Sunday, 4 August 2013

Grumpy's 'Hot as' Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland guided tour



Grumpy was perfectly on time when he came to collect me from the i-Site for my guided tour to Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, as part of his 'Hot as' tours. His personality is infectious - with so much charisma, Grumpy takes a humourous approach to our sightseeing trip. He tells us stories of the places we drive past, offering a great insight into the area.

Sculptured out of volcanic activity and thousands of years in the making, Wai-O-Tapu (Sacred Waters) is considered to be New Zealand’s most colourful and diverse geothermal sightseeing attraction. The Champagne Pool below measures a fifth of a hectare!

Champagne Pool


My visit begins by watching the eruption of the Lady Knox Geyser - At 10.15am each day there is the opportunity to learn the history and mechanics of the Lady Knox Geyser during a presentation by an informed guide in the natural ampitheatre. It provides a unique opportunity to see a geyser in eruption to heights of 10 to 20 metres. 

Lady Knox Geyser

There are a multitude of different couloured pools due to the rich minreal content of the reserve. There are also boiling mud pools, craters and lakes to be seen.

Mud pools

Wai-O-Tapu is the perfect place to discover the beauty and rawness of the earth. Walks through the valley range from 30-75 minutes. Thanks to grumpy acting as our guide I was able to make the most of out my day!

Yogi

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