The first thing Wai-O-Tapu surprises tourists with its unusual name. When travelers find out what kind of place they are, they always go there. Wai-O-Tapu is one of the most interesting and amazing sights in New Zealand.
Tourists from all over the world come to the Taupo volcanic zone on the North Island to see with their own eyes hot springs, erupting geysers and boiling mud keys. The most striking thing is that all this boils and bubbles, pouring incredibly rich colors. That's why Wai-O-Tapu is called a thermal miracle and a "Land of geothermal wonders."
The total area of the reserve is not very large - about 3 km. Three hiking routes have been developed for tourists. Particularly popular among spectators is the Lady Knox geyser and the Lake Pool with champagne. No, no, of course, there's no real champagne. The name of the reservoir is due to bubbles of carbon dioxide, which are very similar to this alcoholic beverage. The water temperature in the pond is +73 ... +75 ° C, and at maximum depth +260 ° C! In addition, be sure to look at the Lake Palette of the artist, in which the water is of a variety of colors.
It's interesting that a special soap solution is poured into the Lady Knox geyser every day. After this, you can observe the eruption for an hour. The column of water at this time rises to a decent height - about 20 m. If you want to see all this, it's better to come to Wai-O-Tapu early in the morning, as Lady Knox erupts always at the same time - at 10: 15.
Why in Wai-O-Tapu water of different colors? The answer to this question is very simple. Due to the large amount of sulfur and iron compounds, the water becomes green. Antimony gives the ponds an orange tint, manganese is purple, and silicon is white. All this natural palette looks very bizarre and bewitching
Work time: daily: 10:00 - 17:00, entrance to the territory up to 15 : 45. At Christmas, the entrance is open until 11:45. Entrance: 32, 50 NZD, for children under 15: 11 NZD.
How to get there?
The most convenient way to get from Rotorua is by tourist bus. By car, go south in the direction of Taupo, along the Thermal Explorer Highway, which is between Auckland and Napier. Near the cafe Waiotapu Tavern turn left, then down the road to Wai-O-Tapu. In total, from Oakland to Wai-O-Tapu about 200 km, the road will take 3-4 hours.