 |
| Hell's Gate Mud Pools, Rotorua |
Did you know there’s a hands-on way to experience New Zealand’s natural wonders? Several spas throughout this clean green country use products made from local plants, honey, and - even - clay in wonderful massage therapies, body treatments, facials, and treats for hands and feet.
I made this discovery after a long hike in the Bay of Islands region north of Auckland. My sore muscles sought serious pampering and found it in an unlikely location on State Highway 10 in Kerikeri, a town of less than 10,000 people. Here, nearly 25 years ago, Suzanne Hall started making skincare products based on New Zealand’s naturally beneficial ingredients. Now,
Living Nature has grown from a kitchen-table business to a successful company with customers worldwide.
My facial included a warm
manuka honey exfoliating mask. While it worked its magic, my therapist explained that honey has been used for centuries for skin health and beauty. “It’s a hero ingredient that moisturizes and promotes healing,” she said, “because it’s anti-bacterial and contains vitamins, amino acids, and minerals.”
More local ingredients were included in the luxurious pedicure. I’ve often seen orange and yellow
calendula blooming in San Diego, my hometown, but never realized that these daisylike flowers contain vitamins A and C, plus flavanoids – all good for soothing pain and promoting healing. My tootsie treat also included
locally-harvested kelp and sea salt. In addition, Living Nature uses
Halloysite clay to absorb skin pollutants and to exfoliate,
flax extract for firming, and
macadamia oil for moisturizing.
I also enjoyed a great Vichy Aqua treatment, a natural sea salt exfoliation, and a
seaweed mask at
Wisteria Day Spa in Hanmer Springs, 90 minutes north of Christchurch.
Hanmer Springs is best known for its beautiful Thermal Reserve, where visitors congregate to soak in a dozen pools of geothermal water. While all are relaxing, the pools of
untreated sulfur-rich water are especially beneficial for folks with achy joints and arthritis. The indigenous Maori people have used therapeutic warm mineral water to heal themselves for centuries.
The hot water in the pools at the
Waiwera Thermal Resort north of Auckland comes out of an underground aquifer at about 130° and has to be cooled before it goes into the pools. The Waiwera Infinity Spa tucked away in a quiet corner of the property offers eight private natural mineral spa pools and a range of hands-on treatments.
New Zealanders also use mud in therapeutic treatments. The Polynesian Spa in Rotorua is an historic healing center with 27 hot mineral pools. Specialties here include
Rotorua Thermal Mud treatments and a deliciously gooey detoxifying mud wrap. The mineral-rich mud helps to cleanse and rejuvenate the skin, as well as relax muscles made sore by New Zealand’s plethora of adventure activities.
The Polynesian Spa uses New Zealand-made, all natural skincare products. Some of these are from
Skin Deep, which shares Living Nature’s passion for manuka honey and essential oil and also incorporates kanuka oil.
Plantogen products include manuka honey, Rotorua geothermal clay, botanical extracts, and green tea.
Evolu Botanical Skincare is another all-natural line. Here the key ingredient, pure NZ spring water, is blended with vitamin-rich substances such as kiwifruit extract and sweet almond oil for hydrating.
Staying healthy on the road in New Zealand is easy – in fact, it’s the natural thing to do.
This blog post is part of
a worldwide campaign by travel writers to get the word out that - in spite of the recent earthquake - "New Zealand is open for business." All of the country's airports are operating and, except for the City of Christchurch, tourism facilities are welcoming visitors.
