Today I am going to visit the Wai-O-Tapu (sacred water) Thermal Wonderland south of Rotorua.

Wai-O-Tapu is located right on the edge of the largest volcanic depression within the active Taupo Volcanic Zone and is associated with volcanic activity since about 160,000 years.

Since 1931, Wai-O-Tapu was protected as a scenic reserve in association with DOC (Department of Conservation).

The visit starts with the Mud Pools (free). Watching and hearing the mud boiling is a really relaxing experience: blob, blob...

Then we continue with the Lady Knox Geyser. This geyser was discovered by inmates in the ealry 1900's when they used soap to wash in a hot spring. The soap makes the bubbling hot water to erupt! Rocks were then placed around the geyser to enhance the eruption and silica slowly accumulated over the years and built a conic white shape.

Nowdays, the geyser erupts daily at 10:15am and goes as high as 20 metres for about 45 minutes.

We then enter the park and after a few craters we arrive at the Artists' Palette:

We then cross a bridge to go to the famous red and blue Champagne Pool.

A very useful sign says:

Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland occupies a sinter lined 900 year old explosion crater which is steep sided and 60 meters deep. Water enters the pool through a deep conduit at a temperature of about 230 degree Celsius and cools within the pool to 74 degrees with a pH of 5.4. As the water flows over the Artists' Palette towards the sinter terraces, the temperature drops to about 15 degrees and the pH increases to 7.6.

The gas bubbles rising to the surface are carbon dioxide and the orange - coloured edge contains arsenic and antimony sulphur compounds rich is minerals inculding gold and silver.

After passing an ice cream looking cliff, we then arrive at a lake with yellow sulfur deposits and formations.

I had a very good time and it's worth walking the whole park as it has a large variety of geothermal wonders. Don't forget your water bottle.