Information received from the Council regarding the Hot Pool

We’re really excited to open He Puna Taimoana/New Brighton Hot Pools this Saturday 30 May, in time for people to enjoy them over the long Queen’s Birthday weekend.

As you’re likely aware, the opening of the hot pools was delayed due to the Covid-19 alert level 4 lockdown. We’ve been working hard to get the facility open as soon as possible, while meeting health and safety requirements in the Covid-19 environment.

From today, people will be able to book online to enjoy the unique experience of soaking and relaxing in the beautiful coastal setting of New Brighton when the facility opens on 30 May.

At a time when it’s more important than ever to have local recreation destinations, it will be great to welcome more visitors to New Brighton to enjoy the pools and the other offerings of the sea-side village. The hot pools also add another unique attraction to Christchurch that will be vital for the burgeoning domestic tourism market.

He Puna Taimoana key features

· Five outdoor pools for year-round use, ranging in temperature from 26 to 40 degrees Celsius and different activity levels including relaxation and active. There’s also a small plunge pool at 12 degrees Celsius.

· The pools use fresh water with salt crystals added, heated using ground-sourced heat-pump technology.

· The on-site café Saturdays will be open to pool users and beach-side customers.

Operating in the Covid-19 environment

We’ve made some changes to help keep people safe in the Covid-19 environment. People wishing to visit the hot pools will need to make a booking and pay online at www.hepunataimoana.co.nz. He Puna Taimoana will operate at reduced capacity initially, open for four sessions from 10am to 8pm every day, with a maximum of 50 people in each session, to allow physical distancing. The sauna and steam room will remain closed at alert level 2.

Entry fees

Christchurch locals will be able to get a single entry pass for $14 (aged 16 and over), and local children’s passes (aged 4 to 15 years) will be $10 with a Cando high school student ID. Children aged three and under are admitted for free.

Christchurch residents who want to use the pools regularly will be able to get even cheaper admission rates with multi-entry cards and membership options. These include a monthly children’s pass for $54, and an adult visiting the pools three times a week would pay just $4.50 for each visit.

Standard admission for people who live outside of Christchurch will be $18 for an adult and $13 for children.

Opening

With COVID-19 Alert Level Two restrictions, we can’t hold an opening event for He Puna Taimoana. However, keep an eye on our Facebook page over coming days for a sneak peek into the facility. If you want to watch the doors being opened, tune into our Facebook page at 10am on Saturday 30 May to watch your local councillors officially open the facility.

From this week, we will be launching a marketing and communications programme to drive bookings for this exciting new experience in our city.

We look forward to welcoming you and your family and friends at He Puna Taimoana!