Wai-O-Tapu

February 22, 2025

Rotorua, New Zealand is renowned for its geothermal activity. These areas contain hot water streams and pools of bubbling water or mud that is rich in minerals. While choosing a tour to visit one of them, I had a hard time choosing between Te Puia and Wai-O-Tapu. After reading tons of reviews, I learned that if you already have a Māori cultural experience planned then choose Wai-O-Tapu, if not, go to Te Puia. I did. Wai-O-Tapu it is. 

Because I don't drive on the other side, I booked a day tour from Auckland, with Cheeky Kiwi Travels, I'm not affiliated with them. They drive to Rotorua, and offer several different activities to choose from. So, not everyone on my tour did the same things. Rotorua has so many cool things to do. For example, I could have visited both Wai-O-Tapu and Te Puia. If I make it back to the North Island, I will plan on staying here for a few days, because there's more activities that I'd like to do in this area. I wish I was brave enough to drive!

Wai-o-Tapu, or sacred waters, is known as the thermal wonderland. As soon as you open the car doors you're hit with the smell of sulfur. At least it was breezy. 

Wai-O-Tapu is a popular place but because some people choose Te Puia over Wai-O-Tapu, because of it's geyser activity that goes off naturally, Wai-O-Tapu has artificially made their geyser, named Lady Knox, go off every day at 10:15am. It's like a show. They use soap to get the geyser to erupt. Some people appreciate this, some people are pissed and down right disgusted that they do this. In any event, our tour didn't see it. 

There are three different trails around the park. Our tour only had 90 minutes, so the plan was just to do the first 2 trails. I took a picture of the map out front and still managed to get turned around and go the wrong way. Impressive, huh? Now imagine me driving on the other side of the road. Nope. Thankfully, our tour guide mentioned there was something special at the end that he didn't want to spoil, otherwise I wouldn't have been looking for this unknown prize and realize I took a wrong turn.

Anyway, along the first part of the trail, you see a lot of steam coming out of the ground. There was one sunken crater where you could hear what sounded like very eery noise coming from deep in the ground. I swore it sounded like the Eye of Sauron. I tried to capture it but this place is very busy and some humans have a hard time shutting the hell up. Yap, yap, yap. Treat nature like you're in a library, some people are trying to enjoy it.

Then you get to the really colorful stuff. There's a lookout called the Artist's Palette, it never looks the same 2 days in a row. This lookout is pretty stunning. We were in luck having such a sunny day, making the colors appear extra vivid.

The Artist's Palette

Just past this lookout, you cross a boardwalk over to the Champagne Pool. It gets it's name because of the constant release of carbon dioxide bubbles that rise to the surface, like a glass of steaming hot bubbly.

Carrying on down the second trail, I saw this view in the distance.

Then I went back over the boardwalk, instead of going around the other side of the Champagne Pool, towards the Devil's Bath, this was the surprise our guide alluded to...I think.

I headed back towards the entrance. There's a gift shop and cafe. I stood in line to get a shirt, balm, and some mud. Then stood in another line to get some lunch. I wolfed down at least half my sandwich before having to get back on the bus.

We headed just a few minutes away to the bubbling mud on the way out of the park. You can just imagine an orc emerging from this muck. It was kind of mesmerizing. I suppose this could have the surprise my guide was talking about. This section of the park is free to see.