Tag Archives: geysers

Float Plane Over Rotorua

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Rotorua is a huge adventure city with lots of activities to kick up your adrenalin.  But in the end we only had a day and a half in this fun city.  We decided take a float plane over Rotorua, do the Redwood Tree Swing bridge walk and spend a few hours at Polynesia Spa.

Float Plane

Volcanic Air  set us up on a DHC-3 De Havilland Otter.  Our captain, Callum gave us really great commentary during our 35 minute flight.

Our take off point is just off of Lake Rotorua where we have less than 1′ depth at the departure point.  It is a very shallow lake that is a bright green from the algae bloom.

We pass by Nokia Island which is a protected island full of dozens of New Zealand birds.

More beautiful shots of Lake Rotorua.

The bottom left photo is a picture of Rotorua.

Volcano Fly Over

Callum flew us over the Mount Tarawere Volcano.  At first it just looked like a vast dry area, but as we got closer and flew over the crevice you could clearly see the volcano.

The colors around the volcano are spectacular.   The last time it erupted in 1886 and was the largest and most destructive event in New Zealand’s history.

There are lots of amazing bike tracks and hiking trails all over the mountainsides of Rotorua.

The top photo is Sulfur Bay which has a white layer spread across the top.  The lower left photo is of the frying pan and Inferno lake.  The Frying Pan is the worlds largest hot spring and Inferno Lake is crystal clear blue water.  The lower right is a beautiful new tree farm.

We return over Lake Rotorua and head back to “base.”  But just before we get there we fly over a large logging company.  Luckily, NZ forces them to plant new trees to make up for some of the trees they log.

It was a really cool experience to fly in a float plane.  A first for all of us.  We had super calm winds and weather conditions were good.  Our pilot was super experienced and informed us of Rotorua’s history and geographical high points.  Super fun experience.

Events from this blog occurred around mid-March.  Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind actual events.  Did you check out our last blog post on the geothermal pools?

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.

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.