After we left Tongariro National Park, we head north toward Rotorua.  But we have several stops planned along the way.  Our first stop is Craters of the Moon which are geothermal pools.  We see a giant geyser off to the side of the road as we approach our site.

All of the craters at Craters of the Moon are the result of hydrothermal eruptions.   This is when a steam vent is temporarily blocked and the pressure behind the blockage builds up and causes an explosion.  Hot water, steam, mud and pumice are thrown up into the air causing the surrounding soil to collapse forming a hole or crater.

The loop around Craters of the Moon

There is a a lovely 40-minute loop walk around the craters of the moon that takes you around the property.  You can add an additional 20-minute walk if you decide to do the upper loop and the stairs to the top of a large geyser (which we opt to do).

The largest crater in the park is 40 meters across and really hard to miss.  There are puffs of smoke everywhere you look.

There is only a light sulfur smell which is surprising.  The temperatures rise between 5-8 degrees around the park.

Wayne get’s a free facial at one of the geysers.

The Craters of the Moon were created in 1991 so the park is fairly new.  But they have a nice path that takes you around the park and lovely signs that tell you about what you are seeing.

Super fun experience and it only cost us $10NXD per person.  All of the money goes to supporting the trust that runs the park.  

• Kilometers traveled: 120km
• Hotel: Arawa Hotel
• Travel time: 1.35hr
• Kilometers Walked: 8.6km

Events from this day occurred in Mid-March.  Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind live events. Check out our last blog post Tongariro Park National.