Want to dig your own hot spring? Warm up in New Zealand’s cozy beach

Text / Compiled and reported by the editorial team of MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network

Winter is here, and the chilly weather stirs a craving for soaking in hot springs. Compared to the freezing cold of the Northern Hemisphere, the Southern Hemisphere is gradually warming up—making it the perfect season to head to the beach. Located on the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand’s North Island, the southern part of Mercury Bay features one of the most unique beaches—"Hot Water Beach"—where you can not only see people playing in the sea but also watch visitors digging their own sandy pits filled with steaming hot groundwater using shovels.Steam is rising white.Soaking in bubbling hot springs beside the cool seawater creates a delightfully contradictory and fascinating scene.

The warm springs that emerge at Hot Water Beach come from New Zealand’s rich geothermal activity, which allows groundwater to reach temperatures as high as 64°C. These waters, like real hot springs, are also rich in minerals such as salt, calcium, magnesium, potassium, neon, and silicon dioxide, attracting many visitors eager to create their own unique little hot spring pools while enjoying the beautiful seascape.