Ngāwhā Springs

According to Māori tradition, Rūaumoko, the unborn child of Papatūānuku (Earth Mother), is the atua of earthquakes and geothermal activity. His movement beneath the earth gives life to the mineral rich waters that rise naturally at Ngāwhā.
These unfiltered geothermal waters have bubbled up from deep within the earth for countless generations, creating one of New Zealand's most unique geothermal landscapes. Māori tradition tells of Tākauere, the kaitiaki (guardian) of Ngāwhā and its surrounding waterways. Tākauere is said to travel through the underground channels that connect the geothermal waters, Lake Ōmāpere and the surrounding springs. Together with the descendants of Kareariki, Tākauere continues to watch over this treasured place.