See colours at the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, New Zealand

*WS 118: see colours at the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, New Zealand*

Waiotapu is an active geothermal area in the northern part of North Island, south of the town of Rotorua. The word “waitapu” in Maori means “sacred water”. Presently the geothermal area, about 18 sq km, is  named Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland. We were here in 2013 to enjoy the thermal landscape. 

The area is famous for the hot springs and pools with various colours, due to the different types of minerals. First shown is the multi-colour Artist’s Palette, 1st photo, and the Devil’s Bath, 2nd photo, where the bright green colour comes from the sulphur deposits that rise to the surface and float on top. The most famous is the Champagne Pool, 3rd photo.  It gets its name from the abundance of carbon dioxide much like a glass of bubbling champagne though it was not bubbling at the time of our visit. The colour comes from the high ferrous content of the salts. The next is a monochrome bubbling mud pool, 4th photo. 

Then another green pool, 5th photo, and a steaming crater, 6th photo. The most watched is the Lady Knox Geyser, 7th and 8th photos, which is made to erupt daily at 10.15 am to heights of up to 20 m. The eruption is thus artificially controlled. There are two layers of water underneath the ground with differing temperatures. With the introduction of a non-residue soap powder the surface tension of the two bodies is broken resulting in an eruption. The 9th is the Primrose Terrace made up of layers of sinter, a kind of fine-grained silica, left over by the over-flowing hot springs. And the last is a scene from the Native Bush Walk, part of our walking route.