Early this morning before dawn on the banks of Lake Rotorua more than 100 Te Arawa and Rotorua dignitaries gathered for an ancient sacred Māori blessing for the new public Wai Ariki Hot Springs & Spa that included fire and kumara.
Te Arawa tohunga karakia and te reo Māori exponent Anaha Hiini Senior led the karakia to pay homage also to the six pou towering with power at the entrance of Wai Ariki representing the koromātua of Ngāti Whakaue: Te Roro o Te Rangi, Tūnohopu, Taeotu, Rangiiwaho, Pukaki, and Hurunga Te Rangi.
At the main doors the karakia continued: “Ko wai te ingoa o tēnei whare?” (What is the name of this house?) Hiini called and, in the pitch dark, came the reply from 99 people: “Ko Wai Ariki” (It is called Wai Ariki).
Then the 100 people entered the building and in one connected line walked and blessed and saw for the first time the sheer enormity of the venue and state-of-the-art technology fused with Māori traditional art and decor and, the centrepiece of it all, the ancient healing waters that have healed many over the centuries, which continue to flow into the Wai Ariki pools today.
Wai Ariki is a multi-million dollar luxury spa and wellness centre developed on Rotorua's lakefront, offering holistic well-being treatments with a te ao Māori focus.
Ngāti Whakaue kaumātua Monty Morrison was part of Wai Ariki from its inception five years ago along with Malcolm Short and David Tapsell leading with Pukeroa Oruawhata.
'People’s dream accomplished’
Today Morrison was overwhelmed by its beauty and keeping Te Arawa stories and culture alive within Wai Ariki as it will be shared with the many visitors.
“The people's dream has been accomplished from its beginnings to its standing display. Wai Ariki is here,” Morrison said.
Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa, developed and owned by Pukeroa Oruawhata Group (Ngāti Whakaue), will be managed by Belgravia Leisure.
The spa’s authentic wellness and spa experience combines the region’s healing geothermal waters with the centuries-old legacy of Ngāti Whakaue culture, healing practices, and manaakitanga (caring hospitality).
Grounded in te ao Māori principles and Ngāti Whakaue culture, traditional healing practices, and manaakitanga, Wai Ariki has much to offer one being ‘Wai Whakaora- Restorative Journey’ which follows a pathway of unforgettable luxury spa experiences as people move from heat to cool, mud to water, air to steam to maximise the therapeutic benefits.
It is a 90-minute multi-sensory, immersive progression, infused at every point with the legacy of Ngāti Whakaue.
Getting past Covid
Wai Ariki Hot Springs & Spa General Manager, Rania Sears said: “We have absolutely hit the mark and the southern hemisphere does not know what it is in for.”
On Friday December 8, 2017, a ceremony took place on the site of the new Wai Ariki Hot Springs & Spa. Then prime minister Jacinda Ardern attended and turned the soil to mark the start of the project.
The building was led by Pukeroa Oruawhata, which gained building consent for the $28 million centre in 2017.
The aim was to have Wai Ariki completed by 2019 but there were delays when Covid 19 arrived in 2020 and devastated tourism, including in Rotorua.
This was a huge mountain for Malcolm Short and the Pukeroa Oruawhata team to overcome.
300 jobs created
“It really wasn't easy. Right now we are over the moon that we kept going because, if we hadn't kept going, we wouldn't want to start this now the way construction costs are now. It took a bit of pain to get here but it was well worth it,” Tapsell said.
In 2020 the government supported Wai Ariki with a $38 million dollar loan to complete the build and now more than 300 jobs have been created and will soon expand in number. “Eighty per cent of our workers are Ngāti Whakaue, they are Te Arawa, and to be able to bring our people in who know our culture and who know our stories, you will be amazed,” Sears said.
Tapsell believes that, over time, Ngāti Whakaue and Pukeroa Oruawhata will see returns for the benefit of their people and owners “but success for us is measured across a number of dimensions and finances are obviously one of them,” he said.
The doors to Wai Ariki Hot Springs & Spa will open to the public on Friday, June 16.