4 | Hot tubs hit the spot The water in each tub is continually filtered and fully refreshed every 15 minutes. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Secret Spot Hot Tubs Rotorua T TVirginia Wright Wingspan Welcome recognition for conservation trust T TRussell Fredric In 2019, brothers Keith and Eric Kolver were paddling in cold rain down the Whakatane River in the Urewera National Park and dreaming about ‘what would be nice right now’: a hot tub and a mulled wine came to mind and they paddled on, imagining what it might look like as a business. A week later, Eric suggested to Keith that they combine forces to make the business a reality, and so Secret Spot Hot Tubs Rotorua was born. Now Rotorua locals, the Kolver brothers grew up on a dairy farm not far away and share a love for the area. Keith had spent years in the tourism industry and was ready to run his own business, while Eric had been involved in the dairy industry as a scientist and a farmer and was ready for something different. The business is currently a finalist in the Tourism category of this year’s Rotorua Business Awards, having achieved their vision of building a unique and authentic national tourism business from the ground up, and a business in which the locals also feel a sense of pride and ownership. Secret Spot Rotorua cleared, planted and developed their carefully planned oasis on the edge of the Waipa forest where they now offer customers their own private cedar hot tub surrounded by native ferns and overlooking the Puarenga Stream. Developing its visitor business alongside conservation work, Wingspan National Bird of Prey Centre is a finalist in the 2026 Tompkins Wake Rotorua Business Awards. General manager, Ineke Milner, says the Montana Food & Events – Not for Profit & Social Enterprise category recognition is especially meaningful after several years of operational change. Located in Ngongotahā, Wingspan was founded by Debbie Stewart in the late 1980s and formally established as a trust in 1992, beginning with the rehabilitation and release of injured birds. It has since developed four main areas of activity: rehabilitation, breeding, education and advocacy, and research. The organisation relocated to its current site about eight years ago, moving from repurposed facilities to purpose-built spaces. About three years ago, it raised $1.2 million for breeding and display aviaries built to international standards. “We have high standards for the care and the facilities our birds get,” Ineke says. The Wingspan team has more than 100 years of collective experience. It has contributed to about 40 published scientific papers, and has a large collection of raptor eggs, study skins and related material outside a museum. The organisation operates with 4.3 full-time equivalent staff, welcoming around 6000 visitors a year and about 40 school visits, alongside running five to 10 off-site educational events. “People who are supporting us and people who are on the team, it’s not about egos – they’re here because they genuinely believe in the project,” Ineke says. There is no government or local-body funding, with visitors, memberships, donations and sponsorships supporting the trust. That funding model puts the visitor business directly alongside its conservation work. “We’re a conservation organisation that’s built a tourism business around our mission, rather than being a tourism business that just does a bit of conservation,” says Ineke. Visitor capacity is currently constrained by a modest retail, museum and ticketing facility, With you from the start. Proud to be part of the journey. • Accounting and tax • Bookkeeping and payroll • Business advisory • Software consulting and support Call 07 345 5831 www.bizwise.net.nz Soak in your own cedar hot tub on the forest edge, with bar service and cold plunge tubs. Relax in a private sauna, enjoy tasty smash burgers from BaseCamp street food kitchen & craft bar, and get a FREE Shinny Dip foot hot tub. secretspot.nz rotorua@secretspot.nz 07 348 4442 Specialist storage for valuable collections Designed & Manufactured in NZ sales@maxfiling.co.nz 03 389 9081 Enquire today 9 Museum 9 Archival 9 Library 9 Scientific “We’re a conservation organisation that’s built a tourism business around our mission, rather than being a tourism business that just does a bit of conservation.” with space for about 80 to 100 people and one show a day. Weather can further affect visitor numbers, while the limited capacity has meant Wingspan has not yet pursued large tourism operators or international coach groups. Recent changes are beginning to broaden its revenue base. An online booking system has been introduced, while a behind-the-scenes experience allowing visitors closer encounters with falcons and ruru (morepork) has proved popular. A small workshop space has added another activity, including art workshops as a means of adding revenue. Marketing remains a challenge, because most available funds are directed into conservation and other activities. Word of mouth is its biggest source of promotion, with visitors often arriving after recommendations from others. Ineke returned to Wingspan after working there from 2010 to 2015 and later working overseas and teaching. She stepped into the general manager role after Debbie left the executive director position. The awards recognition comes as Wingspan works through operational changes, while dealing with external risks, including bird flu. It has updated its biosecurity protocols and procedures in line with DOC and MPI requirements. For Ineke, the nomination recognises more than the visitor experience. “We do what we do because we love it and we believe in it,” she says. “We have to be smart about it and get our business acumen in line to try and make sure we function better and better all the time. But to be recognised in a business awards like this is very cool.” Wingspan’s patron is ‘bug man’ Dr Ruud Kleinpaste MNZM, who has held the role since 2009. Unlike Rotorua’s more usual geothermal offerings, the water comes from a high-forest aquifer. Heated to 39.9 degrees, the water in each tub is continually filtered and fully refreshed every 15 minutes. Guests can cool off with a cold cedar plunge tub, or just relax and order craft beers, wines and hot drinks from the tub, and if that relaxing beverage is all they want they are offered a complimentary mini-tub foot soak to get their own taste of a uniquely casual Kiwi experience. “Rotorua undoubtedly has the country’s best mountain biking trail network, and having amenities like ours helps make the experience really cool,” says Eric. “But these days the majority of our customers are destination travellers – people coming to the forest just for us, who would not have come to the forest otherwise. We love that they get to engage with nature in an easy, passive way.” Secret Spot Hot Tubs Rotorua has won multiple awards over the years, with the team at the core of it all working 13-hour days, seven days a week, to offer their authentic “forest bathing” relaxation experience. “We have an absolutely awesome team of 25 in total. Some of them have been with us since the beginning and they’re an essential part of our success,” says Eric. By the end of 2027, the Kolver brothers will have moved from being a local Rotorua operation to a national business. Their second Secret Spot is currently underway next to Christchurch’s Adventure Park, which offers a surprisingly similar environment to the one in Rotorua.
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