Nature's Cure - Hot Springs
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| Therapeutic Aix massage bath, Rotorua, ca 1903 |
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Early European settlers came to appreciate New Zealand’s fiery soul as quickly as the Maori. In 1878 Father Mahoney, a Catholic Priest disabled with arthritis, is said to have been carried 88 km to Rotorua from Tauranga, to bathe in the acidic waters. After three months he was reputedly able to walk back to Tauranga.
It was believed the close juxtaposition of strongly alkaline water alongside a still stronger acid, was the secret to the healing powers of the Rotorua springs. Whether it was the heat, the acidity, or the minerals in the water, the pool became known as the 'Priest's Bath' and Rotorua’s reputation as a health resort has been spreading ever since.
In 1880 local Maori leaders signed an agreement setting aside Rotorua's thermal springs 'for the benefit of the people of the world'. The area’s first sanatorium opened in 1885. Water from nearby springs was piped to private bathrooms and larger douche massage rooms. There were also a number of deep pools.
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| Inside The Duchess Bath, Rotorua 1908 |
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