Waimangu Volcanic Valley - Part 3

Last and 3rd post about Waimangu Volcanic Valley. Above are 3 of the many artworks that are displayed along different parts of the nature walk.

The further down we got to the bottom the more smaller waterfalls we saw. I'm sure I sure some human bones on the edge among the rocks, looked like a pelvis.

The above 2 photos are part of the original Pink and White Terraces. What was once 2 small lakes lined with the terraces is now 20 times larger and 40 metres deep which is why much of it is now not visible.

 

This part of the valley was near the bottom where the steaming water meets another cold freshwater stream. After we rounded the next corner we borded a bus which takes people back up to the top again. 

This is a calcified picnic basket that was found in 1924 from the former site of the terraces. Photo from the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences. If you are ever in Rotorua I highly recommend doing this, extremely good value for money.

Linking up with Our World Tuesday, Travel Tuesday, Tuesday Treasures, Through my lens, My corner of the world and Wordless Wednesday.

Waimangu Volcanic Valley - Part 2

 

Following on from last week's post - part 1 - the following photos were taken about halfway down the track. This one above, is where we could see the dried sulphur on and around the rocks above the steaming water.

This one is named the "Inferno Crater". It is a large hot spring with a geyser located at the bottom of the lake. The water temperature can reach up to 80 degrees celsius with an acidity up to ph 2.2 with a lake level of up to 12 metres.

We stood on the bridge below to see into this boiling hot fast moving stream. "Waimangu" means "black water" and comes from the water that was thrown up from the original geyser.

We stood over this bridge to look at the bubbling water below. You wouldn't want to fall in would you?

The next 3 photos are part of the silica pink and white terraces at Waimangu originally created by thermal waters flowing from inside the earth.

Known by Maori as "Tarata" meaning "Tattooed rocks" these at one time covered 3 hectares and descending 30m.

The terraces apparently used to leave peoples skin feeling soft and refreshed from the clear silky water. 

The little geyser above is one of many that can be seen. Apparently this is part of where steam comes out from the cliffs and bush near "Rift Valley".  Since the eruption this area has been naturally populated by algae, bacteria, mosses and many species of native ferns, shrubs and trees.

The original terraces and pools would've looked something like this before the Tarawera Eruption now most of it has been covered up.

Part 3 coming up next week. Linking up with Our World Tuesday, Travel Tuesday, Tuesday Treasures, Through my lens, My corner of the world and Wordless Wednesday.

Waimangu Volcanic Valley - Part 1

During our holiday earlier this year in April we visited Waimangu Volcanic Valley near Rotorua. Because I took so many photos and there is so much information about this spot I'll be putting up posts in probably 3 parts. 

So basically we started at the top of the mountain, the whole walk is about 5kms all up to get to the bottom. This is the home of the pink and white terraces which were covered by Tarawera Eruption in 1886. From here we could see a rough overview of the valley, you can see steam and smoke rising from below.

This lake is known as the "emerald pool" in the southern crater - this whole area is all hydrothermal. At the time of the original eruption craters burst on the volcano, a 16 km long rift running southwest from the mountain opened up with 22 craters exploding from the land. 15 of the craters are now underwater Lake Rotomahana, the 7 remaining ones are in this valley. 

This is a painting of the Tarawera Eruption - from 1886 by Charles Blomfield so you can see how massive it would've been back then.

A long trail from start to finish wound down through the valley, this is part of the nature walk we ambled down. Because our borders are still closed to overseas tourism there weren't many people, we were the only ones here at this time.

We did pick up a map explaining who painted the various artworks throughout the trail but once we got home there was no trace of it.

This one is of Echo Crater and Frying Pan Lake - the latter is the largest hotspring in the world. An accommodations house which use to exist near this spot fell victim to the valley's largest hydrothermal eruption. In 1917 it erupted bursting through the roof of the house and burns from the steam killed the wife and her child of the guide who lived there. 

 

This one is Cathedral Rocks - the heat of this lake area is around 55 degrees celsius and climb to around 67 degrees celsius when the heat is really bubbling below. The rocks are made of rhyolite lava estimated at around 60,000 years old. 

There were signs up everywhere warning parents to supervise their children, for obvious reasons so I took this fun photo of B pretending to look displeased next to it 😂

Part 2 coming up next week. Linking up with Our World Tuesday, Travel Tuesday, Tuesday Treasures, Through my lens, My corner of the world and Wordless Wednesday.

Waimangu Valley Mural

 If you're ever in Rotorua this is one place to put on your bucket list. The Waimangu Volcanic Valley is home to the Pink and White Terraces which now lie underwater after the famous eruption in 1886 of Mount Tarawera. I did take a load of photos while we were there but I will save those for another post. This mural is at the top of the mountain when we first started our walk through the valley - it shows the view from the old guest house looking towards the Waimangu Geyser in 1903.

Linking up with Mural Monday.