Its temperature is approximately 40oC, which is a nice hot shower. The falls hold a special place for our Maori people, in that they were used by our warriors to bathe and cleanse themselves of the blood of battle when they returned.
The sulphur in the water was very good in that it acted as a salve to the wounds and scratches, that the warriors received at the hands of their enemies.
The full name of the falls is “O Te Mimi O Te Kakahi” which is translated into “the urine of Kakahi”. The reason behind this name is that like all indigenous people, our Maori warriors knew that urine is also a great salving liquid that you could apply to cuts and wounds when you were not able to come to these falls.
Kakahi was a noted warrior of Rangiteaorere and hence the name.
