Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
South of Rotorua
Sights & Activities
Waimangu
Volcanic Valley
VOLCANIC AREA, SPRING
OFFLINE MAP
( 07-366 6137;
www.waimangu.com
; 587 Waimangu Rd; adult/child walking tour $34.50/11, boat
cruise $42.50/11; 8.30am-5pm daily, to 6pm Jan, last admission 3.30pm, 4.30pm Jan)
This in-
teresting thermal area was created during the eruption of Mt Tarawera in 1886 - geolo-
gically young! Waimangu (Black Water) refers to the dark, muddy colour of much of the
water here.
The easy downhill stroll through the valley passes spectacular thermal and volcanic
features, including
Inferno Crater Lake
, where overflowing water can reach 80°C, and
Frying Pan Lake
, the largest hot spring in the world. The walk continues down to Lake
Rotomahana (meaning 'Warm Lake'), from where you can either get a shuttle ride back
up to where you started or take a 45-minute boat trip on the lake, past steaming cliffs and
the former site of the Pink and White Terraces.
Waimangu is 20 minutes south of Rotorua, 14km along SH5 (towards Taupo) and then
6km from the marked turn-off.
Wai-O-Tapu Thermal
Wonderland
VOLCANIC AREA, GEYSER
OFFLINE MAP
( 07-366 6333;
www.waiotapu.co.nz
;
201 Waiotapu Loop Rd, off SH5; adult/child/family $32.50/
11/80; 8.30am-5pm, last admission 3.45pm)
Wai-O-Tapu (Sacred Waters) is a fairly com-
mercial operation with a lot of interesting geothermal features packed into a small area,
including the boiling, multihued
Champagne Pool
, bubbling
mud pool
, stunning
miner-
al terraces
and
Lady Knox Geyser
, which spouts off (with a little prompting from an
organic soap) punctually at 10.15am and gushes up to 20m for about an hour (be here by
9.45am to see it).
Wai-O-Tapu is 27km south of Rotorua along SH5 (towards Taupo), and a further 2km
from the marked turn-off.
Waikite Valley Thermal Pools
SWIMMING
