Cheryl & Elwin's Adventures

After this morning’s brekky (NZ term) in bed we took off for Wai-o-tapu Thermal Park. First stop was the Lady Knox Geyser which goes off once a day. The time of eruption varies from 22 to 30 or so hours so what they do is add a touch of surfactant down the cone to weaken the upper crust layer which had formed and allow the geyser to naturally erupt at a set time for the tourists. Interesting manipulation of Mother Nature. The eruption lasted for quite some time however indicating a large water reservoir stored beneath. Then it was on to the bubbling mud lake next door before heading to the main park to walk the thermal path. The sites were breathtaking, but the ubiquitous sulfur smell was literally more breathtaking! This is one of only 4 thermal regions in the world, the best known and largest being Yellowstone. This park was vastly different though as it is spread through a tropical rain forest and there are literally vents wherever you walk. There are also thermal waterfalls as well as numerous lakes of various color and temperature. We learned about the plant and animal life that thrives on the hot sulfuric environment, as well as the volcanic nature of what is going on and how NZ is an epicenter for all of this activity. Also there were explanations of what causes the different colors in the waters and on the rocks.
After the morning’s excitement we had lunch at a very good pub in Rotorua. Rotorua has a park running through its center with beautiful plantings and sculpture. Unfortunately it also has a lot of geothermal vents emitting a lot of sulfuric steam so the odor makes hanging around not too enticing. That was the reason we were told to stay in Taupo instead.
Tonight, after getting caught in rush hour traffic, we arrived in Auckland, NZ’s largest city by far. In fact 1/3 of all Kiwis live in Auckland and 90% of them own boats! A nice dinner at a Brazilian restaurant and now off to bed.