New Zealand has often been described as a paradise on earth, hence the name you’ll sometimes hear the locals use: ‘Godzone (God’s own country)’. Visit a selection of the nation’s expert day spas or thermal pool complexes and you’ll soon see why! The pure, natural and beautiful environment lends itself to blissful vacations that spell relaxation and indulgence for body and soul, so whether your muscles demand a treat after an adrenaline-pumping pursuit like bungy jumping, skiing or snowboarding, or if relaxation is the main purpose of your visit, make sure you take time out to indulge in a pampering treatment in a beautiful natural environment. As popular with locals as they are with international visitors, you’ll find hot mineral pools in many places around New Zealand. One of the benefits of the geothermal activity that also shows itself in geysers and bubbling mud pools, these pools are rich with minerals and heated by nature.

Since the nineteenth century, visitors have travelled to places like Rotorua to ‘take the water’ – it was believed that thermal pools held potent curative properties and could be used to treat a wide range of illnesses. Today, opinions vary on just how significant the health benefits of thermal spas are, but there is no disputing the fact that soaking in a warm thermal pool is wonderfully relaxing for both body and mind!

For Maori, geothermal features hold spiritual significance (many of New Zealand’s most well known thermal pools, now developed into sophisticated spas, were used by Maori for generations before the arrival of Europeans), and you will certainly feel the atmosphere of rich history and soul-restoring peace.

New Zealand’s geothermal activity is most obvious in places like Taupo and Rotorua – known internationally as a geothermal hotspot – and it is here that you’ll find the country’s most historic spas. For instance, Polynesian Spa (www.polynesianspa.co.nz) has attracted bathers for more than 125 years. Stories are told of a priest called Father Mahoney who, in 1878, trekked 80 kilometres from Tauranga to Rotorua just to bathe in a hand-dug pool at the site where Polynesian Spa now stands.

Try a truly New Zealand spa experience, and sample a unique thermal mud treatment. Rotorua is home to numerous thermal pool complexes including Wai Ora Spa at Hell’s Gate (www.hellsgate.co.nz), New Zealand’s only mud bath complex, where you can enjoy the uniquely relaxing experience of bathing in soft, fine mud. The Spa (www.thesparotorua.co.nz) and

Spa at QE (www.qehealth.co.nz) both offer mud therapies, as does Polynesian Spa (www.polynesianspa.co.nz), which is ranked among the world’s best.

But you may not even have to leave your hotel or motel to enjoy an evening soak – some have their own private thermal pools, while many offer in-room thermal spa pools as an added benefit.

Another spa worth a visit is Paihia Beach Resort & Spa in Northland (www.paihiabeach.co.nz), which was voted one of the top 10 Australasian spas by Condé Nast (UK) Traveller.

And if you’re travelling around The Coromandel, you can experience an interesting natural phenomenon: a geothermal-heated, hot spring filters up through the sand at Hot Water Beach – hire a spade and dig your own hot pool! Best times are two hours either side of high tide.

Bear in mind, however, that the North Island does not have the monopoly on New Zealand’s geothermal activity. In addition to the pools in Rotorua, Lake Taupo and Eastland, one of New Zealand’s best known thermal pool complexes is located at Hanmer Springs Village (www.hanmersprings.co.nz), north of Christchurch in the South Island. This large complex has a range of public and private pools, including pools for children, in a beautifully landscaped setting. The spa also offers an extensive range of indulgent and luxurious health and beauty treatments.

A few hours away, on the West Coast, the glacier-fed hot pools set amidst the remarkable scenery of Franz Josef (www.glacierhotpools.com) invite you to linger.

A welcome addition to the spa scene down south is Alpine Springs & Spa (www.alpinesprings.co.nz), a relatively new complex in a beautiful setting overlooking Lake Tekapo and offering a range of luxuriously relaxing treatments.

But indulgence doesn’t end at geothermal pools. You’ll find plenty of alternative opportunities for rest and rejuvenation. For a relaxing and effective hands-on approach, there are beauty clinics and day spas everywhere, a testament to just how popular this form of relaxation and beauty therapy is. At a day spa you can expect to have your senses soothed, relax your mind as well as your body, and be thoroughly pampered by the professionals.

For the ultimate escape from the stresses of everyday life, unwrap, unravel and unwind at a wellness retreat. New Zealand has much to offer in the way of specialist retreats, giving all manner of treatments to enhance each client’s wellness experience, from massage, spa therapy and hydrotreatments to oxygen treatments, yoga, weight loss programmes and fasting or fruit juice treatments. Taking care of the mind and spirit as well as the body, holistic retreats are not difficult to find – in fact, the wide range of options available may make it difficult to choose! For example, Oraora Resort (www.oraoraresort.co.nz), a luxury health and wellness centre in Kerikeri, offers a variety of more ‘traditional’ treatments such as massage and facials. In addition, clients can take part in meditation and other holistic practices, and operators such as Spiritual Tours (www.relievecorporatestress.com) specialise in assisting their clients with spiritual healing.