New Zealand - Rotorua


Rotorua is known as a center for Maori culture which we unfortunately didn’t manage to find time for. But it is also as the heart of a geothermally active area (think Yellowstone), for which we did. There are a number of geothermal parks in the area. We visited Waiotapu, which has the reputation for being one of the best. Paths wind through the large park passing by a number of vents issuing steam, geological oddities formed from mineral deposits, and pools boiling up with strangely colored waters. And it smells a bit. You know, rotten eggs.

After the park we went to a nearby community thermal pool complex so that Deborah could engage in one of her favorite activities: sitting in bodies of warm water. The source feeding the complex was a steaming, bubbling, hissing, geothermal spring. The boiling water makes its way down a stream, over cascades and through pipes, cooling along the way, into various pools of different temperatures. So you can pick your favorite spot and soak until you’re prune-ified.


Champagne Pool at Waiotapu














(photo by Deborah)












Devil's Bath - not your average colored pond
(photo by Deborah)





Mud Pool Video #1


Mud Pool Video #2: Thicker (and somehow more humorous) mud pool.



Your Moment of Zen: Steaming Vents


Comments

  1. VivavidaMarch 24, 2018 at 8:06 AM

    Gorgeous photos...what an adventure you two are having. Thanks for letting us enjoy your journey with you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VivavidaMarch 24, 2018 at 8:07 AM

      BTW, this is Karen from Mexico!

      Delete
    2. Blake and DeborahMarch 25, 2018 at 7:56 PM

      Thanks, Karen. I don't know if we'll make it over to Lake Chapala this time, but we'll be in Puerto Vallarta soon.

      Delete

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