WAI-O-TAPU THERMAL WONDERLAND IN PICTURES

Well I’ll tell you why because its fricking awesome that’s why (oh Tapu). Located 27km south from Rotorua (Central North Island New Zealand), Wai O Tapu’s, whimsically named, Thermal Wonderland is a series of brightly coloured geothermal pools, stinky sulphur mud baths and explosive geysers. 

The walkway towards the Champagne Pool.

The view of the Champagne Pool looking South East

Wai O Tapu, which is Maori for sacred waters, has several active geysers, the most famous of which being the Lady Knox geyser which can spurt over 20m high and easily last over an hour. Unlike the geysers I’ve seen on the Bolivian Altiplano which discharge continuously, the Lady Knox geyser is forced to erupt everyday at 10.15am by a park ranger and a bag of soap.

The explosive phenomenon of the Lady Knox geyser attracts the crowds

The famous geyser is made to force ably erupt once again

Champagne pool - a beautiful assemblage of yellows, oranges, blues and greens

The vivid dali-esq champagne pool is caused from the high sulphur content combining with the ferrous salts in the water and at times exceeding 100 degrees Celsius. 

I'd probably look like that too if I was walking on hot stones.

My favourite, Lake Ngakoro, turns from a dull olive green into viridescent acid green when the sunlight breaks through the clouds.

Lake Ngakoro as seen from the viewing platform.

To total distance around is 4km, costs 32.50NZD, and takes approximately 3 hours if you include the mud pools, the geyser show and all of the mind boggling lakes.

One of many wooden bridges around the thermal springs.

The Thermal Wonderland from above

Voted “One of the 20 Most Surreal Places in the World” by TripAdvisor, I and a few thousand others gave it a overall rating of 92%.

The aptly named Devils Bath looks like a crater of Chlorogenic acid

Craters like this appear all over the park

The sustainability program takes care of the craters that are now a few millennia old, hopefully the program makes sure that they last at least a few thousand years more.