This is an interesting place, because hot geothermal water percolates up through the beach sand. However what made it interesting for me was that the place was packed with tourists, in the middle of a hot summer's day! Because it is on the must-do list for tourists, it is busy. You have to pay to park; a machine prints a ticket to display on your windscreen - $4NZ for an hour. Then you can buy a $15 spade (proceeds to Surf Life Saving), and go for it. The quick swim was great, too.
Remember the pools with no-one in them are probably boiling hot, or too cold.
This is a low tide activity. A freak wave soaked us, and nearly buried the car keys (thankfully we had waterproof phone cases). Remember to swim between the flags; there are savage rips along the beach.
I suggest this would be better in winter, or at the beginning, or end, of the day.
[//]:# (!steemitworldmap -36.891483 lat 175.822174 long Hot Water Beach d3scr)