Story prepared and written by Gregor J R Wenzlick, great-grandson of Puhoi Pioneer Gregor Johann Wenzlick. Waiwera is located a few kilometres south of Puhoi, over the hill from Wenderholm, and north of Orewa, on the east coast of the North Island of NZ. For centuries, indigenous Maori travelled to Waiwera on New Zealand’s North Island East Coast to heal themselves, often after a heated tribal battle, in Waiwera’s therapeutic warm waters. Maori would immerse themselves in holes dug along the idyllic beachfront and line them with branches for padding. Caressing mineral water would then gently surround them, magically materialising from the earth below. Translated from the Maori language, Waiwera means simply ‘hot water’ but it was so revered that many referred to it as ‘Te Rata’ which translates as ‘The Doctor’ as it was known to the local Maori tribes, and was the first spa in New Zealand. The special healing powers of Waiwera water came to be known far and wide. Imagine the sight, of up to 3,000 Maori soaking at a time on the beach in hot water holes dug in the sand. This was first recorded by Robert Graham in 1842. The beach was littered with bones, which were evidence of the battles that used to take place for possession of this valuable asset. In 1845 Robert Graham opened a ‘house for the accommodation of invalids, travellers, and pleasure parties" and was granted a "bush licence" for liquor sales. This burned down in 1856 and a new house named "Vine House" was built in 1863. In 1864 the new Hot Springs Hotel was built and opened, and gained a "bush licence" for liquor sales. It had 12 rooms and was two-storied with a large ground floor balcony. People travelled to the resort by horse or steamer in the early days, disembarking at a man-made jetty. Many guests stayed at the hotel and were so amazed at the results they enjoyed after taking the waters at Waiwera that they were moved to write testimonial letters praising the benefits of theraputic stays. Waiwera had achieved immense popularity and boasted a large number of bathhouses. The first Wooden bridge over the Waiwera River was built in 1879. The Hot Springs Hotel & Spa was re-sited on the waterfront of Waiwera in 1880, after an addition was brought from Thames by barge. Another Hotel owned by Robert Graham located at Tararu, near Thames, had been damaged in a storm and this was used as an extension to the complex. Puhoi Bohemian pioneer Gregor Johann Wenzlick was a carpenter on this complex at the time, and his family members would always refer to this building as the Hotel that he “built”.
Robert Graham died in 1885 and the Hotel passed into successive ownership. In the period near the end of the 1800’s, Puhoi tradesmen began building operations in Waiwera. The Waiwera Hotel Co. resolved to have a string of five villas erected immediately opposite the hotel, and fronting what is now the main road. These were to provide better quarters for the staff, and ease overcrowding at the hotel. The name of Gregor Wenzlick from Puhoi is associated with the erection of these villas. Mr Jakob Multrus, and a Mr Scriven from Puhoi, are reckoned to have been the local bricklayers and responsible for the erection of the chimneys in the district. Gregor Wenzlick also built the eight or nine cottages along the beach, and two up on the hill for the Cook family. At the time he was living in a house above the river bridge. A daughter of the Cook family, who later became Mrs Llewell, helped Mr Wenzlick by carrying and dragging a considerable amount of timber up the cliff for the new house was built in 1883 or 1884. One of the beach cottages was probably for the caretaker’s use, alongside the bathhouse, and two more housed the gardeners etc. who were employed at the hotel. Mr Multrus also was responsible for the construction of the baths on the beach, and their ruins today reveal the hand of a master.
The old Hotel had a number of licensee owners including in the early 1900's, Wenzl Schollum, the son of original 1863 Puhoi Pioneer Johann Schollum. Wenzl was married to Catherine ‘Kitty’ Fitzpatrick. It is said that Wenzl built a separate house for the use of nuns (probably from Puhoi and around), to enable them to change into bathing garments when using the Spa pools. Wenzl was also the owner of the Nottingham Castle Hotel in Morrinsville, as well as being a succesful Auckland businessman of land and business agency. He also owned racehorses including the champion "Royal Blood" of 1920's era. Waiwera was noted for its unique travel arrangements. Most visitors arrived by a small steamship from Auckland, but as there was no wharf until 1905 the tourist and invalids had to put ashore by ship’s boats. The steamer would arrive about mid-day, bringing 300 - 400 excursionists. By the time all the passengers had been landed it was nearly time to start loading again and the last off the boat would only have been ashore a quarter of an hour before three blasts from the ship announced it was time to start moving again! Among the guests during this period, was Sir Julius Vogel, who at the time was Prime Minister of New Zealand. A lift was installed to enable him to get to the second floor.
By 1908 the Waiwera Estate boasted a jetty and boathouses, good fishing and pheasant shooting, 2 croquet lawns, bowling green and 3 tennis courts, a social hall, billiard parlour, bar and store. The 50-bedroom Kauri Hotel was set in beautiful English style gardens complete with peacocks and Kookaburras brought from Australia, which gave Waiwera something of the air of a European Spa of trysts and assignations, similar to the resorts and towns in Western Bohemia. Unfortunately, this magnificent example of early century architecture was destroyed by fire in 1939 in suspicious circumstances. The land was not allowed to be rebuilt on, and became a tennis court and garden. The owner at the time, Wenzl Schollum, sold the land and remaining structure to William Selby who carried on operating the Hotel’s bar. In 1943 a new 42-bed Hotel was built and named the "South Pacific Hotel" and owned by William Selby. In 1954, a later structure was re-sited about 100 yards inland to where the present-day Hotel and Motel is sited. The South Pacific Swimming Pool complex, owned by the South Pacific Hotel, was opened in 1957. In February 1963, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II visited Waiwera and took lunch at the Hotel after visiting nearby Wenderholm Regional Park while on her NZ tour. The complex is now called the Waiwera Thermal Spa Resort. A new apartment complex is on the drawing board. To see how Waiwera looks today visit: www.waiwera.co.nz Information courtesy of Infinity Waiwera, Mary Billman (A Century in Hot Water), Family of Gregor Johann Wenzlick.

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