Today we went to Hells Gate, Rotorua's most active geothermal reserve and a local "taongo" (treasure) to the local Maori people. We walked around the reserve, the authetic Rotorua rotten egg smell was ever present-so Bean was gagging the whole way round. Hells Gate was formed about 10,000 years ago as a series of geothermal eruptions when an ancient lake drained to form Rotorua and Rotoiti. The removal of the water caused faulting of the rocks, allowing a violent escape of steam, gases and hot fluids. As we walked around the reserve we passed bridge pools, ink pots, sulphur baths, inferno pools, spraying pools, hot waterfalls, sulphur crystals, mud volcanos, steaming cliffs, steaming fumeroles, steam boxes and cooking pools. In addition, we also learnt the tragic story of Hurutini. Hurutini wasa Maori princess who jumped
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