Rotorua is world famous for its boiling mud pools and steaming hot geysers. Geothermal water bubbles to the surface in many parts of the city and is used to heat hot pools and spas in the central city. When I grew up in Rotorua many people had small thermal spas on their own property and most hotels and motels offered thermal pools for their guests to bath in. For teenagers joining friends for a hot pool dip on an icy cold winters night, it was one of the huge advantages of growing up in this city.
The Government Gardens is a public reserve east of the city centre and on the shores of the thermally heated Sulphur Bay (at the southern end of Lake Rotorua). This area has attracted tourists for more than a century but was also favoured by the indigenous Arawa people who used the thermal water for cooking, washing and for its therapeutic value. BE CAREFUL! Some pools in this reserve are BOILING HOT and dangerous. Only swim in the approved and safe spas.
This virtual cache takes you on a short tour of three of the famous thermal spas. The Rotorua Museum (currently closed to the public at the time of publishing this cache) is one of the most iconic buildings in New Zealand. We used to call it the Tudor Towers but it was previously known as the The Bath House. This building opened in 1908 and was a world famous health spa. Hot mineral water and geothermal mud was used to treat a wide range of ailments. It used to be possible to go on a tour of the old spas under the building. Information about this building is available outside the fenced area on a display board near Waypoint 1(No.16 The Bath House).
Head along to Waypoint 2 and find the display board (13. Blue Baths). These pools were opened in 1933 and was built in a distinctive art deco style. They are also another iconic Rotorua building. The warm water pools were used for swimming lessons when I was growing up in the city. The building was closed in 1982 but after refurbishment it was opened again in 1999. Today the water is heated by geothermal pipes but it is a freshwater pool (not mineral water).
The final destination (Waypoint 3) on the tour is another famous tourist attraction known currently as the Polynesian Spa. The first bath house on this site, the Pavilion Bath House opened in 1882, followed by the Ward Baths in 1931. In earlier days bathers swam in the nude! The acidic mineral water was considered harsh on bathing costumes and so the pool was segregated into a women's pool and a men's pool. Today there are heated freshwater pools for families, and public and private pools with geothermal heated mineral water. No more nude bathing unless you hire a private pool. In 1972, the government of the day leased the Ward Baths to Polynesian Pools Limited and the spa is now known as the Polynesian Spa.
To complete this virtual cache there is no need to enter the three buildings and while I can recommend having a hot swim at the pools, you do not need to hand over any money to do this virtual cache. To complete the cache you need to undertake a short series of tasks and collect information which is available outside each of the three buildings near the listed waypoints. Please answer these questions and send via the message service or by email. DO NOT POST ANSWERS IN YOUR LOG. You can log the virtual cache immediately after sending the message. I will check your answers and if all is OK then you probably wont hear back from me. Any problems and I will email you. If I suspect you are armchair caching, your log will be deleted with no further correspondence. I hope you enjoy your short geotour while visiting Rotorua. It should take about 30 minutes to complete.
Question 1. On the display board at WP1 (The Bath House) what are the four digits after the letters F.G.R?
Question 2. On the display board at WP2 (Blue Baths) what are the four digits after the letters OP?
Question 3. Near display board at WP2 is a circular metal manhole cover on the ground. How many letters are there in the two words in the centre of the manhole cover?
Question 4. Above the pool entrance at the Blue Baths is an art deco red and white circular display icon. How many lion-like creatures are on the RED section of this icon?
Question 5. At the Polynesian Spa you will find a metal plate on the concrete pathway close to the main door (about 10m away from door). What are the two letters in the centre of the metal plate?
Question 6. There are old fashioned gas-style lights outside the Polynesian Spa. One is positioned just in front of the roof sign saying Polynesian Spa. Who were the lights manufactured by?
Question 7. (Optional) Take a photo of yourself, your GPS or your caching name on a sheet of paper in front of ONE of the three buildings.Make sure your photos do not give away the answers.
Virtual Rewards 2.0 - 2019/2020
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between June 4, 2019 and June 4, 2020. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 2.0 on the Geocaching Blog.