Te Waihou means 'new water' and the journey the new water takes begins high in the Mamaku Ranges, a range of rugged hills in the North Island of New Zealand. Located to the west of Lake Rotorua and north of Lake Taupo, they lie to the immediate south of the imposing Kaimai Ranges which stand tall and watch over the east and western sides.

From the ancient eruptions that created Lake Rotorua, layered aquifers were created within fractured rock and volcanic sand. Rainfall recharge from the Mamaku Ranges moves rapidly through the surface sandy soils, then deep into the aquifers that discharge into our source, the Blue Spring some 80 to 100 years later and eventually into the Waihou River on the edge of the plateau.

Human activity throughout the ranges and the river from early Maori to the present township has left a vast historical legacy. The Waihou River gave all who travelled it easy access to much of the greater Waikato, as well as the inner forested areas, where bird life provided food, and where the native owl resided which was believed to offer protection for the area. Situated throughout the area are old Maori trails and sites, early coach routes and gold mining relics. A distinct reminder of the past and how important water has been to the people of the land.