BAY OF PLENTY: ROTORUA

11-May-13

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Rotorua Top 10 Holiday Park

star rating of 3

by Chris Gaelic

1495 Pukuatua St, Rotorua, Bay of Plenty

www.rotoruatop10.co.nz

Phone: 07 348-1886

rvexplorer id: 17475

Lat-Long: -38.13646, 176.24207

Rotorua Top 10 Entrance from the road

Rotorua Top 10 Reception

The Rotorua Top 10 was something of a disappointment for us. We arrived at around 5 pm on a clear, but cold and windy autumn afternoon. A key attraction was their new hot mineral pool which featured prominently on their website - www.rotoruatop10.co.nz.

 

Our first difficulty was finding the entrance, which we drove past a couple of times before we finally noticed the sign. Pukuatua road is very busy during rush hour, and the entrance is just past a difficult corner, and didn't look like the main entrance.

 

Once inside, the facilities were modern and parking was on a paved area surrounded by grass. However, we were 7.9 metres long and only just able to squeeze onto the paved parking space. The sites could easily have been made longer, and it was that lack of attention to detail that we noticed elsewhere as well.

 

We made ourselves some dinner and headed for the spa. It was now getting dark and we were very pleased to see changing rooms right beside the pool. Unfortunately, on coming out in our swim suits, we found the gate to the pool was locked, with a sign telling us to use the gate on the other side of the complex - ouch! Not impressed. Or more to the point, cold.

 

Hurrying around to the other gate, we made a beeline for the warm water, and nearly slipped over on the steps into the pool. They were smooth and quite slippery. Fortunately, there was a hand rail, and the water temperature was just right.

 

It was a nice pool, in a garden setting, which we enjoyed it once in the water. But we were not looking forward to the trek back to the changing room again.

 

Changing room next to the mineral pool Locked gate to the mineral pool - 'please use the other gate' Hot mineral pool

The pool is emptied out overnight and scrubbed clean each morning, which also means that the only time the pool is available is in the afternoon and evening through until 9 pm. Given that the pool is mostly used by adults, 9 pm seemed a bit early. And the pools are not available for use in the morning before taking a shower and getting back on the road.

 

Most of these problems were minor and could be easily fixed. But they did leave a negative overall impression.

 

 

 

 

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