Day 18 - A Day of both Hot and Cold Water

​We had time for one more activity in Rotorua this morning and I chose to go to the Polynesian spa to experience the geothermic baths by the lakeside. I just went for the basic package that allowed me access to eight different pools - some acidic and some alkaline (from the Rachel Spring and the Priest Spring), and at slightly different temperatures. The pools were all by the lakeside, which made for a lovely couple of hours.


After a stop for an early lunch with the rest of the group, we hit the road for Waiotapu geothermal wonderland. This park is filled with hot springs, boiling mud pools and all kinds of geothermal wonders, all with beautiful colours as a result of the different elements involved. Kreig, our guide, is a bit of an expert in this area, so we had a fascinating tour. I also took far more photos than I could possibly include here!


Our next stop was timed to perfection! Four times a day the dam at Aratiatia lake is opened, for the maintenance of a healthy water flow, and it is really rather spectacular. When we arrived, there was a very peaceful gully. Within minutes, it was flooded with white water. Hopefully you can see this happening from this series of photos taken just a few minutes apart. 






Our final stop for the day was Huka Falls, a really powerful waterfall. Whilst it is not particularly high, about 220,000 litres of water pass over it every second. Which is quite a lot! 


Finally, we drove into Taupo and saw the lake. It was pouring with rain again by this point though, so I don’t feel I have really seen it in all its glory yet. Fun fact - Lake Taupo is larger than Singapore! Whilst we have a free day tomorrow, I will not be swimming lengths of it like someone (Dad!) suggested… We are staying near the lake and had a nice dinner close by. I have turned in quite early though as all this exploring is making me quite sleepy! 


BONUS PHOTO - What happens when YMCA is played on the bus


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