Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland is a thermal area located about 17 miles (27 km.) south of Rotorua. It has the highest concentration of surface thermal features in the Taupo Volcanic Zone, which (for you geology enthusiasts) exists because of the collision between the Indian-Australian and Pacific tectonic plates. To the visitor all of this translates to an area of hot springs, geysers, terraces and smoking craters, much of it colorful due to the mineral content and all of it rather stinky. Much of North Island is geologically active, with numerous extinct, dormant and active volcanoes (there have been minor eruptions as recently as 2007) in addition to the hot springs and other more benign features. A genuine North Island volcano, Mt. Ngauruhoe, served as Mt. Doom in the Lord of the Rings movies.

Most of the Wai-O-Tapu features are reached via trails that start from the visitor center, located a few kilometers off the main highway. On the way to the visitor center from the highway are two other attractions, a mud pool and the Lady Knox Geyser.

The Lady Knox Geyser erupts daily at 10:15 AM. Those familiar with geysers might be skeptical that a geyser would be so punctual, but this one has assistance in the form of a bag of powdered soap that is emptied on schedule into it every day as part of a presentation. Apparently the soap breaks surface tension within the geyser, thereby prompting an eruption in short order. Those wishing to view the presentation need to arrive early, as it is necessary to purchase admission tickets at the visitor center first and then backtrack to the geyser, which has its own parking area.



After having our fill of the Lady Knox, we drove back to the visitor center so we could go out on the loop trail and look at the many thermal features. Here are a few of them:






We finished the loop trail and returned to the visitor center, where we had a snack. By this time we judged that our hotel might allow us to check in. In any case, between the flight from Los Angeles, the drive to Rotorua and the walk around the loop trail, we'd had a very full day, and we were more than ready to be inert for a few hours. We headed for the hotel in search of this opportunity.