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Published: February 6th 2017
Nature's Palette Gone Wild
Rainbow Terrace at Orakei KorakoHaving explored the northern part of the North Island during the first week of our road-trip, then headed down the East Coast and back up the West Coast over the course of the following two weeks, it was naturally time for us to leave New Zealand's shapely coastline behind and head inland for week four – a course that would take us right through the country's geothermal heartland (on the aptly-named Thermal Explorer Highway).
Anyone who knows anything about New Zealand knows that it is very much geologically active; not to mention geothermally active, hydrologically active, seizmologically active... basically it's just a really active country! Nowhere is this more apparent than in the central plateau, which is centred around Lake Taupo (the country's largest lake, and itself a spent volcano) and extends to the south to include the famous volcanic trio of Ruapehu, Ngaurahoe and Tongariro; and to the north to include the geothermally-active, lake-studded area around Rotorua.
Starting our exploration of the Central Plateau in Rotorua, we immediately followed our noses to Kuirau Park just beyond the city centre, where numerous bubbling mud pools, hissing steam vents and murky hot springs send a constant cloud of steam into
Sea of Mist
Kuirau Lake the air, accompanied by the unmistakable stench of hydrogen sulphide (ie 'rotten egg gas'). With so many nearby tourist attractions touting their geothermal activity, it was refreshing to find a regular council-run park offering such intriguing thermal features without any of the fuss of their more famous (and expensive) counterparts.
With Linda having caught the adrenaline bug after our caving adventure in Waitomo, we had decided to pay a visit to the Adrenaline Forest (an adventure park located within the expansive TECT All Terrain Park about half-an-hour's drive north of Rotorua) which as luck would have it lies only a few hundred metres from a free campground. The next morning we headed over to the Adrenaline Forest, and were soon being geared up and shown how to work our safety harness and attached devices (including a flying fox pulley and two clips for attaching ourselves to safety lines, only one of which can ever be opened at a time – thus ensuring that each participant is at all times clipped into a safety line).
A short but necessary safety briefing then followed before we were free to tackle the adventure course, which consists of six different 'pathways' each
Bubble Bath
Mud pool in Kuirau park made up of around fifteen to twenty different (but inter-connected) activities – with each successive pathway reaching higher above the ground and presenting a greater challenge (both physically and mentally) than the one before.
With Linda choosing to skip the first pathway I was left to my own devices, and though the various activities on that level weren't too challenging they did provide me with ample time to hone my clipping and un-clipping technique. After ten minutes I had joined Linda on the second pathway, chivalrously letting her go first(!) which enabled me to act as the expedition photographer! Twenty minutes later we were already on to level three, by which time we were regularly reaching heights of ten metres or more and having to consider our tactics a little more thoughtfully.
Only when we made it to the fourth pathway after about an hour of effort did Linda's gung-ho attitude start to waiver slightly, as we found ourselves tackling obstacles fifteen metres off the ground – at which point it became obvious that Linda's strength (her balance) was my weakness, though thankfully I was able to make up for this with my strength! Time after time Linda
Head For Heights
Linda showing her style on level five would carefully make her way past an obstacle (whether it be a series of suspended wooden logs or a simple trapieze-style high wire) without losing her balance; while I would invariably lose my balance as soon as I set foot on a rope, only to then haul myself from one end of the obstacle to the other whilst hanging on with grim determination!
It was only when we reached the frequent flying foxes that my star would shine more brightly, as I threw myself with gay abandon onto each rope and tried to reach as high a speed as possible... only to then have to brake somehow (the reason we were given two gloves to put on our strong hand) before I came to the inevitable screeching halt! (Unfortunately I would have to temper my somewhat wreckless approach to the flying foxes by the time we reached the final pathway, as a result of the holes I had already burnt through both sets of gloves...!)
Graduating to level five about halfway through our alloted three hours, we were definitely starting to feel the pinch from our physical exertions - whilst finding it more and more difficult to ignore
The Final Challenge
Flying fox leading to the end of level six the fact that we were by now reaching heights of close to twenty metres! But we hadn't come this far only to stumble this close to the finish line, so onwards and upwards (literally) we continued until success was within our sights. With our muscles starting to ache and our nerves beginning to fray, we took a ten-minute break at the completion of level five and readied ourselves for the final assault on pathway six...
Inching our way slowly up, over, around and along each succesive obstacle, we only came unstuck when we reached an activity requiring us to proceed from one vertically-suspended rope to another and then another – each of which were over a metre apart – with nothing more than a small wooden disc attached to the base of each rope upon which to stand. The trouble with this was that there was no way by which to rest one foot on the little wooden disc without immediately slipping straight off – and neither of us had the strength left to haul ourselves across from one rope/disc to the next with both feet at the same time!
By this time I had taken over the
Lakeside Lunch
The Troublemaker beside Lake Rotorua lead, and after hanging forlornly onto the first rope without seeing any possible way of continuing, we came to the conclusion that the only way forward – and there was certainly no way to go backwards by this point in proceedings – was to attach our flying fox pulley to the safety line, spin around and pull ourselves across from one end to the other and thus avoid the hanging ropes altogether! In other words, the only way forward was to cheat... so cheat we did!
A few long flying foxes later (including the grand finale, which must have been over a hundred metres long as it basically bisected the entire park) and we finally had our feet back on solid ground - at which point the sense of satisfaction at having completed the entire course was almost as great as the sense of relief!
From the Adrenaline Forest we made our way back to the northern end of Lake Rotorua for a scenic lunch overlooking the lake – which unlike the day before was looking radiant underneath a beautiful blue sky – before stopping off to do a short loop walk at the nearby Hamurana Springs. After
The Deep Blue
Hamurana Spring following the crystal clear river upstream through a grove of majestic redwood trees - many of which were over fifty metres tall - we eventually came to the springs themselves, which unlike at the Blue Spring (that we had visited the day before on the Te Waihou Walkway) we were actually able to look down into.
Gazing into this deep blue hole while an endless supply of pure springwater came flooding out (the spring being the sole source of the Hamurana Stream that we had walked alongside) was quite a surreal experience, and Linda couldn't quite get over how such a huge volume of water could simply appear from nowhere! The water from the spring was so clear in fact, that aside from being able to see the resident ducks and swans feeding below the water as clearly as though there was no water at all, we also caught sight of a beautiful rainbow trout as it swum not far below the surface.
Our next stop was to check out a couple of waterfalls on the nearby Kaituna River, where a short hiking trail led from the multi-tiered Okere Falls to the funnelled plume of Kaituna Falls. Aside
Kaituna River Cascades
Kayakers taking on Okere Falls from offering outstanding scenery – with both waterfalls being surrounded by lush forest – this also provided us with a perfect vantage point from which to watch a group of kayakers negotiating the challenging rapids. I was so enraptured in fact that I immediately checked the BookMe website again to see if there were any discounted white-water rafting deals available on that stretch of the Kaituna River for the next day - and sure enough found an hour-long trip advertised for just $42 (ie less than half the usual price)!
After completing our circuit of Lake Rotorua we then headed straight to the Cozy Cottage Thermal Holiday Park, figuring that we might as well take the opportunity to sample some more of Rotorua's famous geothermal activity whilst enjoying the comfort of a holiday park, with it's guaranteed showers and washing machines - both of which we were in pretty desperate need of! And let's face it - it's not very often you get the chance to stay in a holiday park with three different geothermally-heated hot pools and a traditional hangi oven set beside a bubbling mud pool! Unfortunately we never got the chance to try our hands at
The Big Drop
Kayakers at the base of Tutea Falls - (allegedly) the highest commercially-raftable rapid in the world cooking a hangi though, as Linda's craving for Indian food had to be satisfied once again...!
Wednesday unfortunately brought a return to the overcast weather that we had come to expect previously, but with our rafting trip on the Kaituna River to look forward to we weren't too bothered about the lack of sunshine; and as luck would have it the water in the river actually turned out be quite mild – which was just as well, since with both the 3-metre-high Okere Falls and the 7-metre drop of Tutea Falls (allegedly the highest commercially-raftable waterfall in the world) to overcome, there was absolutely no chance of us staying dry! What it may have lacked in quantity – our time on the river lasting less than an hour – the trip certainly made up for in quality, with the experience of tumbling headlong over a waterfall in a rubber raft being something I won't soon forget!
As the weather continued to worsen we made our way back to the southern end of Lake Rotorua, and from there headed out past the Whakarewarewa Redwood Forest to a small but popular DOC-run campground on the shores of Lake Okareka. But
Scenic Breakfast Spot
The view we woke up to beside Lake Okareka while a thick blanket of cloud and constant drizzle greeted our arrival at the lake - and somewhat ruined our hike from the nearby Tikitaka (Blue Lake) to it's close neighbour Rotopounamu (Green Lake) later that afternoon – this was more than made up for by the sight that we woke up to the following morning, with the sky having cleared and the shimmering blue waters of Lake Okareka looking divine in the early morning sunshine.
Sitting just metres from the water and observing the local ducks doing their rounds as we lingered over breakfast was one of those precious moments that pop up in the most unexpected of circumstances, and make travel (and in our case road-trips in particular) so rewarding. If only it had have been a little warmer, we might even have considered an early morning dip in the lake...
Turning our backs on Rotorua's more mainstream attractions, we instead chose to pursue our geothermal explorations at Waimangu Valley - a lesser known tourist attraction (refreshingly devoid of large tour groups) on the way to Taupo. Hailing itself as the world's youngest active geothermal field, the valley's various attractions were created by the eruption of
Every Shade of Green
Emerald Lake surrounded by lush vegetation in Waimangu valley the Tarawera volcano (which still rises up menacingly behind the valley, despite having had it's top completely blown off) in 1886. Yet despite being stripped of all life as a result of the erupion just 130 years ago – not to mention the ongoing geothermal activity - the valley has since been re-colonized by dense forest and is now recognized as a wildlife refuge.
Following the self-guided walking trail downhill from the visitor centre all the way to Lake Rotomahana at the foot of the valley, we first came across the beautiful Emerald Lake, whose brilliant green colour was matched by the surrounding forest. A little further on we caught our first sight of Frying Pan Lake (the world's largest hot spring) lying at the base of Echo Crater. With wisps of steam constantly sweeping across the lake's surface and further steam vents rising up from the Cathedral Rocks at the far end of the lake, the overall scene was tremendously evocative; and exactly the sort of thing that we had been hoping to see in this part of New Zealand. Meanwhile just uphill from Frying Pan Lake lay the even more surreal Inferno Crater Lake, whose bright turquoise
Simmering Stunnner
Steam rising off Frying Pan Lake surface almost seemed to glow in the sunshine.
Following a hot water stream down the valley we passed more hot springs, fumeroles, steam vents and even a tiny little geyser; though the highlight was probably a magnificent silica terrace whose surface was coloured bright orange. This is most definitely
not a colour you see in nature too often, and provided a startling sight. With ducks, swans and geese all occupying the lower stretches of the stream – below the point where it had been joined by a cold water stream from a lake outside the park – it was a most satisfying way to finish our exploration of the valley, and we left Waimangu Valley feeling that we had most definitely made the right choice to come here. Now if only we could see some
real geysers blowing their tops...
Coming into Taupo we got our first glimpse of both the town's namesake lake (the largest in New Zealand) and the three famous volcanoes that rear up beyond the far end of the lake: Tonagariro, Ngaurahoe and Ruapehu. With two of the main attractions in Taupo being located on the Waikato River - namely Huka Falls (where an
Volcanic Views
View of Tongariro NP's volcanoes from Taupo enormous volume of water is forced through a gap in the rock only twelve metre wide) and Aratiatia Rapids – we couldn't believe our luck that just a couple of kilometres upstream from Huka Falls lay a free riverside campsite: the expansive Reid's Farm recreation reserve. And with cold showers available for just fifty cents (hot showers costing an extra $2) at the local Superloo opposite the visitor centre in town, it meant we could happily stay at Reid's Farm every night without having to forego showers to do so!
We did however have to share the free rest area with hundreds of other people, most of whom were young Germans - which was pretty much in keeping with our experiences of the past month, during which we have come to the startling conclusion that there are even more Germans (by percentage) in New Zealand than there are in Australia – something that neither Linda (a native German herself) nor I could have imagined possible! But if the rest area had a sort of 'party backpackers hostel' vibe – where there seems to be more emphasis on drinking than sightseeing – then it certainly didn't detract from our experience
Raging Rapids
Aratiatia Rapids, after the floodgates were opened at all; we simply had to make sure that we got there early enough each day (ie before 6pm) in order to stake out a nice quiet spot away from the rowdier elements. Besides, take away the German accents and I could easily have been one of them not so many years ago...
Our first full day in Taupo started with a visit to the Craters of the Moon geothermal area not far from our campsite, though in hindsight it wasn't really worth the eight dollars we paid to see it, as the free Kuirau Park in Rotorua was considerably more interesting. From there we headed back to the Waikato River to await the midday release of water from the dam just above Aratiatia Rapids, a process that is repeated four times a day during summer (three times a day in winter) in order to restore the turbulent rapids to their original glory for the benefit of onlookers. With the anticipation building each time a warning siren sounded we took our positions at the middle viewpoint just downstream from the control gates, and then watched on transfixed as the water first filled the deeper pools nearest the gates before
Raging River
Huka Falls on the Waikato River rising rapidly and spilling over the top of the rocks immediately in front of us - creating a roaring, frothing maelstrom of white water in the process.
Stopping off next at Huka Falls just upstream (reputedly the most visited natural attraction in New Zealand - according to the local promotional material) we were certainly impressed by the sheer volume of water being squeezed through the gap in the rock walls; though to be honest I thought the Aratiatia Rapids were more impressive, not to mention less crowded
With the sun still shining overhead we then decided to make our acquaintance with Lake Taupo, and after following the shoreline to the west of town we came across an idyllic little sheltered cove with a grassy beach at Acacia Bay. Unable to resist the temptation of going for a swim in the translucent water, I was pleasantly surprised by the relatively mild temperature considering the lake's reputation for being notoriously chilly – though apparently (or so we were told) the top metre or two actually warms up to about 20 degrees in summer, while the rest of the lake hovers around 10 degrees year-round!
Saturday brought our third straight
day of blue skies – until now an unprecedented occurance for us in the Land of the Long White Cloud – which was just as well since Linda and I had booked a two-hour boat cruise on Lake Taupo (another half-price special courtesy of Bookme). Unfortunately everybody else was also headed into Taupo that morning – some to watch a car race outside town, others to watch speedboats practising on the lake for a race that was due to be held the next day, and some (in fact most) to attend the region's biggest one-day music festival... all of which just happened to have been scheduled for the one weekend when we were in town!
Unsurprisingly this created mayhem on the main road leading into Taupo, resulting in a traffic jam over a kilometre long which had Linda and I glancing nervously at the time, worried that we might miss our boat's departure. Fortunately we had left our free campsite half-an-hour early so that Linda might be able to buy some fresh produce at the weekly farmers market on the way to the marina.
Unfortunately the music festival was being held in exactly the spot where the farmers market
Replica Steamboat
Linda in front of the Earnest Kemp is usually held, meaning a) no farmers market (at least at that location) and b) the road to the marina was blocked - so that we had to perform a mad scramble around the perimeter of the festival grounds in order to make it to the boat on time!
But make it we did, and with the sunshine glistening off the water we cruised slowly out onto Lake Taupo, accompanied by the roar of distant speedboat engines. Following pretty close to the shoreline we passed a string of pretty bays - including Acacia Bay – before making our way out to the famous Maori rock carvings at Mine Bay, where a 14-metre-high image of the former Ngati Tuwharetoa chief Ngatoro-i-Rangi was carved into the cliffs forty years ago. From there we left the shoreline behind and cut across the lake towards Taupo township, with the 1088m mountain Tauhara ever present in the background.
At the conclusion of the boat cruise we legged it across town to find the farmers market just as it was closing, before hopping back in the campervan for the half-hour drive to Orakei Korako, which is one of the most active – not to
Etched in Stone
Mine Bay Maori rock carvings mention beautiful – geothermal areas in New Zealand. After sitting and swapping travel stores with an older couple from England over lunch, we then paid the rather steep admission fee and hopped on board a small boat for the two-minute crossing of Lake Ohakura - one of almost a dozen dammed sections of the Waikato River - which is the only way to access the thermal area on the other side.
Following a boardwalk on the other side of the lake, we were immediately confronted with the spectacular sight of the Rainbow Terrace – where a predominantly white silica terrace has been stained bright orange and brown as a result of minerals being brought up from within the earth by various geysers (none of which were spouting as we passed by unfortunately) and hot springs, before then flowing down over the terrace leaving a kaleidescope of colours in their wake. With a bubbling hot spring in the foreground and regenerating forest in the background, the contrast of colours was quite extraordinary; and the overall spectacle one of the most impressive that we had witness during our holiday.
As the boardwalk continued we passed the bleached-white Fleece Terrace, various
Perfect Natural Jacuzzi
Soda Fountain hot spring in Orakei Korako steam vents and a number of scenic viewpoints; before reaching Ruatapu Cave – one of the world's few geothermal caves - with the jade-green Emerald Pool (from which Orakei Korako – meaning 'Place of Adorning' – is said to get it's name) nestled at the base of the cave. With a series of bubbling mud pools and the evocatively-named Soda Fountain (a perfect natural jacuzzi if ever I've seen one) also lining the boardwalk, what it might have lacked in quantity – the entire loop trail took us less than an hour to complete – it certainly made up for in quality... even if Linda and I both agreed that Waimangu Valley had perhaps provided the more complete overall experience. Still, what a luxury to be able to debate the merits of each geothermal area within a country...!
On Sunday morning we headed to the Spa Park Hot Springs just outside town, where a hot water stream tumbles over a pair of small waterfalls just before it flows into the Waikato River – creating a natural thermal spa complex where you can sit (for free) in a small pool while a thermal waterfall (heated to about 40 degrees -
just the right temperature!) gently pummels your neck and shoulders. After that you simply have to walk twenty metres or so to cool off in the cold water of the river, before repeating the process. Priceless!
After another trip out to Acacia Bay for lunch and a swim - followed by a visit to the Crafty Trout brewpub for a tasting paddle or two - we were finally ready to chase the horizon once more; so after leaving the free riverside rest area at Reid's Farm for the final time (after our fourth straight night there) on Monday, we followed the eastern shoreline of Lake Taupo all the way to it's far end, where we first followed a walking trail alongside both banks of the Tongariro River in Turangi; before heading out on our third white-water rafting trip in the past fortnight along the same river.
Despite being told the water temperature was only around 8 degrees, with the usual wetsuit, fleece jumper and splash jacket to keep us warm and the sun shining brightly overhead we found the water to be comfortably refreshing - not to mention stunningly clear! And with the river flowing through a steep-sided
River of Rushing Rapids
View from the Tongariro River Trail in Turangi ravine cloaked in forest, there could be no denying the beauty of our surroundings.
But it was the frequent rapids themselves – we encountered over fifty sets of rapids in just over two hours, along a 14km stretch of river – that impressed us the most, as we rarely had time to catch our breath after negotiating one rapid before we were barrelling headlong into the next! If there was one downside to all of this action though, it was that for some reason (possibly due to the relative inexperience of our guide) we kept running aground on rocks, so that on three or four occassions we had to try to wrestle our way free of obstacles in mid-rapid, while the occupants of the other two rafts watched on in amusement! Nevertheless, for me at least this was the most enjoyable rafting trip yet, providing more thrills and spills than the Mohaka River and over a much longer duration than on the Kaituna River... even if we weren't plunging over any waterfalls this time!
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