Married at First Sight bride confesses that she thought Rotorua honeymoon was 'a joke'

White Island wasn't the only thing erupting in the honeymoon of one Married at First Sight couple who spent their post-nuptial holidays in the Bay of Plenty, although Rotorua was not steamy enough to heat up the second couple.

Claire, 51, and Dominic, 58, made no secret about consummating their marriage, with Claire praising her new husband's prowess,

"He knows what he's doing. I'm pretty impressed with that side of it."

She told NZME that their love-making did not include the spa bath in Tauranga luxury lodge Eagle Ridge as hinted at on Monday night's episode.

"We had a bath but no we didn't christen it," she said.

Honeymooners Claire and Dom catch a helicopter from luxury Tauranga lodge Eagle Ridge. Photo / Tim Hollow

"We had an amazing honeymoon in Tauranga. I can't thank the people we met enough in Tauranga, everyone was so lovely."

Manager of the Eagle Ridge Briana Chadwick confirmed Claire and Dom "had a ball", adding, "What happens at Eagle Ridge stays at Eagle Ridge".

Claire and Dom.

During their stay Claire and Dom went to McLaren Falls, said Claire, "and did the glow worms at night in the kayaks ... a beautiful dinner at Harbourside restaurant which we really enjoyed".

The couple also enjoyed private hot pools and a walk around the Mount.

Tauranga bride Lacey Swanepoel was not so enamoured with a location so close to home when she and husband Luke found they were honeymooning in Rotorua.

Lacey Swanepoel thought it was a joke at first that she was honeymooning in Rotorua. Photo / Tim Hollow

"Both Luke and I thought it was a joke, like production were playing a prank on us. I live not even 45 minutes away from Rotorua - like come on. But once we knew it was Rotorua we decided to take the high road and try make the most of it. "

"I've been to Rotorua like a million times ... it was a bit hard to be super excited but at the same time I appreciated all the opportunities and amazing people I met there."

Since the filming Swanepoel has been active on social media, posting on Instagram with fellow "wifey" Bel Clarke.

"We just bonded and became close. We are both pretty outgoing and crazy, and have strong opinions and voices so we compliment each other ... going through something like this with someone else makes life easier. We watch every episode together, often coaching each other through what the public might think."

Lacey and Luke in Rotorua. Photo / Tim Hollow

"It's hard to say I'm enjoying it or not because I watch the episodes when New Zealand does, we don't get a pre-screening. So you try live your life during the week and weekends and bang Sunday, Monday, Tuesday you deal with the emotion and fallout of what you have seen on television."

She says she did not join the show to be famous, and her anonymity was something she was willing to give up in the hope the experts would find her a good match and a right match.

Despite Luke saying she had broken up with him, she hinted there is more to the story, saying on Instagram after the show, "This experience has had massive highs and lows - reality TV is what you make it to be".

Abby Parkin, Tourism Bay of Plenty's consumer marketing manager, said there were great benefits being involved with the show,

"The show is globally recognised and has already secured a huge following in New Zealand. The domestic market accounts for 80 per cent of our total regional tourism spend. Being part of a production with prime-time viewing enables us to gain significant exposure, for the region and our operators, that we may not have otherwise been able to achieve."

This article was first published on NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.