Bubbling mud and rainbow pools
For my first day in Rotorua, I went to Wai-O-Tapu Geothermal park. First, the tour stopped at a thermal mud pool. It was a giant pit of mud that bubbled and boiled because of the geothermal vents underneath. There was a lot of spas in the area where you can bathe in the mud; it's supposed to be very beneficial for your skin, but I didn't get to visit one.
The next stop was at the Lady Knox geyser. Every morning, the park staff make the geyser blow by dropping some surfactant down it's blow hole to break the surface tension of the water so the thermal heat will be able to come up and out of the top. When we tried to get back on the van to take us to Wai-O-Tapu, we discovered that the battery had died, so we hopped on another tour bus that had room for us and we got to the geothermal park.
It was a chilly, overcast day and the sun was never able to pierce the clouds. The park was still ruggedly gorgeous despite the steam rolling off all of the thermal pools making it harder to see the beautiful colors in the pools that come from all the minerals brought from deep within the earth. My favorite spots were by far the Champagne pool and the lime green colored pool on the way out of the park. All of the hiking trails were prisine; no litter or litterers in sight. The fantails would swoop by to get a closer look at you then hop out into the steaming pools to look for critters in the mud. It was a ruggedly goreous and serene place.
By the time I left the park I was chilled to the bone. I was wishing for a warmer coat, but thankful for the hat I bought. The bus driver on the way to the park pointed out a spot by the road where I could take a dip in a hot spring. I ignored the amoebic meningitis warnings, rolled up my pants, and dipped my toes in the hot spring. It was a perfect way to warm up my frozen toes and wrap up my day at the park.
That night I ended up drinking tea and playing pool with a kindergarten teacher from Japan and a guy from Barcelona that hates Sagrada Familia (which was my favorite place when I visited Barcelona).
The next stop was at the Lady Knox geyser. Every morning, the park staff make the geyser blow by dropping some surfactant down it's blow hole to break the surface tension of the water so the thermal heat will be able to come up and out of the top. When we tried to get back on the van to take us to Wai-O-Tapu, we discovered that the battery had died, so we hopped on another tour bus that had room for us and we got to the geothermal park.
It was a chilly, overcast day and the sun was never able to pierce the clouds. The park was still ruggedly gorgeous despite the steam rolling off all of the thermal pools making it harder to see the beautiful colors in the pools that come from all the minerals brought from deep within the earth. My favorite spots were by far the Champagne pool and the lime green colored pool on the way out of the park. All of the hiking trails were prisine; no litter or litterers in sight. The fantails would swoop by to get a closer look at you then hop out into the steaming pools to look for critters in the mud. It was a ruggedly goreous and serene place.
By the time I left the park I was chilled to the bone. I was wishing for a warmer coat, but thankful for the hat I bought. The bus driver on the way to the park pointed out a spot by the road where I could take a dip in a hot spring. I ignored the amoebic meningitis warnings, rolled up my pants, and dipped my toes in the hot spring. It was a perfect way to warm up my frozen toes and wrap up my day at the park.
That night I ended up drinking tea and playing pool with a kindergarten teacher from Japan and a guy from Barcelona that hates Sagrada Familia (which was my favorite place when I visited Barcelona).
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