NZ Travelogue Day 40

Wai-O-Tapu

On the way from Taupo to Tauranga, we visited the Thermal Wonderland at Wai-O-Tapu, the largest area of surface thermal activity in the Taupo Volcanic Zone.

 First encounter with a geyser  - Lady Knox Geyser induced to erupt at 10.30am daily by pouring soap or detergent down its throat. Herds of tourists waiting patiently for the eruption were duly rewarded. The eruptions lasted for several minutes, allowing time for the tourists to take photos from different angles.

 
 Next stop is a pool with its bubbling mud. Interesting to watch but could not stay too long as it was rather suffocating with the smell and steam.

 Then  we spent nearly 2 hours walking in the Wonderland proper - a huge area literally  covered with collapsed craters, boiling pools of mud, hot springs, water and steaming fumaroles.

An area appropriately named as 'Artist's Pallete' with its colours from the minerals brought to the surface by the water forcing its way up.

 This is the Oyster Pool, named after its distinct shape.

 The Champagne Pool - the largest in the area - 65m in diameter. 

Walking besides it is like going through a sauna bath.

 Minerals contained in the water are gold, silver, mercury, sulphur, arsenic, thallium, etc; 

hence the colours.

 What is the name of this pool? Forget - took too many pictures.

I do remember this crater is Devil's Bath because of its striking colour.

 This is the Sulphur Cave, I guess. Sulphur crystals formed on the cave wall.

 There is a native bush walk, and the colours are equally amazing. 

The place is full of tea trees - Kanuka and Manuka. Foliage of Kanuka feel softer than manuka - difficult to differentiate the two types as they are so similar.

After the visual feast at Wai-O-Tapu accompanied by the 'rotten egg' smell, we drove  to Rotorua and had a wonderful lunch (very late though) at the Bathhouse cafe in the Museum building. No time to stop and look as we had to press on to Tauranga at not more than 80km per hour as the rented car had a temporary tyre.

One tyre was punctured and need to be replaced at the Wai-O-Tapu car park  

(blame the thermal activity on the ground?)

An unforgettable and enjoyable geothermal experience