Imagine a creek surrounded by forest, with small cascades and even a waterfall which create picture perfect little bathing holes. Then imagine that the creek is full of blissfully warm water, and you’ll be picturing something close to what you’ll find at Kerosene Creek. It’s also on public land, so there’s no entry fee and you can come early or late to avoid the crowds.
I loved my time at Kerosene Creek, but it is suffering a bit from a small minority of people who disrespect the area and I’ll share more about that in this post so you know exactly what to expect.
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Kerosene Creek, one of the best things to do in Rotorua.
Kerosene Creek
The best bathing spots
There are plenty of places to settle in for a dip at Kerosene Creek, but not all are created equal, a few definitely stand out above the rest. After parking, head downstream (left) and soon you’ll come across all the best spots.
There are a few trees down over the first part of the river, which makes some of it inaccessible. However, it’s possible these might be removed in time (it doesn’t affect the best spots anyway).
The big waterfall at Kerosene Creek (second cascades)
The best spots in my opinion are the first set of cascades which you’ll find 300m into the track and then the larger waterfall (second cascades) which is 100m beyond.
The first cascade at Kerosene Creek
The smaller cascades (the first ones) ended up being my favourite because they are the perfect depth for sitting comfortably on the bottom and being nicely covered with water.
The bigger waterfall (second cascades) is also great, with a much bigger swimming hole, but the force of the water is much stronger here and the water is deeper.
If these are both occupied, there are plenty of other spots along the river but they are smaller and not quite as picturesque.
In terms of water temperature, every spot I tried was similar: they were all warm but not too hot. For me they were perfect because I could sit in there for hours and not have to keep getting out to cool off.
We visited in winter, so if you’re coming on a hot day in summer it might feel too warm, but not if you come earlier or later in the day.
The walk to get to the pools
The walk to get to the pools is easy. From the car park, you turn left and walk downstream. You’ll see the path through the trees from the car park, and within a minute you’re at the creek. Then it’s just a case of picking your ideal spot.
The trail along the creek goes for 600m before you reach the road, but there aren’t really any sizeable bathing spots beyond the big waterfall.
The track is generally flat until the cascades and then there is a small hill to get up and down to the big waterfall. There are a couple of trees that have fallen over the first part of the path, but it’s easy to climb over them.
It can get a little muddy after rain but nothing major.
Getting into the pools is generally easy, the only one where you have to stretch a little is when getting down into the big waterfall.
There are stone steps to get you down, but there’s quite a big gap between the riverbank and the first step - it’s still pretty easy though.
Beyond the second cascade, the river becomes a lot narrower and significantly harder to get into. Unless, it’s really busy, I’d recommend sticking to the first 400m of the river.
There is a short walk through the forest beyond the second cascades, but it eventually leads back to the road and some vents by a bridge (which isn’t too novel if you’ve spent a while in Rotorua!).
The best time to visit
Kerosene Creek used to be a bit of a local’s secret, but it’s definitely not the case anymore. For this reason, in order to get some peace and serenity I would try to avoid the weekends.
If you can only come on a weekend, which was actually the case for us, try and come early or late.
We arrived at 5pm on a Sunday evening in winter and about 20 people were leaving. Over the next half an hour more people left and we soon had the whole area to ourselves.
There is quite a bit of room to spread out, but it is popular with people who come in big groups with lots of beers etc, so if that’s not your ideal hot spring experience you will want to come early or late.
The negative side of visiting Kerosene Creek
I wish I didn’t have to write this bit but as wonderful as Kerosene Creek is, it isn’t perfect. Sadly a small minority of people are disrespectful and leave their rubbish around the place.
Mainly it’s along the walking trail but sadly some of it makes its way into the water. We saw everything from underwear to candles, beer bottles and crisp packets. Sad, but true.
We also witnessed people bathing their three dogs with shampoo right in the waterway.
Please carry out all rubbish with you and don’t use any soaps etc in the water, keep it pristine for everyone to enjoy - I am sure most people reading this would never dream of anything less but it has to be said!
Oh and one other thing on the negative side: apparently you shouldn’t put your head under the water when visiting. There is a very remote chance you could pick up a parasite which causes amoebic meningitis.
Getting to Kerosene Creek
Kerosene Creek is located roughly 27km and a 25 minute drive from Rotorua. The car park is free and there is quite a lot of space. Once you leave the highway, it’s a gravel road but it’s in good condition and you don’t need a 4WD. You’ll see quite a few steaming vents along the way!
You can also visit via a longer walking track from nearby Rainbow Mountain which we haven’t personally done yet.
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