The co-director of Waiwera's reimagined site has confirmed there won't be any waterslides at the new space, instead focusing on "relaxation and rejuvenation".
Yesterday, it was revealed that the planned $58 million dollar revival of the site had been granted resource consent and would seek to reopen by mid-2028.
The project, led by Waiwera Thermal Springs Property Limited, was looking to turn the famous site 40km north of Auckland's CBD into a "world-class bathing and wellness sanctuary".
The operation closed in 2018, before being demolished in 2023.
Speaking from Melbourne, the company's joint managing director Craig Mitchell told Breakfast it was going to be a "reimagination of what has been there for many, many years".
"I think there was a thermal resort there in 1875, it's been a commercial resort there for 150 years, but as you say, it fell into disrepair, which is very sad.
"[We're] reimagining this wellness sanctuary, which will have a whole host of different bathing experiences with saunas and a restaurant, and a spa as well."
Mitchell said he had a personal connection to the site, after first visiting in the mid-1990s.
"I'd done a triathlon in Auckland, and I went there and I loved it.
"I went back in 2012 and I was really disappointed and saddened by the level that it had been run to," he said.
He said he was "very confident when the opportunity came for us to build this site that it could be reimagined in a different light".
"We understand that this holds a place dear to the heart of Aucklanders, and we want to bring it back so it's a place of rejuvenation and renewal."
'There won't be water slides'
Mitchell confirmed that while there would be no waterslides in this iteration of the park, it would "still be very family friendly and inclusive".
"There won't be water slides, and that will be disappointing to some of you who remember it fondly, but it will also be an inclusive environment."
He suggested thrill-seekers could head 20 minutes away to Dairy Flat where a surf park facility was being built – and follow up with a soak at Waiwera's hot pools.
Mitchell said there had been some discussion as to whether the site would be considered "bougie", or overly luxurious, and he said it would strike the right balance between excitement and relaxation.
"It will be well designed, and it's contemplating a lot of different features, but it is inclusive to the whole community.
"When it was at its peak in the past, it was very, very crowded on the weekends. So we are very thoughtful about the number of people that we have in the place at any one time, and how the guests flow through the facility.
"I guess it's important if we're offering relaxation and rejuvenation that it's not jammed full all the time. So we have some ways in which we can moderate that through the day and through the week."
He said this would also be achieved through a mix of "adult only zones" where over 18s could relax, and areas for families too.
Four of the beloved waterslides including The Twister and Bob's Mistake found new homes at Adrenalin Adventure Park just north of Whangārei.
The park owners previously told 1News it had been a massive effort to rebuild the salvaged slides on one of their hills, and worked hard to fit it to the shape of the slides.
Previously, Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has given his backing to the redevelopment and called it a welcome investment in the region.
"This has my full backing. Natural springs are a treasure and should be treated as such. I believe this development honours that. It complements the attractions we already have and those in the pipeline."
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