Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, Rotorua

Wai-O-Tapu means “sacred waters” in Maori. For many tourists, the colours of the pools and lakes in Wai-O-Tapu are simply amazing!

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Amazing colour of a pool
Wai-O-Tapu, Rotorua, May 2006
Covering 18 square km, Wai-O-Tapu is covered with collapsed craters, cold and boiling pools of mud, water and steaming fumeroles. Beneath the ground, streams are constantly heated by magma and water has been recorded at up to temperatures of 300 degrees Celsius! The water is so hot that it absorbs minerals out of the rocks and passes out as steam at the surface which is ultimately re-absorbed into the ground. The wide range of colours of the pools and lakes in Wai-O-Tapu are due to the rich mineral content in the waters.

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Collapsed crater
Wai-O-Tapu, Rotorua, May 2006