Days 63-66 - Friday thru Monday, October 27 - 30
Upon leaving Coromandel on Friday, October 27 in the rain, we drove back down the peninsula and through Thames again. Just for the record, traveling on these very narrow roads is just as unnerving whether you are looking down the cliff to the ocean or you are against the cliff edge straight up. But we made it safely, headed inland and south, and stopped for lunch at Rotorua at the Pig and Whistle. We couldn’t resist as the only Pig and Whistle we know of was located in Denver. The building was originally built as a police station, then was a few other things for finally becoming a pub.
Our next destination, Taupo, is a town near the center of New Zealand’s North Island. We arrived to see beautiful vistas of Lake Taupo and the snow capped Mt. Ruapehu in the background. Our AirBnb apartment is within a few blocks of the lake.
Saturday, October 28, was shaping up to be the clearest and best weather of our time in Taupo, so we decided to make it a day of hiking and exploring the many, many, many geo-thermal sites this area has to offer. We started the day at Huka Falls. Lake Taupo is a volcanic caldera which drains into the Huka Falls where nearly a quarter of a million liters (about 66,000 gallons) of water per second erupt from a natural gorge and thunder 11 meters (36 feet) into the Waikato River below. They are known for their dramatic, crystal-blue cascades.
Just a short distance away is Craters of the Moon, a 1-hour walk through a geothermal wonderland that includes large craters, steaming vents, fumaroles and brightly colored clay soils. The elevated platforms that we followed were reminiscent of Yellowstone. It’s beautiful yet other-worldly (hence the name). There are several types of vegetation that grow there. There are mosses that can grow near the heated thermal pools. The next is a type of tree whose growth is stunted due to the heat. Then there are larger plants and trees that grow nearby, away from the intense heat of the thermal craters and vents. We only saw a few birds and they were all higher up as we climbed to an overlook.
Next, we drove 30 minutes towards Rotorua to Waitangi Volcanic Valley. This area is the only hydrothermal system in the world where the exact day when the surface activity started can be pinned down.
Here’s a history of the area:
June 10, 1886: On that day Mount Tarawera erupted, ripping a 17 meter (55 feet) rift in the earth’s surface and creating the Waitangi Volcanic Valley, the world’s youngest geothermal system. The eruption punctured the ground with a series of craters that allowed geothermal fluid, already present underground, to escape to the surface of the Earth. This area lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”.
1900-1904: A huge geyser erupted in the valley. It threw black water, rocks, sand and steam up to 450m into the air.
April 1, 1917: Steam blasts re-excavated Echo Crater and destroyed an adjacent hotel. Frying Pan Lake filled Echo Crater, becoming the largest hot water spring in the world.
The most recent activity occurred in Feb, 1973 at Trinity Terrace. Mud from this 15 minute eruption, which happened during the night, was sprayed over an area of more than 100 meters across. This was one of the largest eruptions at Echo Crater since 1917.
We took the self-guided walking tour and below are the significant points of interest that we saw. It was truly a spectacular place.
Hot Water Creek and Springs: Frying Pan Lake overflows through this notch at a temperature of about 50C with a flow of about 110 liters per second.
Hot Springs of Mother Earth (Nga Puia o te Papa): A cluster of vigorously boiling hot springs building intricate and strikingly colored miniature silica formations.
Bird’s Nest Terrace: Striking multi-colored algae adhere to the delicate miniature silica terraces formed by these boiling springs.
Sunday, October 29th was the tale of two types of experiences - local Kiwi and tourist. We started the day at 8:00am at our hostess’ home above our AirBnb. New Zealand was playing South Africa in the Rugby World Cup in Paris (think American football Super Bowl) and she invited us to join her (Jo), her husband (Neal), his brother and wife to watch the match with them. Two of Jo and Neal’s family grew up in the same hometown with three of the players and one mentioned that she babysat them. We enjoyed the first half with them rooting for the All Blacks (the name of the New Zealand team). We watched the second half in our own apartment. Unfortunately New Zealand lost by 1 point. “They were robbed by the officials.” :-)
The afternoon included a tourist-heavy boat ride on Lake Taupo. Although rather touristy, the boat captain was very informative and we enjoyed the trip. Lake Taupo is a large crater lake located in the caldera of Taupo Volcano. With a surface area of 238 square miles, it’s the largest lake by surface area in New Zealand, and the second largest freshwater lake by surface area in geopolitical Oceania after Lake Murray in Padua New Guinea.
Māori Rock Carving: On the NW side of the lake on the cliffs of Mine Bay, there are Māori rock carvings created in the late 1970’s by Matahi Whakataka-Brightwell and John Randall. The carving is 10 meters high and accessible only by boat or kayak. It’s carved in the likeness of Ngatoro-i-rangi, a navigator who guided the Tuwharetoa and Te Arawa tribes to the Taupo area over 1,000 years ago (according to Māori legend.)
The final Kiwi-sanctioned experience of the day included a hike through Spa Thermal Park, which is home to Otumuheke Stream hot pools. It’s on the Waikato river, just above the Huka Falls. Known mostly by the locals, it’s a beautiful place to soak in the natural rock thermal pools for free while enjoying the beautiful surroundings.
Monday, October 30, our last day in Taupo, was rainy, windy and cool. We decided to make a drive around the lake and up to the Tongariro National Park and snow-capped Mount Ruapehu. We left Taupo and headed northwest around the lake. This is a picture of Lake Taupo from the opposite side from the town.
Much of the lush, green pastures were full of sheep and lambs. It’s no wonder New Zealand is known for its lamb exports.
We made our way south and into the Tongariro National Park, stopping in a couple of the small towns along the way. We worked our way to the Whakapapa Village, which is at the base of the ski area. It’s spring here, so the snow is melting. The volcanic landscape provides a stark contrast to the snow that still covers Mount Ruapehu.
We returned and spent the afternoon watching the rain from the comfort of our Airbnb. Tomorrow we move Airbnb locations and head to the east coast to Napier. Will post again soon.
