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© TripTech 2024
Tourist Attractions in West Coast, West Coast New Zealand
Great hot springs located at the lower end of the Wanganui River.
Watch out for the sandflies! Take your repellent.
The deeper you dig the hotter it is, so it's a balance between digging a deep hole and it being too hot, and too shallow and you being exposed to the sand flies.
I'm told that if it's a cloudy day, you'll be eaten alive, if it's sunny then they tend to avoid the sunlight, like a true vampire! Visitors should bring something to dig their own pool as the area is often flooded by the river.
Pools are generally small but larger ones can be found.
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Walk through the gates and past the first road left (so you continue up along the river). You will see a post to your left with an orange triangle on it and a road leading you away from the river. Take that small road all the way down (it is about a 10 minute walk). At the bottom of that road there will be a very small cliff you have to go down. From there, walk on the rocks down the river towards the big main river. The hot pool will be to the left where the rivers meet!
Parked at the power plant, walked down road that was blocked off with rocks, walked down the riverside. Follow the road on the left with a orange rock into the bush. It has a wooden post wire fence. Walk Pass the first left turn road (with the orange triangle), it is the next one. Take that left and follow the road to a broken bridge. Trot across the rocks down to the springs mouth into the river. Hot pool is on the left. It was great! Even for a cold May Morning i Loved it!
Not accurate anymore, found the stone and the pools but they were dry. One small remaining but we did not try to dig, the area was full of sandflies
This place would be a paradise if there wouldn’t be so many sandflies! We were not able to take off our clothes because we got attacked by sandflies. Maybe it’s better on a sunny day. The water is really hot and the pools are fantastic though! It took us 20 minutes until we reached the pools.
Nous avons trouvé les sources après 45 minutes, le temps de comprendre toutes les indications sur ce jeu de piste. Nous sommes passés par la forêt en suivant les indications sur les pierres. Il faudra à un moment retirer les chaussures pour traverser la rivière :). Petit signe qui annonce l’approche des sources : des traces jaunes dans l’eau (souffre / fer). Il n’y a pas de matériel, pelle ou autre mais les anciens voyageurs ont déjà creusé des emplacements encerclés de pierres. Superbe expériences en dehors des sentiers battus avec une vue incroyable. Prenez bien votre spray sandfly car une fois en maillot, elles se jettent sur vous.
Great little spot for a soak and relax! Sandflies weren't a problem for me once in the pool, even if exposed. There were 3 main pools feeding into one another when I was here. The main pool is like 50-60C! The next one was too hot as well, but the one near water is customisable for temp if you play with rocks. The comment below misses the main entry point of the track, which is AFTER crossing the stream. You can go down it, but the track is literally just after the stream to the right. You'll see a flat rock with writing on it in the grass.
Do not attempt if it is raining or has been raining. We got to the river by following the rock signs but you have to cross, the water rises and goes very quick with the rain so we decided to turn around. We meet a couple on the way down that said they left the hot springs when it started to rain and they had to cross with the water up to their waist already and the rocks were slippery. Park at the power plant and walk through the gate, walk for about 10min then you will see an orange arrow that points to the left, follow that trail which goes to the trees,( there is a rock on the ground pointing that way for the springs as well but it’s easy to miss). Follow the trail all the way down you will end up at the river which you must cross, there is a big rock with instructions near the trees/river.
Do not miss this gem ! Park at the power plant then follow the track through the forest until you reach the stream. Then you go down a little along the stream and there will be signs written on a rock. The pass is then indicated with white stones and wood arrows. Maybe 20-30min walk from the car park. Shovels and useful stuff available next to the hot springs. Thank you so much to the people who wrote hints for the path and left all the stuff, you are awesome ! Sandflies know the place very well too, they are waiting you to take your clothes off to eat you alive. They actually might be the ones who wrote how to get there. Anyway it is such a great place, away from the tourists, no helicopters or jet boats, just hot water, stream and rainforest. Enjoy !
Turns out you can get there? follow the path (grave road) till you get to a stream follow the stream downstream on the left bank, and there’s a pile of big red rocks. You cut through the back of the red rocks through some trees and there was an arrow showing you to go. I couldn’t get the temperature right, but great to have a play at trying to???
There is no access to the hot springs anymore. A farm has been built and you can’t get across.
Based on the reviews, Amethyst Hot Springs appears to be a challenging but rewarding natural hot spring destination. The location is difficult to find, and many reviewers mentioned taking extensive walks to reach the site. The spring's accessibility can be affected by weather conditions, including flooding, which has caused damage to the area in the past. Reviewers noted that it's essential to be prepared and aware of the surroundings to avoid accidents. The spring is marked by various natural markers, including rocks, stones, and algas, although some reviewers mentioned that the path can be unclear. The temperature of the water varies, with some areas being significantly hotter than others. While the spring's appearance and amenities have changed over time, many reviewers found it to be a unique and enjoyable experience. However, they also warned that sandflies are a significant problem in the area, especially when the weather is hot.
AI-generated from user review text.