Orakei Korako

Orakei Korako was our first thermal area. It's just north of Taupo, in the middle of rolling rural area, between Highway 1 and Highway 5. It's private land... with its own lake and thermal reserve.

We took the boat shuttle to the reserve and started wandering the track over the steaming, mineral-coated, rocky terrain. The colours are like an Artist's Palette (they named part of the reserve that). The Diamond Geyser was steaming but not quite ready to erupt. The Sapphire Geyser (how appropriate for us) DID blow while we were close by. Interestingly, it erupts horizontally.

We climbed down into a huge cave. Scientists still don't quite understand how or why it was formed. The water in the bottom is very alkaline and said to be good for cleaning jewelry. Jeff tried it and said it seemed to work a little bit. If you put your left hand in the water and make a wish, the legend says the wish is guaranteed to come true.

The boiling mud pools sputter and spit constantly. And the landscape is dotted with random steam vents. In the middle of some trees and brush, a constant column of steam just belches forth.