NZ: Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Park

Just 20 minutes south of Rotorua is the bubbling Wai-O-Tapu Geothermal Park, a wonderland of boiling mudpools, coloured hot and cold pools, volcanic craters and the Lady Knox Geyser that erupts on schedule once a day up to 20 metres.  Visitors trek through these natural phenomenons on self-guided tours that could take a couple of hours, longer if you take photos and it is a photographer's dream with its multi-coloured steaming pools and rocks.

Lady Knox "smoking"

Start of the eruption

Almost there...

There!

Volcanic craters abound

Different views of the Champagne Pool

How is this formed?  See below...

Coloured vegetation

Coloured rocks

Beautiful vista: green lake in the park - we had to line up on a lookout to take this photo

The Champagne pool looked different on the return trip

The colour is authentic - I took enough shots until I got it right!


Next post: Devil's bath and more