Exploring Rotorua: Waitomo Caves and Geothermal Te Puia

In New Zealand the people are inclusive and truly believe in sustainable living. When introducing yourself, first introduce the land, the mountain, and the river. Only then you introduce yourself!

Rotorua, New Zealand! Amazing town with geothermal activity below the ground. Steam coming out of the ground. But I am getting carried away. The scenic beauty on the drive to Rotorua was straight out of the movies. Waikato River is a major part of life on the north island. We followed it a part of the way. The rolling hills and green pastures were so lush. It beat, hands down, the beauty of the pastures in United Kingdom. We passed Whatawhata, pronounced Fatafata, town and many other pretty settlements. It was raining and sunny alternatively. Rainbows appeared and disappeared.

The dairy industry is a major economic activity and export sector. The cows are pasture fed in open fields. Unlike In Netherlands where the dairy cattle and pigs are stall fed. We saw a lot of cows and sheep in the pastures on the little hillocks. On some hills it felt like the cows were stuck there!!

We visited the world-famous Waitomo Glowworm Caves! Unfortunately it had been raining heavily the past week. The river that runs inside these caves had risen. We were lucky to manage to get a tour of the caves. The cave boat ride was suspended.

The Maniapoto, the local people, had long known of the caves in the Waitomo region. They used the entrances only as shelter. This caused the secret of Waitomo Caves to stay hidden and pristine for many. On December 28th, 1887, Tanetinorau and Mace collected korowai (fax stalks) and built a raft. After testing that it would float, the two men climbed aboard. Clutching their burning candles they sailed into the darkness, and into history. Within two years the cave was open to tourists and guided by Tanetinorau and his wife Huti. Concerned about the burgeoning visitor numbers and souvenir hunters, the New Zealand Government stepped in to protect the cave.

The caves went deep down into the earth. We climbed down steep steps which were wet and slippery. There were formations of Stalactites and stalagmites. These occur together in caves and are both formed by the dripping water. Stalactites hang down from the ceiling, while stalagmites grow upwards from the floor.

Unfortunately Photography and videography are not permitted inside the Waitomo Glowworm Caves. The glowworms are sensitive to flashlights which can disrupt their natural glow. We reached the flooded river in the cave. And there magically were the glowworms, stuck on the roof of the cave and glowing! We knew we were really lucky and blessed to have seen this magical sight!

We found the river as it exited the caves. We would have come out of the caves in a boat at this point. Well, another day and another time!

The amazing adventure was the visit to the Geothermal Te Puia! Te Puia Rotorua geothermal park is a wonderland of dramatic geysers, bubbling mud, Māori cultural experiences & kiwi conservation centre.

Steam was flowing continuously out of the land and water. The underground chamber below a geyser fills from below with very hot water from deep inside the Earth. There are often narrow parts of the chamber where the water becomes pressurised, and heated well above its boiling point. The superheated water turns to steam in the chamber. Then, the mix of steam and boiling water sprays out as a geyser.

Not all the geysers are active. Each had a name. The Prince is Wales geyser was active and erupted every half hour. We were lucky to see these amazing eruptions when hot water came gushing like a fountain out of the geyser!

One thermal pool was known as The Blueys due to its cobalt blue colour. It gets its colour because of various minerals that have dissolved in it. The water in The Blueys is highly alkaline and its temperature is usually between 30 and 50 degrees C.