New Zealand > Thermal park Wai-O-Tapu

Just half an hour’s drive south of Rotorua lies the Thermal Wonder Park Wai-O-Tapu. In addition to the geothermal pools, this is also home to the Lady Knox geyser. Every day at a quarter past ten, the geyser shoots water high into the air. We leave early to make sure we can witness the eruption. At nine o’clock we pull into the parking lot. At the ticket counter, we buy an entry ticket for Wai-O-Tapu. To our surprise, there’s also a Dutch description available. It soon becomes clear, however, that the language is hard to follow and riddled with typos. Even Google Translate would seem better. We opt for the English version instead. That works better. The geyser, it turns out, is not actually inside the park itself. To get there, we need to drive for a few minutes. “You can already walk into the park, but make sure you’re at the geyser by ten o’clock,” we’re advised. “After that, you can just re-enter the park.” At the entrance, we get a stamp on our wrist as proof of payment. It feels strange to first walk into the park to see the geothermal pools, then go back to the geyser, and afterwards walk the same route again to get further into the park.

New Zealand - The Lady Knox geyser erupts once per day

As an alternative, we decide to order coffee first. We then drive to the geyser. We’re not alone. Around it, a grandstand has been set up, and it’s slowly filling up. I estimate there are more than 700 people here. At a quarter past ten, a park staff member appears. She gives a short explanation about the formation of the area and warns everyone to stay on the paths — the ground off them may be unstable.

New Zealand - The striking orange rim of the Champagne Pool at WaiOTapu

Meanwhile, she throws ecological soap powder into the geyser. Almost immediately, water begins to flow from the opening, growing more intense until the geyser shoots water some fifteen meters into the air. A fascinating sight. In a convoy, everyone drives back to Wai-O-Tapu Park. To the left and right of the walking path are deep craters filled with boiling water or mud. Steam rises everywhere. One highlight is the Champagne Pool. This sulfur lake has an abundant outflow of carbon dioxide, creating a vivid orange rim. Stunning. We walk all the way to the green-colored Lake Ngakoro.

New Zealand - Bright yellowgreen water in a volcanic pool

What a surreal landscape. As we leave the park, the last pool catches the eye — its water is yellow-green in color. How bizarre. Just outside the park, we also view some mud volcanoes. Mud bubbles up in a pool. Normally this might be remarkable, but after all the beauty inside the park, it plays only a minor role. We leave the volcanic area and drive on to Taupo. Taupo lies on the lake of the same name, which is the largest crater lake in New Zealand. On clear days, you can see the three volcanoes of the Tongariro National Park on the opposite shore. Today it’s cloudy. We only see vague silhouettes. On the boulevard, we order lunch. Afterwards, we continue to Ohakune, on the southern side of Tongariro National Park. From here, we’ll hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing tomorrow — a challenging trek through the mountains. At the supermarket, we buy food for the journey.