Wai-O-Tapu, New Zealand

Just a 30 minutes drive south from Rotorua we come to Wai-O-Tapu, New Zealand's mini Yellowstone. After paying a nominal entrance fee at the Visitors Center, we start down the hiking trail towards the thermal features.

Entrance to Wai-O-Tapu

Trail to thermal features

At first, the trail follows a river which seems to be yet another pretty New Zealand stream until we realize it's steaming hot  and even boiling in places

Pretty river

Hey - there's steam rising and

boiling hot water

The trail then skirts alongside several steam vents...

and mud pots.

Looks like these hot mud pots were once a boiling river that's dried up

Next we come to a large colorful hot lake.

Gorgeous colors in this lake

Yikes - it is hot

Champagne bubbles

Steam almost blots us out

The trail then leads up the hill and into the forest...
With views down into the next thermal area

Colorful mud flows

and deposits of sulfur

with a small mineral streaked  lake

The trail then loops back towards the Visitor Center and leads us to the most striking feature of all ... the jello-green Devil's Punch bowl.

Devil's Punch bowl

From there, it's a short walk back to the Visitors Center and a stop at the Geyser Cafe for lunch.
At the Geyser Cafe, we experience a "lost in translation" moment. Since the day is warm, we order milkshakes with our sandwiches. What we get is nothing like we expect. So we ask the young lady making the shakes why they are so thin and without ice cream.  She replies - well you ordered milk shakes and that's what I gave you, flavored shaken milk. From then on when ordering milkshakes, we now ask how they are made. It helps to order them "thick" (with ice cream).