travel companions with mud. The only thing I will say is that one must be sure not to get it into one’s eyes, nose or mouth (just avoid putting it on your face if you can help it) and that you won’t want to keep the bathing suite you go into the mud bath with. For those who have long hair, be sure to have an elastic, and tie it up in a bun if you can.

The smell of sulphur will permeate everything you have on you. You can wash it off of your skin, but that’s about it. I had no elastic, and I could still smell the sulphur in my hair months after I came home. It didn’t waft or follow me around, I actually had to bring the ends of my hair up to my nose, but the scent was still there. The only way I got rid of it was through a haircut.

Despite the smell, Tikitere is a place that I wholeheartedly recommend be on any itinerary to New Zealand. In a land of extreme sports, it’s the best place to kick back and relax!