This colorful geothermal park is located just about 30km south of Rotorua and offers the experience of steaming grounds, cold and boiling mud pools, geyser, terrace formations and volcanic craters. This attraction will welcome you not only with the visual beauty but also with its “aroma”; it gives off distinctive smell of sulphur. Waiotapu means sacred waters in Maori. Photo: The Champagne pool is 65m wide, 62m deep, temperature is 72°C

The Lady Knox Geyser is about 2km from the main building. It erupts daily at 10.15am and can reach heights of up to 20 meters. The length of the eruption can last for one hour but in dry season only a couple of minutes. The guide briefly talked about history and then poured environmentally free soap into the spout to force it to go off. We had the opportunity to photograph this artificial eruption for half an hour.

The geyser was accidentally discovered by prisoners in the early 1900s. They were using soap while washing their clothes and the geyser erupted as they poured it into the mouth of the geyser. Now it became a tourist show.

Bubbling Mud pools – this is a free and worth visiting site nearby; just about two minutes by car.

Admission: $32NZ/person and it is valid to the Thermal Area and Lady Knox Geyser. The ticket must be purchased from the main building before visiting the geyser.

Visited: 29.11.2012