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Walking in New Zealand: Rotorua Volcanic landscape
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Rotorua has a lovely group of older buildings in a park like setting Scattered here and there are steaming pools and bubling volcanic springs. There is a stench of hydrogen sulphide in the air, but your nose rapidly becomes numbed to it.
We were recommended to see the Wai-0-Tapu thermal area The Lady Knox geyser is set off every morning at 10.15, so you need to arrive in time to get your ticket, and then drive the short distance to the geyser.
A short talk is followed by the erruption of water
The thermal area is quite extensive, with well signed paths and routes and explanation boards Boiling cauldrons of mud, oil and sulpurous steam
You must stay on the paths, and keep a close watch on your children
Coloured pools of clear steaming water can be quite beautiful
or look like an industrial waste land
A glimpse of another azure lake through the trees
A waterfall of solid silica
And coloured lakes that change each day
On your way out, do follow the signs for the mud pools These slurp and burp beside the road.
Rainbow mountain is a steep track past these steaming cliffs to a fire control lookout at the top (not open to the public) The views from the top are well worth the climb
