More thermals!
Trip Start
Jan 19, 2006
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114
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Trip End
Jan 19, 2007
Rotorua,
New Zealand
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Drove further north to Wai-o-Tapu Thermal 'Wonderland' where we first start off at the Lady Knox Geyser which goes off every day at 10.15am. We wondered how come the time was so precise but some guy just throws in a load of soap and it goes off not long after. Was good to see but nowhere near as impressive as Iceland or Yellowstone. Then wandered around the site which was huge and really interesting to see so many different things and colours (apparently these are the most colourful thermal sites). Pools a strange greeny colour and huge lakes in orange and yellow with metallic colour edges as there are so many minerals present in the soil. By this time the sun was trying to get through so helped make the colours more vivid.
1-Lady Know Geyser
Next door to this are some 'free' mud pools you can go and see. This was probably a highlight for me and I could have stayed all day to watch them gurgle and erupt every now and again splurging mud everywhere (fortunately we didnt get hit!). Wouldn't fancy falling into it!
Then drove further north to kerosene creek where we were going to swim in the 'free' natural hot water river and pools but wimped out. Instead we went up to Waikite valley thermal pools which were outside - 2 pools one very hot and you could just sit in and cook and the other slightly colder and had kids playing in. Was lovely and relaxing.
Then drove further up to Rotorua which is a large sprawling place and sat by the lake for a while as have done most of the sites there are to offer here (we think!).
Drove further out to the nearby forest and lakes just south of Rotorua and found a lovely quiet spot next to a small lake to camp - Lake Okareka.
