Orakei Korako

I know, I know - you're getting geographic whiplash.  But I had this New Zealand post mostly written before we left Singapore.  After this, we'll blogging closer to "real time" about Japan.  Deal?  DEAL.


The final stop on our New Zealand itinerary (before returning to Auckland for departure) was Taupo.

We pulled in on Monday, around lunchtime.  See that big lake on the map above?  It looked like this in real life:

So, naturally, after a quick stop at the i-SITE, we found a bite (can't remember the storefront name, but it was the equivalent of a New Zealand deli, across the street from the i-SITE).

Who, us??  Eat pies for a snack?!?

You never would have guessed it, huh??
[Award winning beef and veggie. Above, butter chicken.]

And then, of course, I found a cookie.  A very LARGE cookie.  Of the Afghan variety.  It was fresh, not pre-packaged from the supermarket.  Have a look:

Unfortunately, it actually looked better than it tasted.
But still, yum.  Totally worth the investigation.

Now, our main activity for the afternoon was a visit to Orakei Korako, a very active geothermal area quite close to Taupo (and walk off that enormous cookie).  This area is actually in a valley (the Waikato Valley, to be exact) that had historically been occupied by the Maori, the native people of New Zealand, who appreciated the hot springs for cooking and bathing.  A volcanic eruption in 1886 allegedly caused changes in the hot springs, and the Maori ultimately left.

But water - as much as 20 million liters per day - still poured from the hot springs, and in 1961, a lake (not Lake Taupo, but a small lake near the hot springs) was formed to facilitate hydropower generation.  This covered parts of the hot springs, which remain covered today. However, plenty of area remains above the water, with hot water still bubbling, gurgling, and sometimes spurting out.  Too much water talk?  Take a quick restroom break. We did:

Even with that introduction, there is no way I can prepare you for what we saw that afternoon.  We took a small motorboat across the lake to the edge of the hot springs, and were left to follow a path built over and around the many terraces that make up the area.

View near the bottom, early in the walk.

The colors are a combination of mineral deposits and algae growth.

I, of course, had to pause to check out that algae:

Ah yes, that appears to be algae!

And one glimpse isn't enough.  The biologist wants to get a bit closer....and closer....

 

I would keep adding text, but I'll let the photos do the work for me.  We saw plenty of amazing views in New Zealand - but what we saw at Orekei Koraku was almost other-worldly:

Steam from a geyser. It was threatening to erupt while we were there, but didn't follow through.

This one is called "The Cauldron".

There were even a few places where the hot springs bubbled up through mud, making this bubbling mud bogs.  They were pretty mesmerizing to watch.

You'll have to imagine the blurp-blurp-blurp yourself.

And...one final shot:

 This wasn't the biggest, or the most popular, or the most exciting place we visited in New Zealand - but it was one of the most unusual.   Admission is a bit pricey (~28 USD) for a few hours of wandering - but I'm we splurged for the trip.  Totally worth it!