Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland is a wonderful active geothermal scenic reserve in New Zealand’s Taupo Volcanic Zone. It is a natural wonder to witness, and a place to visit near Rotorua or Taupo. Waiotapu is a Maori word for ‘sacred water’.
Admission tickets can be booked online, or bought on the spot (cashless only) at Wai-o-Tapu Welcome Centre. You can come anytime and stay as long as you want within the opening hours, but you should arrive by 10am to not miss the scheduled eruption of Lady Knox Geyser.
Lady Knox Geyser
The first stop at Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland is usually at the Lady Knox Geyser, as the scheduled eruption happens every day at 10.15am. Come early to get a good viewing spot at the front.
Lady Knox Geyser at its ‘calm’ state. Hot water vapor continuously steamed out of its vent.
After some talk by a host, the geyser is brought into life by a human-triggered eruption.
Lady Knox Geyser does erupt by itself, but it is unpredictable with long inactive periods between eruptions. So, an eco-friendly soap-like surfactant is added into the vent, to reduce the surface tension, for increased chance for people to be able to witness the eruption. Due to varied conditions, however, it is no guarantee for successfully inducing the eruption. The eruption may also be small and underwhelming sometimes. I was in luck that day as even the host was impressed with the eruption and she said it doesn’t often last that long (it went on for like 40 minutes).
Interestingly, the geyser was first discovered by prisoners. The area used to be an open prison, where better-behaved prisoners were employed to work around the area. Lady Knox Geyser was a place where they took baths and washed clothes as there was already hot water emerging from the vent. One time, a prisoner poured some soap into the vent (maybe trying to create foam/bubbles?), and the geyser started shooting a tall pillar of water up into the sky. Ever since they discover this, they always pour soap into the geyser to trigger the big spray of hot water.
Waiotapu Mud Pool
After witnessing the eruption of Lady Knox Geyser, the hot mud pool is the next quick stop before heading into the main geothermal tracks. Bubbling hot pools of mud sounds like many pots of soup being cooked.
Waiotapu Geothermal Park
The main area and attractions of Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland are the huge geothermal park consisting of multi-colored hot pools and various geographical features. You follow the tracks with a map given to you as guidance.
One of the many craters where the acidic steam coming out from underground caused the ground to collapse. Cooling volcanic vapors colored the rough walls with yellow-greenish colors.
Some steaming vents.
Hot mud pool
Central pools
The colorful steam looked like someone releasing some colorful smoke bombs in the area.
Champagne Pool & the Artist’s Palette. Look at those colors!
Spring-fed by 230 degrees Celsius of water, Champagne Pool is the largest hot spring in New Zealand. Its 62-meter-deep crater was formed 700 years ago by a hydrothermal eruption. The carbon dioxide bubbles cause the champagne-effect in the water. The slightly acidic (pH 5.4) water contains rich minerals such as gold, silver, mercury, antimony, arsenic, sulfur, and thallium.
The very acidic (pH 2) pool of Roto Karikitea, or I call it the Joker’s Pool. This crater is filled with excess water from the Champagne Pool. This extreme bright green-yellow water is the result from a deposit of minerals suspended in the water and the refraction of the sunlight. The pool will look brighter on sunny days, and duller on cloudy days.
Oyster Pool
Rua Pumahu: Lord of the Rings fans would find this interesting. The sounds from this crater filled with boiling hot mud was recorded and used in the film as the ambient soundtrack for the scenes of Mordor.
Hot 'n' Cold
Driving out towards the exit, I stopped by Hot ‘n’ Cold. It is a stream with hot and cold spots where you can take a dip. At your own risk: There is a signage warning about broken glass, syringes, sanitary items, condoms and sharp objects in the stream. Also, do not submerge your head under the water as there is a risk of brain-eating amebic meningoencephalitis.
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