Tikitere, also known as "Hell's Gate", is a suburb in
Rotorua
Rotorua () is a city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. It is sited on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua, from which it takes its name. It is the seat of the Rotorua Lakes District, a territorial authorities of New Zea ...
's most active
geothermal Geothermal is related to energy and may refer to:
* Geothermal energy, useful energy generated and stored in the Earth
* Geothermal activity, the range of natural phenomena at or near the surface, associated with release of the Earth's internal he ...
area on
State Highway 30, between
Lake Rotorua
Lake Rotorua () is the second largest lake in the North Island of New Zealand by surface area, and covers 79.8 km2.
With a mean depth of only 10 metres it is considerably smaller than nearby Lake Tarawera in terms of volume of water. It i ...
and
Lake Rotoiti in the
Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty () is a large bight (geography), bight along the northern coast of New Zealand's North Island. It stretches from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaway in the east. Called ''Te Moana-a-Toitehuatahi'' (the Ocean ...
,
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
. It includes many geothermal features such as steaming lakes, mudpools,
fumaroles
A fumarole (or fumerole) is a vent in the surface of the Earth or another rocky planet from which hot volcanic gases and vapors are emitted, without any accompanying liquids or solids. Fumaroles are characteristic of the late stages of volcani ...
, a
mud volcano
A mud volcano or mud dome is a landform created by the eruption of mud or Slurry, slurries, water and gases. Several geological processes may cause the formation of mud volcanoes. Mud volcanoes are not true Igneous rock, igneous volcanoes as th ...
and the Kakahi Falls, the largest hot waterfall in the southern hemisphere.
The area is operated under the name "Hell’s Gate", and offers self-guided and guided tours of the geothermal park, information about its history and
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
culture, and a mud spa. It is part of the wider Tikitere-Ruahine geothermal field.
History and culture
The thermal area was formed approximately 10,000 years ago in a series of geothermal eruptions that drained an ancient lake and formed the
Lake Rotoiti and
Lake Rotorua
Lake Rotorua () is the second largest lake in the North Island of New Zealand by surface area, and covers 79.8 km2.
With a mean depth of only 10 metres it is considerably smaller than nearby Lake Tarawera in terms of volume of water. It i ...
. The absence of the pressure of the water on top of the rock caused it to create faults from which steam and gases can escape. At less than 2 km below ground, the heat source of this thermal area is shallower than most other thermal areas in the region.
The local Māori tribe
Ngāti Rangiteaorere has lived in this area for more than 700 years and remain the owner of this geothermal attraction.
''Tikitere'', the Māori name for the area is derived from the tragic action of a Māori princess, Hurutini, the young wife of an abusive and shameful chief, who threw herself into the boiling hot pool that bears her name today. Upon finding her daughter's body floating in the hot pool, Hurutini's mother cried out a sad lament "Aue teri nei tiki" ("here lies my precious one"), which was shortened to Tikitere and became the name from the thermal reserve and the surrounding area.
"Hells Gate", its most commonly known name, was used following the visit to the geothermal reserve by noted Irish playwright,
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...
in 1934 who likened the area to the comments that were made by his theologian colleagues back in England who were explaining to him that the result of the error of his ways as a practising atheist would result in his "going to hell". What he saw at Tikitere moved him to believe that this would be the gateway to hell. His visit to Tikitere was well received by the local Māori owners of the land and as an honour to note the occasion of his visit, the owners decided that this would be the English name for the geothermal area. A destination spa operated at this site as early as 1871, using sulphurous waters from one of the hot pools and from Kakahi Falls.
Marae
The Tikitere urban area includes Waiōhewa Marae and Rangiwhakaekeau meeting house,
belonging to
Ngāti Rangiteaorere.
Demographics
Tikitere is described by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement, and covers
and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km
2. Tikitere is part of the larger Waiohewa statistical area.
Tikitere had a population of 702 at the
2018 New Zealand census
The 2018 New Zealand census, which took place on Tuesday 6 March 2018, was the thirty-fourth national census in New Zealand. The population of New Zealand was counted as 4,699,755 – an increase of 457,707 (10.79%) over the 2013 census.
Resu ...
, an increase of 27 people (4.0%) since the
2013 census, and an increase of 102 people (17.0%) since the
2006 census. There were 240 households, comprising 354 males and 351 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.01 males per female, with 150 people (21.4%) aged under 15 years, 99 (14.1%) aged 15 to 29, 342 (48.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 114 (16.2%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 80.8% European/
Pākehā
''Pākehā'' (or ''Pakeha''; ; ) is a Māori language, Māori-language word used in English, particularly in New Zealand. It generally means a non-Polynesians, Polynesian New Zealanders, New Zealander or more specifically a European New Zeala ...
, 24.8%
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
, 2.6%
Pacific peoples, 6.0%
Asian, and 3.0% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 52.1% had no religion, 36.8% were
Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
, 1.7% had
Māori religious beliefs
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
, 0.9% were
Hindu
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
, 0.4% were
Buddhist
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
and 0.9% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 147 (26.6%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 87 (15.8%) people had no formal qualifications. 159 people (28.8%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 315 (57.1%) people were employed full-time, 69 (12.5%) were part-time, and 9 (1.6%) were unemployed.
Waiohewa statistical area
Waiohewa covers
and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km
2.
Before the 2023 census, the statistical area had a smaller boundary, covering .
Using that boundary, Waiohewa had a population of 1,020 at the
2018 New Zealand census
The 2018 New Zealand census, which took place on Tuesday 6 March 2018, was the thirty-fourth national census in New Zealand. The population of New Zealand was counted as 4,699,755 – an increase of 457,707 (10.79%) over the 2013 census.
Resu ...
, an increase of 57 people (5.9%) since the
2013 census, and an increase of 129 people (14.5%) since the
2006 census. There were 348 households, comprising 522 males and 498 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.05 males per female. The median age was 44.8 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 210 people (20.6%) aged under 15 years, 156 (15.3%) aged 15 to 29, 495 (48.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 156 (15.3%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 79.4% European/
Pākehā
''Pākehā'' (or ''Pakeha''; ; ) is a Māori language, Māori-language word used in English, particularly in New Zealand. It generally means a non-Polynesians, Polynesian New Zealanders, New Zealander or more specifically a European New Zeala ...
, 30.0%
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
, 2.4%
Pacific peoples, 4.4%
Asian, and 2.4% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 15.6, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 51.5% had no religion, 37.1% were
Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
, 2.1% had
Māori religious beliefs
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
, 0.3% were
Hindu
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
, 0.3% were
Buddhist
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
and 1.5% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 192 (23.7%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 123 (15.2%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $37,800, compared with $31,800 nationally. 204 people (25.2%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 450 (55.6%) people were employed full-time, 108 (13.3%) were part-time, and 18 (2.2%) were unemployed.
Attractions
The features of the geothermal park can be explored via two easy-walking, relatively flat loop walks, taking 45 to 60 minutes in total.
The lower area is encircled by a loop walk with bridges and viewing platforms, and contains about a dozen hot pools such as "Sodom and Gomorrah" and "Devil's Bath", with depths of 15 to 25 metres. The water in the "Inferno Pools" and "Sodom and Gomorrah" reaches more than due to minerals in the water elevating its boiling point. Sodom and Gomorrah, named so by Shaw, has on occasion erupted 2 metres out of its pool. Most of the other pools have temperatures of . The water from the Huritini hot spring is used in Hells Gate's sulphur spas.
The
pH level of the water in the pools is typically 3.5 to 5, with the more acidic "Ink Pots" having a pH level of 2, and the "Sulphur Bath" reaching pH 1. Several other geothermal features in this area also bear names given by Shaw.
Separating the lower and upper area is a short easy-walking bush walk along the stream flowing over the Kakahi Falls. This 4 metres tall cascade is the largest hot waterfall in the southern hemisphere and has a water temperature of around . The waterfall has always been a special place for local Māori, with warriors using it to cleanse themselves after battles, the sulphur in the water disinfecting wounds. The waterfall's full name is "O Te Mimi O Te Kakahi", named after a chief and noted warrior of Ngāti Rangiteaorere.
The stream itself is the overflow from the upper geothermal area.
A larger loop walk takes in the upper geothermal area, which contains expansive hot pools of varying activity as well as steaming
fumaroles
A fumarole (or fumerole) is a vent in the surface of the Earth or another rocky planet from which hot volcanic gases and vapors are emitted, without any accompanying liquids or solids. Fumaroles are characteristic of the late stages of volcani ...
. Sulphur crystals can be observed in some parts of this area, as well as several mud cauldrons with boiling black mud. This area also contains a large mud volcano, which is currently around 2 metres tall. Mud typically bubbles violently in the crater of the volcano, but the mud volcano hardens roughly every 6 weeks. A mud eruption follows pressure build-up over 2-3 days, splattering mud over 2 metres around the volcano.
The Steaming Cliffs pool has the highest temperature of all pools in this geothermal area at at the surface. Other pools in the upper area range from around and were traditionally used for cooking, and medicinal purposes such as treating skin diseases and arthritis. The grey mud and water from one of the pools is used in Hells Gate's mud spa.
Hells Gate's mud spa, adjacent to the entrance, offers mud footpools and several mud baths, and a list of mud packages, therapies and massages. Mud-based beauty products available at the on-site shop. Hells Gate also offers educational programmes for schools.
Wonderworld aMAZEment Park reopened Rotorua's iconic 3D Maze in 2022, after challenges caused by Covid-19. Based in Tikitere, the attraction has of pathways in the 3D Maze, and an extension opened in November 2024 by Rotorua Mayor
Tania Tapsell
Tania Tapsell (born 22 September 1992) is a New Zealand politician. She has served on the Rotorua Lakes District Council since 2013 and was elected mayor of Rotorua at the 2022 local elections. She is the first woman of Māori descent to hol ...
containing new mazes, puzzles and giant games. Wonderworld also offers educational programmes for schools.
Education
Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ruamata is a co-educational state
Kura Kaupapa Māori
Kura may refer to:
Places
* Kura, Iran (disambiguation)
* Kura Island, Azerbaijan
* Kura, Nigeria, a Local Government Area of Kano State
* Kura (South Caucasus river), a river in Turkey, Georgia, and Azerbaijan
* Kura (Russia), a river in R ...
for Year 1 to 13 students,
with a roll of as of .
Scientific study
Geology
The Tikitere-Ruahine geothermal field
is part of the
Rotorua Volcanic Centre and has a surface area of characterised by acid springs, pools and lakelets,
fumarole
A fumarole (or fumerole) is a vent in the surface of the Earth or another rocky planet from which hot volcanic gases and vapors are emitted, without any accompanying liquids or solids. Fumaroles are characteristic of the late stages of volcani ...
s,
hydrothermal explosion
Hydrothermal explosions occur when superheated water trapped below the surface of the Earth rapidly converts from liquid to steam, violently disrupting the confining rock. Boiling water, steam, mud, and rock fragments are ejected over an area of ...
craters, hot barren and altered ground and
mudpools.
Its heat flow is .
The hydrothermal products are a result of acid
sulfate
The sulfate or sulphate ion is a polyatomic anion with the empirical formula . Salts, acid derivatives, and peroxides of sulfate are widely used in industry. Sulfates occur widely in everyday life. Sulfates are salts of sulfuric acid and many ...
condensate after water interaction with rhyolitic, tuff-rich, volcanic substrate which leaves silica residue rather than the similar appearing silica sinters, that precipitate from hot, near-neutral, alkali chloride water in most other geothermal areas. In this area the
Rotorua Caldera
The Rotorua Caldera is a large rhyolitic caldera that is filled by Lake Rotorua. It was formed by an eruption 240,000 years ago that produced extensive Pyroclastic rock, pyroclastic deposits. Smaller eruptions have occurred in the caldera since ...
rim is ill defined as the geothermal area is located on the tectonically subsiding
Tikitere Graben.
Biology
The acid waters are known to harbour
extremophile
An extremophile () is an organism that is able to live (or in some cases thrive) in extreme environments, i.e., environments with conditions approaching or stretching the limits of what known life can adapt to, such as extreme temperature, press ...
bacteria
Bacteria (; : bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one Cell (biology), biological cell. They constitute a large domain (biology), domain of Prokaryote, prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micr ...
and distinct strains of the OP10 phylogenetic candidate bacterial division have been parially characterised from Tikitere.
References
External links
Hell's Gate Home Page
{{Rotorua District
Taupō Volcanic Zone
Geothermal areas in New Zealand
Rotorua
Ngāti Rangiteaorere
Populated places on Lake Rotorua
Rotorua Volcanic Centre