Geothermal Wonders
Rotorua boasts a geothermal wonderland and the attractions are truly
breathtaking. From bubbling mudpools
to erupting geysers, below are just some of the places you can
experience nature's marvels.
WAI-O-TAPU
Wai-o-Tapu is a 'must-experience'
geothermal field. See the world-famous Champagne Pool, which covers
3000 square meters and is in fact, a 700 year old explosion crater.
The pool overflows with steaming hot water that is the colour of champagne while carbon
dioxide bubbles to the surface. There is so much unusual beauty to
behold at Wai-o-Tapu, as well as demonstrations of the power of
nature, such as the Lady Knox Geyser which erupts 20 feet into the
air.
Mount Tarawera
Mount Tarawera erupted violently in 1886, spewing out hot mud,
scorching rock and black ash. The devastating eruption (heard over
500 kilometres away), buried Maori
villages in mud and ash, destroyed the world-famous Pink and White
Terraces and created a monolithic crater in the mystical
mountain.
Today, you can take a scenic flight over the crater and see the
chain of beautiful lakes created by the eruption or join a guided
4WD climb to the sacred, remote summit where you can experience the
famous Scree Slide into the crater.
Orakei Korako
Take a scenic lake cruise or the NZ River Jet, jet boat ride to
Orakei
Korako - the Hidden Valley. Orakei Korako was recently
described by Lonely Planet as one of the finest thermal areas in
the world - making it a state-of-the-art Rotorua attraction.
Orakei Korako is one of nature's
true gifts and here you can discover a landscape unlike any other.
Breath-taking natural beauty and
lush native forest opens up to reveal steaming hot springs,
erupting geysers, boiling mud pools and mammoth silica terraces -
some of the largest in the world. One of the most marvellous features of Orakei Korako is
the Ruatapu ('sacred hole') Cave which is 120 feet deep with a
natural hot pool at the bottom.
Waimangu Volcanic Valley
When Mount Tarawera erupted, the earth was opened along a 17km
line and formed (amongst many other marvels) seven craters that we
now call the Waimangu Volcanic Valley. It is an unspoilt and multi-award winning
eco-tourism destination, home to such wonders as the Echo Crater,
the amazing Warbrick Terrace, Inferno Crater and Frying Pan Lake -
the world's largest hot spring.