Hell’s Gate

Hell’s Gate

About 700 years ago, the Māori people lived on this magical land, considering it a sacred site for healing and recovery after injuries. 150 years ago, the first Europeans arrived and discovered this holy land with therapeutic and healing properties — the legendary “Hell’s Gate.”

Located in the eastern part of Rotorua in the Bay of Plenty, Hell’s Gate opened to the public in 1897. It is the only geothermal park in the area operated by Māori, as well as the only easily accessible mud volcano in New Zealand. It earned the name “Hell’s Gate” because this is a wild and untamed land, where steam vents, sulfur pools, and bubbling mud are found everywhere, and steam frequently bursts from the ground, as if a living beast lies beneath directing it all. Hence the name Hell’s Gate. Within Hell’s Gate lies the Southern Hemisphere’s largest hot water waterfall and New Zealand’s only mud bath pool — the Wai-Ora Pool. No visitor should miss the famous mud bath, where covering the body in mineral-rich mud offers excellent benefits for skin care and also has miraculous healing effects on wounds.

Hell’s Gate is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., bustling with visitors every day. Everyone comes to witness the amazing hot springs, sulfur pools, and mud fields, and to personally experience the magical effects of the mud baths.

Hell's Gate

Must-visit reason: The most magical place in New Zealand

Continent: Oceania

Country/Region: New Zealand

Province/State: Bay of Plenty Region

City: Rotorua