Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland

---

For the first time in this trip we didn't feel sad to leave somewhere, Rotorua was a nice place and we did see some amazing things but the smell was too much and the hostel too noisy, we didn't sleep well during our stay, anyway onwards and upwards, our Southwards in our case as we hit the road to Taupo.

We leave early as we've planned a stop half way to visit Wai-O-Tapu park, a Thermal Wonderland as it markets itself.

Wai-O-Tapu (sacred waters) is New Zealands most colourful and diverse volcanic area, it's full of stunning geothermal activity and colours of every tint in pools, lakes, craters, steam vents and thermal terraces.

I was really impressed by this place but Fiona wasn't to bothered by it, she liked it all and that but that pungent smell was present and 10 fold what we'd experienced before.

We did see some facinating sights though and some great pictures were taken, boiling mud pools, gushing geysers, thundering craters and sizzling earth, we even picked up a random French chick who we gave a lift too, Fiona recognised her from our hostel in Auckland. It's amazing how many people we've met in different places that just keep popping up again, in this hostel in Taupo there are 3 more Frenchies that we lived with in Auckland.

We arrived in Taupo just after lunch and we were immediately impressed, the town was beautiful, it doesn't smell and the hostel is great. It's like a wee chalet that we've got and the communal facilities are as good as we've seen.

We dumped the bags and went exploring, down at the lake was the New Zealand speedboat championships so that was neat to see, we then lay on the beach and soaked our feet, we'd walked for miles through the park today and it was really hot.

Back to the hostel and we can't believe the amount of Scottish accents about, there are 5 staff that we've met and 4 of them are from the motherland, there even a couple of guests from home too, it's all very familiar here and they even hace a poster of an bottle of Irn-Bru on the wall with directions to where you can but it in town, we resist the temptation and head to bed.

---

Photos

Wai-O-Tapu
The sacred waters in all their glory

Lady Knox Geyser
gushing at 10:15, on the dot every day.

Every colour
of the rainbow

Sacred Waters
from a high

The Oyster Pool
at Wai-O-Tapu

Looking down
on Wai-O-Tapu

The Champagne Pool
bubbling away

Andrew
at the Champagne Pool

Mystic Waters
at Wai-O-Tapu

Andrew
at the Lime Pool

Fiona
at the beach in Taupo

Snow on the hills
in the distance from Taupo beach