Day 140 - Rotorua - Taupo, New Zealand
Day 140 – 26th October 2005 +12:00 GMT Total Miles 27347
Got up early and checked out of the hostel before 9:30am. We drove south for about 30 km to Wai-O-Tapu, this is a 18 square kilometre geo-thermal area.
Wai-O-Tapu
We arrived around 10am and paid our entry then had to get back in the car and drive about 1km down the road and park. We then all sat in an amphitheatre and waited, here there is a geyser that erupts at 10:15am everyday.
Dormant Geyser
Just after 10:15am a Wai-O-Tapu employee arrived and explained that although it is a natural geyser they can not tell precisely when it will go off only that it naturally erupts between every 8 and 36 hours. So to make it erupt at 10:15am everyday they pour salt crystals into the geyser this changes the surface density of the cold water and therefore the hot water underneath erupts. So in go the salt crystals and within a few minutes we have a 60ft geyser which lasts up to an hour.
Geyser after Salt Crystals added
Geyser going off
After 20 minutes we then drive back to the main park and walk around. We see bubbling mud pools and huge craters full of steaming water.
Wai-O-Tapu
Wai-O-Tapu
A large lake which they call the artists palette has a mass array of colours on it from reds, greens, yellows and blacks.
The Artists Palette
The Artists Palette
There are a total of 3 trails around the park which link if you are prepared to walk all the way around. So we took the long walk and saw all the lakes and waterfalls and sulphur stained rock.
Wai-O-Tapu
Champagne Pool
Champagne Pool
Me at the Champagne Pool
The park is pretty amazing and has a mass of steam full of minerals rising into the air from all areas.
Wai-O-Tapu
Wai-O-Tapu
The Oyster Pool
Wai-O-Tapu
Wai-O-Tapu
Sulphur Mounds
The Green Lake
Wai-O-Tapu
We left the park around 12:30pm and stopped a little further down the road to look at the bubbling mud pools before carrying on to Taupo.
Bubbling Mud
Bubbling Mud
Bubbling Mud
Bubbling Mud
After we left Wai-O-Tapu we visited Huka Falls which are amazing as 100 metres of river is squeezed into a 15 metre corridor.
Huka Falls
Huka Falls
We checked into the YHA hostel Action Down Under at around 1:30pm. The hostel has pretty small rooms but seems nice all the rooms open onto a sundeck and have views over the Lake and mountains. It has a large kitchen and lounge and TV room, It has a garden which has sun loungers, hammocks and even a hot tub, you can also sit out on the sundeck. After arriving we almost immediately headed into town for some food. We stopped at a bar and café called breakers and had a beer and some food. We then went to the local supermarket and stocked up on food for the night. Back at the hostel we meet some of the guys from the previous hostel and we sat around playing cards and drinking for the rest of the night.
Got up early and checked out of the hostel before 9:30am. We drove south for about 30 km to Wai-O-Tapu, this is a 18 square kilometre geo-thermal area.
Wai-O-Tapu
We arrived around 10am and paid our entry then had to get back in the car and drive about 1km down the road and park. We then all sat in an amphitheatre and waited, here there is a geyser that erupts at 10:15am everyday.
Dormant Geyser
Just after 10:15am a Wai-O-Tapu employee arrived and explained that although it is a natural geyser they can not tell precisely when it will go off only that it naturally erupts between every 8 and 36 hours. So to make it erupt at 10:15am everyday they pour salt crystals into the geyser this changes the surface density of the cold water and therefore the hot water underneath erupts. So in go the salt crystals and within a few minutes we have a 60ft geyser which lasts up to an hour.
Geyser after Salt Crystals added
Geyser going off
After 20 minutes we then drive back to the main park and walk around. We see bubbling mud pools and huge craters full of steaming water.
Wai-O-Tapu
Wai-O-Tapu
A large lake which they call the artists palette has a mass array of colours on it from reds, greens, yellows and blacks.
The Artists Palette
The Artists Palette
There are a total of 3 trails around the park which link if you are prepared to walk all the way around. So we took the long walk and saw all the lakes and waterfalls and sulphur stained rock.
Wai-O-Tapu
Champagne Pool
Champagne Pool
Me at the Champagne Pool
The park is pretty amazing and has a mass of steam full of minerals rising into the air from all areas.
Wai-O-Tapu
Wai-O-Tapu
The Oyster Pool
Wai-O-Tapu
Wai-O-Tapu
Sulphur Mounds
The Green Lake
Wai-O-Tapu
We left the park around 12:30pm and stopped a little further down the road to look at the bubbling mud pools before carrying on to Taupo.
Bubbling Mud
Bubbling Mud
Bubbling Mud
Bubbling Mud
After we left Wai-O-Tapu we visited Huka Falls which are amazing as 100 metres of river is squeezed into a 15 metre corridor.
Huka Falls
Huka Falls
We checked into the YHA hostel Action Down Under at around 1:30pm. The hostel has pretty small rooms but seems nice all the rooms open onto a sundeck and have views over the Lake and mountains. It has a large kitchen and lounge and TV room, It has a garden which has sun loungers, hammocks and even a hot tub, you can also sit out on the sundeck. After arriving we almost immediately headed into town for some food. We stopped at a bar and café called breakers and had a beer and some food. We then went to the local supermarket and stocked up on food for the night. Back at the hostel we meet some of the guys from the previous hostel and we sat around playing cards and drinking for the rest of the night.
posted by Simon at 4:17 PM
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