Hell's Gate Experience

Combine all three of Hell’s Gate most popular experiences with this package. Take part in the guided or self-guided interactive geothermal walk before relaxing in the geothermal mud and sulphur waters, experiencing the healing properties local Māori have been using for centuries.

The mud bath has a time-limit of 20 minutes once a day for health and safety reasons.

The minimum age for the mud baths is 2.5 years of age, whereas for the sulphur spa is 6 months of age. Children must be aged 12 and over to participate in the carving.
Your swimwear and towels will have a sulphur smell to them after your experience and will need to be cleaned thoroughly. It is recommended using old swimwear, or if you have any concerns to hire or buy from Hell’s Gate, subject to availability.

The chemical makeup of the muds and waters will tarnish most jewellery, particularly silver. It is recommended to remove it and wait 24 – 48 hours to put it back on.

All complimentary services are subject to availability.

BOOKINGS
Hell’s Gate recommends that guests book their spa experiences or packages in advance to avoid disappointment. Guests can book by telephone, through our web site, or by contacting us via email [email protected]

PRICES, PRODUCTS, & SERVICES
All prices on this website are in New Zealand dollars and are inclusive of GST and any other sales tax. Please note that Hell’s Gate reserves the right to alter the prices at any time for any reason.

ACCEPTED FORMS OF PAYMENT
Payment is accepted by either cash, Eftpos, credit card or E-Payment (WeChat or Alipay).
Accepted credit/debit cards with proper identification- Visa, MasterCard, Union Pay, American Express and Discover.

CANCELLATION & REFUNDS
If needing to cancel or reschedule your experience, Hell’s Gate will require at least 24 hours’ notice prior to the intended experience, or 48 hours’ notice for groups bigger than 10 pax.

Prepaid bookings require 24 hours’ notice in order for a refund to be issued. Experiences cancelled within 24 hours of the intended experience may incur a charge of 50% of the cost of the service. “No shows” may result in a charge of 100% of the cost of the service.

COMPLAINTS
All complaints regarding a customer’s experience at Hell’s Gate must be brought to the attention of the supplier as soon as possible so that the issue can be addressed immediately. If failure to contact Hell’s Gate in a timely manner occurs, we will be unable to investigate the complaint and rectify any error that has occurred.

CAR PARKING & ACCESSIBILITY
Customer car parking is available on-site. Choosing to park a vehicle in the customer car park is done so at the customer’s own risk. Hell’s Gate do not accept any liability if vehicles are damaged or stolen in the car park or driveway access.

BATHE SMART POLICY
If the guest has had or is suffering from any of the following medical conditions, we strongly advise that they seek advice from their doctor prior to using the geothermal pools. The list of medical conditions below is not an exhausted list but serves to highlight some of the main medical conditions where the geothermal pools may not be advised:
Pregnancy, Low or High Blood Pressure, Mobility Problems, Active or Under Active Thyroid, Verruca/ Warts, Heart Conditions, Epilepsy, Skin diseases/disorders, Diabetes, Metal Pins/ Plates, Claustrophobia, Ear Infections, Cancer, Recent Surgery, or Sulphur Allergies.

Lengthy immersion in the hot pools may cause dehydration and fainting. Please remain hydrated at all time by drinking the water available in the spa facilities and inform staff immediately if any discomfort is felt. When exiting the pool, take care and use the handrails provided.

Smoking is prohibited at Hell’s Gate other than the designated smoking area.
Guests are not permitted to bring food or drink for consumption into the spa facility. Glassware is also not permitted, and non-breakable water bottles will be allowed.

Alcohol is not permitted on site. We recommend you do not bathe after consuming alcohol.
The management of Hell’s Gate accepts no liability for any loss or damage of personal property. Guests are advised to keep all belongings with them during their visit.

Sulphur will tarnish jewellery, particularly silver. Please remove all jewellery before entering the pools as Hell’s Gate accepts no responsibility for tarnished jewellery.

As skin pores will still exude sulphur for up to 24 hours after the experience, jewellery may slightly tarnish. If this occurs, remove the jewellery and clean with toothpaste in order to remove the tarnishing. Please note this is done at your own risk.

Guests are advised to shower before entering the pools in order to remove any makeup, sunscreen or other products applied to the skin as we cannot confirm what is in each product and therefore if a reaction with the Sulphur will occur.

All wet surfaces are slippery and therefore running, jumping and diving in the spa facility is prohibited. Entry and exit to the pools must be via steps only. The pools are not attended by staff at all times, however regular checks occur, and CCTV is in operation at all times.
For those having a bathing experience, guests can choose to bring their own bathing attire and towels or hire these items from Hell’s Gate for $5.00 NZD per item. These items are commercially laundered after each use. For customers travelling on the day of visit, we recommend hiring these items for convenience.

Hell’s Gate have swimwear for both Males and Females for sale, subject to availability.
The mud bath experience is controlled to a maximum of 20 minutes on the basis of safety. When first designed Hell’s Gate had an advisory team made up of two doctors, an osteopath, a scientist and Kaumātua (Maori elders with healing knowledge) look at how to safely operate the mud baths. This took into consideration that even though the water temperature is the same as the spa pools, the heat energy in the mud baths is higher. In view of this and the fact that each individual is different, the mud bath experience was set at a maximum of 20 minutes per person once per day.

To fully enjoy the mud bath experience, Hell’s Gate recommend the guest cover themselves in the silky-smooth geothermal mud from below the eyes. The reason for this is that the low pH of the mud when mixed with pH neutral eyes will create a stinging sensation.

After the experience, bathing attire will smell of Sulphur and as such will need to be washed as soon as practicable. These items will need to be washed separately from other clothing items in washing powder available for purchase at reception or a small amount of cloudy ammonia available from supermarkets. Once washed, these items will need to be hung to dry naturally. Do not place in a dryer as heat will set the sulphur smell and make it difficult to remove. If the customer has any concerns regarding using their own swimwear, it is recommended that they hire or buy from Hell’s Gate, subject to availability.

CHILDREN
Children are considered individuals between the ages of 5 to 15 years.
Children must be accompanied by an adult and it is their responsibility to supervise them at all times.
The mud baths are suitable for children over the age of 2.5 years, whereas the Sulphur spas are suitable for children over the age of 6 months.
It is important that children (as well as adults) drink water while bathing in order to keep hydrated.
Both children and adults need to comfortable with the heat, and Hell’s Gate recommends taking regular breaks to ensure overheating does not occur.
All infants must wear bathing suits or disposable nappies whilst bathing.

GEOTHERMAL RESERVE
If participating in the geothermal walk, it is suggested that you have comfortable footwear, sunscreen and water.

HEALTH & SAFETY
Please be aware of all-natural hazards in the geothermal reserve and always adhere to the safety signs by staying on the pathway. Any accidents that occur on site must be reported to staff and the accident register completed. When an emergency evacuation is in place, guests must follow the advice and directions given by Hell’s Gate safety wardens and Duty Manager.

WET WEATHER
Many guests enquire about the effects of wet weather on their Hell’s Gate experience. In terms of the geothermal reserve, wet weather makes the reserve activity more noticeable with steam arising from many places that are not noticeable on a fine day. Kakahi Falls comes into its own with higher water flows and accompanying steam emissions. Poncho’s are available for sale at reception for $3.90 each (subject to availability).

The bathing facilities have shade sails that provide some shelter from the rain, but it must be acknowledged that these are outdoor pools.

PRIVACY POLICY
At Hell’s Gate we value your privacy, and we are committed to maintaining your security and confidentiality in the use of any private information you choose to share with us. We do not disclose identifiable information to any third party without your consent. Further, we do not sell, rent, or otherwise allow the unauthorized outside use of personal information such as names, addresses, phone numbers, or e-mail addresses in our database without your permission.

If you need help with an existing booking please email us at [email protected] if your enquiry is urgent please follow up your email with a quick call on +61 2 5633 1149 so we can help you.

Absolutely, we understand that paying off a big trip in one go isn’t always that easy. We offer flexible payment plans to suit all types of travellers with zero interest or fee’s (minimum $100NZD deposit required).

We endorse the recommendation that all travellers take out travel insurance. If you already have Travel Insurance please understand that it is your responsibility to ensure that your Travel Insurance covers you for all of the adventure style travel you have booked with us.

Absolutely, just let us know your preferred start and finish location and we’ll make it work.

There is definitely no wrong way to travel New Zealand. Depending on what type of traveller you are, you might enjoy a Campervan road trip over the Hop On Hop Off Bus Packages. We recommend booking a free consultation with one our friendly team and they can tailor their recommendation to your personality and  travel plans.

We get it. Life is all about the unexpected, especially when you are travelling. If you are unable to make your pre-arranged tour you will need to reach out to our [email protected] so we can give you a helping hand. In all cases we strongly recommend having a valid travel insurance policy which covers you for unexpected cancellations.

Yes. All of our packages are customisable so if you would like to make any changes please contact our team under [email protected] or our WhatsApp (+64) 3409 0617