Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland [25/02/2017]
Trail photos
![Photo ofWai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland [25/02/2017]](https://s0.wklcdn.com/image_39/1179814/16592243/10410453Master.jpg)
![Photo ofWai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland [25/02/2017]](https://s1.wklcdn.com/image_39/1179814/16592244/10410454.400x300.jpg)
![Photo ofWai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland [25/02/2017]](https://s2.wklcdn.com/image_39/1179814/16592245/10410455.400x300.jpg)
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 1.88 mi
- Elevation gain
- 272 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Easy
- Elevation loss
- 272 ft
- Max elevation
- 1,243 ft
- TrailRank
- 60
- Min elevation
- 1,063 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Time
- 2 hours 18 minutes
- Coordinates
- 292
- Uploaded
- February 28, 2017
- Recorded
- February 2017
near Waiotapu, Bay of Plenty (New Zealand)
Viewed 378 times, downloaded 27 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
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Route through the Wai-O-Tapu geothermal zone, called Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, and passing through different craters and ponds formed by volcanic action. It is a free route, but payment.
The route begins at the Visitor Center, where the tickets are purchased and where the souvenir shop is also located. The area is divided into three consecutive routes that are stuck, and you can decide to save yourself some to walk less. In any case, the longest route is actually very short (3 km), so it's worth doing everything. Starting with the first route, the first one that is found is the Weather Pool, a pond whose water changes color depending on the time it takes (abundant rain, sun, etc.). Very close to the edge is the Devil's Home, a crater with collapsed earth as a result of the action of the underground acid. Along the entire route you can see several craters up to 50 meters in diameter and up to 20 meters in depth, such as the next two that are on the path, the Rainbow Crater (named after the color of minerals on the walls of the crater) and the Thunder Crater, the latter formed in 1968. Following the route, there are the Devil's Ink Pots, small clay ponds that give their color to small quantities of graphite and crude oil brought to the surface by the force of the water when it goes up. Below is one of the most interesting points of the route, called Artist's Palette, and consists of several minerals formed underwater that, when exposed to the surface, look different colors. Before reaching the end of the first route, you can see the Opal Pool, a greenish-yellow, ten-sulfur dioxide. A wooden walkway helps cross the Primrose Terrace, New Zealand's tallest terraces, which are very fragile and occupy an area of 1.5 hectares. From the end of the same catwalk, you can also see Jean Batten Geyser who, despite being very quiet lately, is known to have erupted up to 3 meters upwards. At this point the first route ends and the second one begins, during which the path called The Sacred Track is passed, near where it is believed that there was an old settlement, and from where you can see a panoramic view of the Kaingaroa forest (the largest human planted forest in the southern hemisphere) and part of the green waters of Lake Ngakoro, as well as, at a distance, the cooling tower of the Ohaaki geothermal power plant. The section of the second route ends with the Bridal Veil Falls, partly colored by the overflow of the Opal Pool. Finally, starting the third and last route, you can find the Wai-O-Tapu Geyser, with a cycle of eruption between 2 and 36 hours; the Alum Cliffs, some cliffs of alum; the Frying Pan Flat, another crater with hot springs and fumaroles; the Oyster Pool, a sulfur pond that owes its name to its peculiar shape; and a Sulfur Cave, one of the examples of sulfur crystallized by cooling sulfur gas. The third route (and, therefore, the whole route) reaches its furthest point at the beginning of Lake Ngakoro, from where you can see magnificent views of this lake formed after an eruption made more than 700 years, as well as Lake Ngakoro Waterfall, a waterfall that goes to the lake.
Undoing just one part of the path of the third route begins with a circular route. In this case, the third route is abandoned after a walk on the Native Bush Walk (native forest) and to observe the Sulfur Mounds, some sulfur pits that look like giant nests of ants, water and that appeared after they drained the region by the year 1950 to build the road further east. From here, you attach the circular part of the second route, which runs around the terrace, and you will also reach the circular part of the first route, which leads to the starting point. In this last section, you can see some of the most interesting points of the complete route, such as the Champagne Pool, the ten largest in the district (65 meters in diameter and 62 meters in depth), with a very characteristic orange outline and one Surface temperature of 74 degrees Celsius, and whose water contains minerals such as gold, silver, mercury, sulfur, arsenic, thallium or antimony. Other points are the Inferno Crater, where you can hear the violence of the boiling mud at the bottom; the bird's nest, another crater where birds make nest while taking advantage of the heat to covar the eggs; another Suphur Cave, with beautiful formations of sulfur crystals on the holes; and the Devil's Bath, an impressive pond that changes from green to yellow depending on the amount of light reflected and the clouds that cover the sky. After this magnificent final surprise, you will reach the start point immediately.
It is an absolutely signposted route, suitable for any walker, and with spectacular and unique displays of geothermal activity in the region. Despite being paid, it is highly recommended.
The route begins at the Visitor Center, where the tickets are purchased and where the souvenir shop is also located. The area is divided into three consecutive routes that are stuck, and you can decide to save yourself some to walk less. In any case, the longest route is actually very short (3 km), so it's worth doing everything. Starting with the first route, the first one that is found is the Weather Pool, a pond whose water changes color depending on the time it takes (abundant rain, sun, etc.). Very close to the edge is the Devil's Home, a crater with collapsed earth as a result of the action of the underground acid. Along the entire route you can see several craters up to 50 meters in diameter and up to 20 meters in depth, such as the next two that are on the path, the Rainbow Crater (named after the color of minerals on the walls of the crater) and the Thunder Crater, the latter formed in 1968. Following the route, there are the Devil's Ink Pots, small clay ponds that give their color to small quantities of graphite and crude oil brought to the surface by the force of the water when it goes up. Below is one of the most interesting points of the route, called Artist's Palette, and consists of several minerals formed underwater that, when exposed to the surface, look different colors. Before reaching the end of the first route, you can see the Opal Pool, a greenish-yellow, ten-sulfur dioxide. A wooden walkway helps cross the Primrose Terrace, New Zealand's tallest terraces, which are very fragile and occupy an area of 1.5 hectares. From the end of the same catwalk, you can also see Jean Batten Geyser who, despite being very quiet lately, is known to have erupted up to 3 meters upwards. At this point the first route ends and the second one begins, during which the path called The Sacred Track is passed, near where it is believed that there was an old settlement, and from where you can see a panoramic view of the Kaingaroa forest (the largest human planted forest in the southern hemisphere) and part of the green waters of Lake Ngakoro, as well as, at a distance, the cooling tower of the Ohaaki geothermal power plant. The section of the second route ends with the Bridal Veil Falls, partly colored by the overflow of the Opal Pool. Finally, starting the third and last route, you can find the Wai-O-Tapu Geyser, with a cycle of eruption between 2 and 36 hours; the Alum Cliffs, some cliffs of alum; the Frying Pan Flat, another crater with hot springs and fumaroles; the Oyster Pool, a sulfur pond that owes its name to its peculiar shape; and a Sulfur Cave, one of the examples of sulfur crystallized by cooling sulfur gas. The third route (and, therefore, the whole route) reaches its furthest point at the beginning of Lake Ngakoro, from where you can see magnificent views of this lake formed after an eruption made more than 700 years, as well as Lake Ngakoro Waterfall, a waterfall that goes to the lake.
Undoing just one part of the path of the third route begins with a circular route. In this case, the third route is abandoned after a walk on the Native Bush Walk (native forest) and to observe the Sulfur Mounds, some sulfur pits that look like giant nests of ants, water and that appeared after they drained the region by the year 1950 to build the road further east. From here, you attach the circular part of the second route, which runs around the terrace, and you will also reach the circular part of the first route, which leads to the starting point. In this last section, you can see some of the most interesting points of the complete route, such as the Champagne Pool, the ten largest in the district (65 meters in diameter and 62 meters in depth), with a very characteristic orange outline and one Surface temperature of 74 degrees Celsius, and whose water contains minerals such as gold, silver, mercury, sulfur, arsenic, thallium or antimony. Other points are the Inferno Crater, where you can hear the violence of the boiling mud at the bottom; the bird's nest, another crater where birds make nest while taking advantage of the heat to covar the eggs; another Suphur Cave, with beautiful formations of sulfur crystals on the holes; and the Devil's Bath, an impressive pond that changes from green to yellow depending on the amount of light reflected and the clouds that cover the sky. After this magnificent final surprise, you will reach the start point immediately.
It is an absolutely signposted route, suitable for any walker, and with spectacular and unique displays of geothermal activity in the region. Despite being paid, it is highly recommended.
Waypoints
Lake
Waypoint
Information point
1,224 ft
Cartell informatiu sobre l'activitat volcànica
Cartell informatiu sobre l'activitat volcànica
Bridge
1,211 ft
Passarel·la de fusta per creuar la terrassa
Passarel·la de fusta per creuar la terrassa
Photo
Panorama
1,234 ft
Vista panoràmica del bosc Kaingaroa i l'inici del llac Ngakoro
Vista panoràmica del bosc Kaingaroa i l'inici del llac Ngakoro
Waterfall
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