Kerosene Creek

If you can find it, Kerosene Creek is a must do and its FREE. Its a natural hot spring out in the bush; you cant get much more of a natural bath than this! We bypassed Hells Gate and other entry fee thermal baths and opted to go on the hunt for Kerosene Creek.

Its on the way from Rotorua to Taupo, about 26k ish from Rotorua. Once you pass  the turn off on your left for Marapuru, slow down, keep going and you'll then notice a lake not too much further on your right which you pass and its the next and only left. A dirt road called Old Waitaupo, not old Waikaremona Rd as some guides have instructed! Go down this dirt road for 2k and you'll reach the 'car park'; its gated at one end and theres an old board with kerosene creek on it and a map down to the water.

Keep your valuables hidden in the car and enjoy the water! We stuck to the smaller pool earlier along the path with the little water falls but further down is a larger pool and brook feeding it.

The water was so warm, a perfect temperature that you could lay in all day. Get there early like we did, before 10.30 as after that a lot of people turn up. Its much better when its all yours! Itd be great to do at night too i reckon. Theres not loads of room in the smaller pool that we were in, plus as its the first one you get to most people stop, have a look and then carry on past so you get it all to yourself whereas the larer pool is where everyone ends up and share it; with or without clothes! So the choice is yours ;-)

Although there was mention of lots of rubbish and crime in reviews id read, we didnt experience any of either. The only out of the ordinary thing was, as we were having lunch in the car after a bathe, a large dog came walkin out of the bush. It was all alone, sniffing around, with a big radio collar on with long antennae poking out of it - anyone reading this who has also seen the film 'Up' would have also half expected the dog to start talking as i did! The dog hung around for a while coming and going but wasnt in anyway a bother, nor were the other people there.