4 Dec 2018 - NZ Day 4: Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland

Sad to say, when we reached Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, it was still raining.  As such we put on our rain coat and go on to explore the spectacular nature within this volcanic park.

Wai-O-Tapu (Sacred Waters) is New Zealand's most colourful and diverse volcanic area.  The walks take visitors on a journey through stunning geothermal activity and unforgettable vistas.

There are well over a dozen craters in this geothermal park.  Some were formed by eruptions, some by internal chasms.

Following photos show the Artist's Palette, a panorama of hot and cold pools, and steaming, hissing fumeroles.  An amazing variety of ever-changing colours.  The bright swirls of color is a result of the water’s sulfur content.

There are 3 different walks through the area which vary from 30 to 75 minutes.  We decided to take all the 3 walks.

Thanks to a guiding system of boardwalks, Wai-O-Tapu geothermal park is easy to explore on our own.

To all the Oyster's fan, there is actually an Oyster Pool.  Of course, don't expect to find any Oyster there.

We were quite surprised to see a waterfall here.

Other than geothermal activities, there are also beautiful flora throughout the park.

One of the main attractions in this park is the Champagne Pool.  It's unique in the world whereby a fifth of a hectare of bubbling, hissing water, with a beautiful ochre-coloured petrified edge.

It's not easy to take pictures here because most of the time, it's totally covered by the steam from the pool.  Javier tried to help by blowing the steam away.....haha.......

At this time, the rain had stopped and the sky started to clear up.

Personally, I love the Devil's Bath (below) the most.  It may not have as many active reactions as other features in the vicinity, but it is still the most eye-catching.

The pool sits in a slight depression likely created from a massive eruption from underground.

The bright green water gets its color from deposits of sulphur that rise to the surface and float on top.

We spent more than 2 hours in this amazing geothermal wonderland.  To complete our experience at Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, we visited the largest mud pool in New Zealand, which is just a short drive from the park.  It was originally the site of a large mud volcano which was destroyed through erosion in the 1920’s.  This mud pool contains violent and spectacular boiling mud.

From Wai-O-Tapu, we took a 10 minutes scenic drive to Waikite Valley Thermal Pools.

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