I felt like dedicating an entire blogpost to our visit here, since it was so spectacular.

Our journey to Wai-O-Tapu began just two days before we left Rotorua. We felt like we were really missing something and bam: there it was.

Robin was in contact with a fellow traveler who has visited here before and was keen on sharing information. I love how the universe works.

We planned our visit accordingly to the daily blow of the Lady Knox Geyser.

When we arrived just before 10am, we settled nicely in the viewing area just around the geyser, all the time wondering how a geyser could be on such a day to day schedule. 

Then the unexpected happened: after a short presentation a safe and biodegradable substance mimicking the effects of laundry soap was thrown down the blow hole and just like that: 5 minutes later she started blowing water up to 15metets high. They call that induction…go figure!

Now, onto the thermal area of Wai-O-Tapu. It covers 18sq.km with the volcanic dome of    Maungakakaramea or Rainbow Mountain. The entire area is literally covered with collapsed craters, cold and boiling pools of mud, water and steaming fumaroles.

The area is dating back some 160,000 years where the public actually only sees a small portion of it.

What captured me were the vivid colors of the various craters and pools.

The champagne pool is probably one of the most frequently photographed and visited in the area. It is pretty cool, especially since it is possible to walk across the terrace via the boardwalk. 

Devil’s bath was next on our list of must sees. Wow! The color is so out of this world, it’s beyond anything imaginable. It is the result of excess water from the Champagne Pool mixing with sulphur and ferrous salts. 

During the trek I noticed this bizarre and intense settlement of the vegetation in the park. Although classified as a green algae, Trentepohlia is the name given to the reddy-brown to bright orange color that hides the naturally green pigment of the plants. Stunning!

The green water of lake Ngakoko, the grandfather were absolutely breathtaking and the perfect place to sit down and enjoy the scenery of a bit.

Admits the bushwalk through the park we kept stumbling over the so called Alum cliffs. The shallow horizontal ridges indicate ancient weathering. The really fascinated me. Every corner of this park held a different out of this world treasure.

Our kids really enjoyed the Devil’s ink pots. I guess the color and of course name let their imagination run wild. The intense color is due to small amount of graphite and crude oil that is brought to the surface by the water forcing its way up. 

The walk through this natural paradise alone is worth the trip. I could have literally spend the entire day there. Unfortunately our little ones feet grew tired after we completed the three loops, which take about an hour and a half. 
I could go on and on about this amazing place, but I think that you’ll get the picture and I hope that you’ll get the chance to experience this as well.

Namaste lovelies 🙏🏼

#newzealand #waiotapu #thermalwonderland #volcanicactivity #amazingnature #travelwithkids #explore #adventureawaits