Visitor numbers to geothermal areas

Methods - how we monitor visitor numbers to geothermal areas

• Where and how we collect the data

   Monitoring sites

  This report defines geothermal attractions in five categories. Sites within these categories were:

  Bathing as part of accommodation facilities (23 sites)
  Okoroire Hot Springs, Okoroire Miranda Holiday Park, Miranda Te Aroha Holiday Park and Hot Pools Waingaro Hot Springs Motel All Seasons Holiday Park, Taupō Lake Taupo Holiday Park, Taupō Baycrest Lodge, Taupō Boulevard Waters Motel, Taupō Chelmswood Manor, Taupō Clearwater Motor Lodge, Taupō The Cove, Taupō	Karaka Tree, Taupō Lakefront Motor Lodge, Taupō Manuels, Taupō Moana Reef Motel, Taupō Phoenix Timeshare Resort, Taupō Sacred Waters, Taupō Wairakei Resort Hotel, Wairakei Braxmere Lodge, Tokaanu Oasis Motel and Caravan Park, Tokaanu Rainbow Motels, Tokaanu Tokaanu Lodge Motel, Tokaanu Waiotapu Tavern
  Free informal bathing (10 sites)
  Golden Springs Reserve, Reporoa Butcher’s Pool Reserve, Reporoa Waiotapu Stream, Waiotapu Kerosene Creek, Waiotapu Spa Park, Taupō Taharepa Point, Taupō Rocky Point, Taupō	Kawhia Beach Seeps, Kawhia Hot Water Beach Seeps, Hot Water Beach Waihunuhunu, Lake Ohakuri.
  Pay bathing (9 sites)
  Waikite Valley Thermal Pools, Rotorua Tokaanu Baths, Tokaanu AC Baths, Taupo Taupo Hot Springs, Taupō	Opal Hot Springs, Matamata Matamata Swimming Pool, Matamata Te Aroha Hot Springs, Te Aroha Waingaro Hot Springs, Waingaro Miranda Hot Springs, Miranda
  Nature tourism (5 sites)
  Waiotapu Orakei Korako Wairakei Natural Thermal Valley Craters of the Moon, Wairakei the thermal walk beside the public baths at Tokaanu
  Technology-related (3 sites)
  Wairakei Power Station borefield Prawn Park, Wairakei Wairakei Terraces

  Monitoring frequency

  This is a benchmark survey of visitor numbers data for all known geothermal sites in the Waikato region. Visitor numbers to a few key sites are collected annually and the full report updated in 2013.

  Monitoring history

  • The majority of this indicator’s data were taken from Waikato Regional Council's surveys conducted in 2002 and 2011.
  • The annual visitor numbers for Wairakei Power Station borefield used in this report are estimates based on a Contact Energy Limited survey carried out between December 1999 and January 2000.

  Measurement technique

  • The majority of the data were collected through telephone, letter and site visits to commercial site business owners. In a few cases the results of site surveys were collected from independent sources.
  • For sites without business owners or existing survey information, visitor number estimates were based on observations made by Waikato Regional Council staff during site visits, or estimates made by proprietors of nearby commercial facilities.
  • All known sites where geothermal water is used for recreational purposes are divided into domestic use sites or public recreation sites. Domestic sites were excluded from the survey.
  • Sites where geothermal heat is used only for space heating and domestic water heating were not included because it is likely that some other way would be found to heat the space if geothermal heat was not available.
  • Also excluded were sites where geothermal water is used in a domestic environment, such as homes, resthomes, marae and natural hot springs found within a built up area that are used primarily by local residents.
  • Public sites where geothermal heat is used to heat fresh water for recreational bathing are included where it is likely that the facility would not exist without the geothermal heat source.
• How this indicator is compiled

  This report defines a geothermal attraction as a publicly accessible site where geothermal characteristics are a primary recreational or tourist attraction.

  Visitor numbers per annum were obtained or estimated for each public recreation site in the survey. The ratio of domestic to international visitors was calculated.

  Visitor activities at public recreation sites in the survey were divided into six categories:

  1. Bathing as part of accommodation facilities

  Accommodation facilities (for example, hotels, motels and camping grounds) where geothermal bathing facilities are provided. The bathing water is either geothermal water or fresh water heated by geothermal water.

  2. Free informal bathing 

  Around the region, there are geothermal springs that are largely undeveloped, have no entry price, and are used for bathing. Some are on public land, while others are on private land accessible to the public. The sites covered in this survey are those which are usually accessed through a car or bus journey (usually by New Zealanders). Hot Water Beach is the most visited of these sites, however, most of its visitors are busloads of overseas tourists. Excluded sites were those in built-up areas easily accessed by mostly local residents who walk to the site, using it in a ‘domestic’ capacity. 

  3. Pay bathing

  Developed geothermal bathing facilities. The water is either geothermal water or fresh water heated by geothermal heat. Hot pools attached to clubs such as golf and squash clubs are not included because they are only a secondary attraction of membership. Also excluded are sites used primarily in an educational context, such as Swimwell in Taupo and school pools.

  4. Nature tourism

  Developed facilities that  either provide free walks or charge visitors to look at geothermal attractions such as geysers, boiling mud pools, sinter terraces, fumeroles and hot springs.

  5. Technology related sites

  This category covers geothermal resources which have been highly modified by geothermal technology. Currently this group contains three sites, the Wairakei borefield where visitors are welcome to go on free unguided tours, Wairakei Terraces, and the Prawn Park, where paying visitors take tours to view prawns grown in the geothermally-heated ponds, and eat prawns in the cafe on site.

  Limitations

  Visitor numbers presented in this indicator are a combination of site surveys, entry fee totals and estimates.