Famous, but Out-of-date

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 72, 16 June 1927, Page 10

Famous, but Out-of-date

Rotorua Spa and Sanatorium

FLAG decked, and bathed in sunshine, there was one building at Rotorua that looked well to the eye and made a pretty picture when the Duke of York was in Rotorua, and that was the structure known as the main bath house. But the main building is itself lacking in many requirements, and has ugly and very crippled off -shoots.

of the buildings are old, and obsolete, from a structural point of view, and not at all in line with that of a modern institution, catering for people from all over the world. In places, the Pavilion and Duchess baths are being held together by pieces of packing case, and when it rains the fall is merely broken, and then transmitted through. These and other things were noted by a SUN reporter on a visit this week. The sanatorium, where the

patients are accommodated, has been added to again and again, and now leaves much to be desired from an amenity point of view. At the present time it cannot take more than 50 patients comfortably, and there is practically always a waiting list. NEW BATH BUILDINGS

This year it is intended or proposed —also hoped and prayed for—to lay the foundations of a new building to replace the Pavilion Baths. The baths structure may hold up sufficiently to see this new work—if there is no strong wind. The present buildings house some of the best mineral waters in the world, and the new plans are for

an attractive and useful type of building. The new building will also house the mud-bath department, which is at present located in unattractive and inconvenient surroundings in the basement o£ the main building. The whole institution is now quite incapable of dealing with the number of treatments wanted. Huge figures are reached annually in the number of cases treated at the spa. Last year there were approximately 40,000 special treatments, and 100,000 baths were taken. The special treatments include massage. diathermacy, X-ray, galvanic and faradic treatments, sclmee baths, ultra-violet ray, Greville hot air treatment, and all forms of electrical baths. These treatment, deal with all sorts of diseases, so-called rheumatic affections, gout, neuritis, lumbago and sciatica. MONEY LOST

Seeing that Rotorua has in plenty those things for which people from all over the world are prepared to pay. the question is as to whether overseas visitors especially should not have available some of the luxuries available in European spas, at, of course, increased fees.

Differentiation as between people poor and well-to-do is not unknown in this country, and at Rotorua could be used with considerable advantage—and what is more, with benefit to Rotorua’s and New Zealand's reputation. The lack of anything approaching what they can secure at other spas has led to invidious criticism at Rotorua. The fees at Rotorua are exceptionally moderate, but then many visitors do not want moderate fees. They prefer to pay for a little extra comfort. Thiee guineas a week at Rotorua Sanatorium covers everything and this flat rate, is half of what is charged at most European institutions. Then, moreover, the “cure” tax is not charged at Rotorua. The “cure” tax is not a “no cure no pay” proposition. It is more in the nature of an entrance fee. In Europe this sum is as high as £2O before the patient enters the institution, and it is expended in providing orchestras, roads, casinos, and that sort of thing. There has just been added to the spa—in an out-of-the-way, inconvenient room built on to the back of the building—the very latest thing in X-ray, the new plant costing about £SOO. Shortly a plant for plombiere douche treatments, for cases of colitis, will be installed in the main building.