Monthly Archives: June 2023

Orakei Korako Geothermal Pools

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We visit Orakei Korako Geothermal pools where we see geysers, hot springs, and bubbling mud pools.  After seeing the Craters of the Moon we did not have high expectations, but were we wrong.  

We arrive at the facility where we watch a short video then board the small boat to cross the lake.  You can see the small boat in the top photo right side and the geothermal grounds are across the way by the trees.

Immediately we are hit with a very strong sulfur smell and higher temperatures.  But what surprised us the most were the absolutely stunning colors.

The Hochstefter Cauldron on the lower right corner was the first geyser we came to.  We then passed by the devil’s throat and a few other spectacular bubbling pools and smaller geysers.

Next we passed by the Golden Fleece White Paint Scrap which looks like a little snow mound.   The top right corner shows you the Artists Palette which really does fit its name. As we continue down the trail we pass by several boiling mud pools and lots of quiet steam baths.

The Path around the Geothermal Pools

We climb 90 stairs to see the Ruatapu Cave which had steam shooting all the way to the top of the roof of the cave.  It is amazing to me to see the vast fields of hot springs and then you turn the corner and are in beautiful forests and gardens.  

As you can probably tell, we were all captivated by the Orakei Korako Geothermal pools.  The cost was $45NZD which includes the boat ride and it is well worth the money!

I sat and watched this one geyser for 15 minutes hoping for the wind to blow the steam sideways to expose the vent and I finally got it!

Really impressed by the beauty of these geothermal pools.  So much more color, vibrancy, and activity than the Craters of the Moon.  Truly awe inspiring.

Events from this blog post occurred in mid-March.  Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind live events.  We visit the spectacular Huka Falls in our last blog post so be sure to check it out.

Huka Falls in Lake Tapu

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The Waikato River, New Zealand’s longest river, moves gracefully north from Lake Taupō between banks 100 metres apart. Just before the Huka Falls, the river enters a shallow ravine of hard volcanic rock. The effect is nature’s large-scale equivalent of a fire hose feeding into a very fine nozzle.

This causes over 200,000 liters of water to gush through causing amazing rapids and beautiful falls.

At Huka Falls you can witness the phenomenon of natural hydro power with more than 220,000 litres of water per sec barreling over 11meter high waterfall.

It is simply beautiful and awe inspiring to see the rapids come from a serene lake and end in an equally peaceful river.

I simply could not get enough of this stunning sight.  The falls are only 11 meters high but the mere fact that the water is moving at such a rapid pace takes your breath away.

There is a short, well marked trail that is well protected by high railings.  We enjoyed the spectacular views and light mist that dusted our faces.  As we were leaving the parking lot we found another little trail that took us lower and closer to the falls.  It gave us a great view of the falls.

I highly recommend a visit to the Huka Falls are they are as impressive as they are beautiful.

Events from this blog post occurred in Mid-March.  Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind live events.  Did you catch our last blog post where we visit the Craters of the Moon?

Craters of the Moon: Lake Tapu

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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.