Give Me All the Geysers

I miss the bed at the Treehouse; it was so much more comfortable than the one here. Per usual for the last week, I was naturally awake before 6am. Hearing the pounding rain I knew there was no reason to rush out of bed so I closed my eyes again and managed two more hours of sleep. And it was still pouring rain. Last night I mapped out a four-stop itinerary for myself around the Rotorua area today but in this rain none of it will be enjoyable. Do I go down to the Whirinaki Forest? Nope, forecast there looks just as bad as here. I drank some tea, ate some toast, and researched ideas while waiting to see if the rain would ever subside.

Close to 9am it was finally backing down from a pour to a heavy steady drizzle and I figured, screw it, I didn’t come here to be stuck inside all day. I’m going to stick with my original plan; just in a slightly different order.

I decided to start my day with a visit to the Whakarewarwea Living Māori Geothermal Village. Trying saying that five times fast, hell, try saying it once. The village was settled over 200 years ago and is still home to members of the tribe. Built around geothermal wonders that have been used as tools for cooking, breathing, healing, and heating, the village sits alongside Te Puia and only relatively recently has been open for tourists to view the geothermal wonders of the village and learn how the tribe has harnessed their powers.

Entering the village it felt a little awkward walking past people’s driveways to access the path. But the guards at the gate were pleasant and cheerful; yelling wishes of having a great time. I bet these people are raking it in with the tourist dollars. I walked past some home sites and their event spaces to the Wahiao (meeting house) and couldn’t help but shake my head when I could see a little microwave through the side window. Sell outs. I haven’t even had a microwave in my first two AirBnBs this trip!

Throughout the geothermal area different hot springs were noted for their cooking purposes; Te Kuha is used extensively as a cooking spring due to its temperate and purity, Te Puna Waiariki Poaka has such a high temperature that it’s used (yes, still to this day) to remove the hair from a pig in preparation of cooking, Te Puna Weiariki HeiHei is where chicken is cooked.

Other hot springs are known for their medicinal elements and sacred healing powers. These springs were also larger and the warm steam rising off of them provided me with a welcome heat source in the dreary rain. Another spring, Roto Kanapanapa, used to be utilized to “embalm” bodies by dipping them under in preparation for burial.

Their mud pools were wildly under impressive, despite their healing properties. I love the serenity of a popping mud pool but these were small and not very active. It’s ok, not every geothermal area can have impressive mud I suppose. The rain drizzled off and on, mostly on, as I walked the track. While annoying, it wasn’t terrible and I could still enjoy myself. Towards the end of the trail I realized that I have maybe taken a few too many deep breaths around some of the steaming pools as I was starting to feel headachy and nauseous. Oopsie. Are the Whaka Geothermal Trails at Whakarewarwea Village the most impressive? No. Given the other options in the area I probably wouldn’t suggest it on an itinerary unless someone is like me and has already seen so many of the other geothermal parks and just trying to test the waters with how bad the weather is.

Next on my itinerary, actually it had been first but I had switched it with Whakarewarwea, Waimangu Volcanic Valley. Pulling into the parking lot it seemed vaguely familiar, have I been here before? I don’t recall it exactly and it was still on my pending things to do in New Zealand list from 2018 that I dusted off, but maybe I have been? The sense of deja vu came back even harder when the lady at the entrance counter explained the layout to me. I think I’ve been here but I just don’t remember it. That is odd for me, I freaking remember everything, to a fault. I inquired about the boat cruise at the end of track and if the boat had openings; her reply was quite discouraging. Not about availability but about if it was worth the time and money. While the website made it sound like the boat tour showed special things you could only see on the water the girl at the ticket counter was obviously wildly under-impressed by it. “It’s more history than seeing anything special. You can decide if you want to do it once you get down there. I wouldn’t.”

Waimangu Volcanic Valley has a roughly 4km geothermal trail that leads down to Lake Rotomahana. Once you get down to the lake you can hop on a boat cruise if the timing is right. A bus runs down the valley every 45-55 minutes so you don’t have to do the return hike up. From the main trail there is a more remote side trail that can be added on if you are a confident hiker in good physical conditioning.

Starting down the trail I was certain that I knew where I was but still, every sight seemed fresh and new. After a brief bush walk, views of Frying Pan Lake, the result of a 1917 eruption, came into sight. Surrounded by lush crater walls with tiered silica shelves, and steam rising the lake is breathtaking.

The trail wound down from the crater wall to lake level before following a hot water creek along terraces and springs of fascinating green, orange, white, and all sorts of shades in between. It was hard to tear myself away from the mesmerizing colors, formations, and spitting waters. Another lady on the trail and I chatted for a moment about how the earth is simply just magic.

Climbing a set of stairs to the Inferno Crater Lake I was lucky to see it was showing off with a brilliant intense blue, a color only displayed under ideal circumstances as its often a dull grey depending on the current depth and level of silica separation. Also by Inferno Crater Lake was the turn off to take the more advanced Mt Haszard Trail. Not wanting to miss anything on the main trail I decided that I would complete the main trail and then either hike or catch the bus back up and do the side trail.

Making my way further through the valley I realized that I have absolutely been here, and I remember that side trail. My last visit I had wanted to do it but after walking a few steps I think I decided that I was not advanced enough and I was scared of what the trail might hold so I turned back. Now, I am plotting my path to make sure I don’t miss it. I was struck with the realization of how much more confidence I have in myself and my abilities than I did five years ago. And this confidence is not just limited to hiking; I feel so much stronger in life (and body) now.

As the trail wound further down the valley and closer to the lake it led through wetlands, filled with birds. Black swans preened themselves in the mineral laden water. The main trail has been washed out by flooding in the wetlands but a path had been carved along the edge of the bush. I checked the time table for the boat schedule and decided that if I made the next one, I would take it. I’m here and I know I didn’t do it last time. Sure enough, the time aligned and at 1:08pm I arrived at the dock; the next boat departure scheduled for 1:10pm. The Skipper welcomed me aboard and I joined two women from Oklahoma, another solo woman who didn’t say a word, and two older woman who were accompanied by a Kiwi guide.

Miraculously, the weather was cooperating and I was able to sit out on the back deck as the boat pulled away from the dock for a cruise around Lake Rotomahana. At the base of an active volcano that last devastated the land in 1917, there are ten more eruption craters under the surface of the lake. The Skipper shared that the flooded wetland tracks are due to the immense rainfall over the last 18 months; the lake level is 2.5 m higher than it was in March 2022 and with nowhere for the water to run off to, the result is the flooded wetland. The boat navigated past Patiti Island, the product of earlier eruptions of Mt Tarawera, who, by the way, would not show herself in the cloudy skies. Damn rain clouds.

Wind and rain started to hamper the joy of the cruise until the Skipper pulled into Starhill Crater, formed in the 1886 eruption. Having not paid attention as we entered through the small mouth of inlet I didn’t realize until I looked full circle how clear it was that this inlet was a distinct crater. The Skipper cut the engines so everyone could enjoy the serenity and peace. Protected from the wind and with just a little bit of rain it gave my soul a bit of a boost.

Leaving the bay I started to chat with the two young women from Oklahoma. They asked me if I’ve done the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and my heart swooned; I could talk about this all day! They are scheduled to do it on Tuesday so I gave them advice, answered their questions, listened to their fears, and assured them that they can do it and it will be tough but worth every second. The weather is supposed to be better on Tuesday and now a piece of me is wondering if I change up my itinerary and try to make it happen for myself…

Across from the site of where the “famous” pink terrace sat on the edge of the pre-eruption Lake Rotomahana is known as Fumerole Bay because, you guessed it, there are fumeroles spouting steam all along the banks. The Skipper pulled the boat alongside one colorful display and informed us that there is a geyser in that spot that has been erupting like clockwork, almost exactly every six minutes. He told us what to look for and within a minute of when it erupted let us know that it was coming in seconds. Though not a massive geyser it was still really cool to see. I’m glad that I didn’t listen to the lady at the counter and that I made it to the dock just in time, the 45 minute boat cruise was absolutely worth it.

Pulling back to the dock, the clouds no longer had any mercy and rain started to come down harder. It was already 2pm and despite how determined I was that I was going to do the Mt Haszard trail while there I really didn’t want to be out in this hard rain right now and I still had more stops on my itinerary for today so I acquiesced and took the bus back to the top of the valley.

After remembering to pay for my boat tour add-on, and telling the lady at the counter how great it was, I was off to leave Waimangu and head to the Buried Village of Te Wairoa.

Te Wairoa is, as the name of the site implies, an old village. It was devastated and buried under 1.5-2m of mud during the 1886 Tarawera eruption. Visiting the buried village has been on my list of sights to try and see for both my 2018 trips here and finally I am making it happen. Driving past the Blue and Green Lakes to get there I recognized where I was, I’ve tried to hike around these lakes before but the trail was flooded! I also think it may be just a little further up the road past the Buried Village where I put my passenger side tires in a ditch on a narrow gravel road when someone woudn’t give way in November 2018. Uncertain but I think so.

Anyways… I made it in time to get my admission. There is a 40 minute trail through the buried village and an optional 20 minute side trail to a waterfall. There is a little museum to go through before you get outside but I wasn’t really interested in that because the weather was cooperating with no rain and I needed to take advantage of my time to be outside. Plus I had already wasted time in the gift shop, turns out they had just the bag I need as an additional carry-on now that I have honey to pack, and some cool locally made sunglasses.

Exiting the museum into the buried village I was quickly, very quickly, disappointed. A picture book display read that walking through the area the story boards would read of an imaginary tale of a fictitious character of what life might have been like back in the village. What the hell?! Imaginary? Fictitious? Might? I’m not interested in a fairytale. Ok, so I’d ignore those story boards and just focus on the sights and the actual descriptions of each.

But then I read the first boards. The few dwellings weren’t even real, they were replicas. In some areas a sign just read of what used to be there in front of a shallow carve out in the ground of nothing. This may be where a village was buried but this might as well be Disneyland, these were recreations and not the real thing. I don’t do fake. I was annoyed, I’m annoyed again just writing about it now. I kept walking, glancing at descriptions to see if anything was real. Nope. Where the “buried village” met private land there was a small pasture with a giant goat and some adorable sheep; they distracted me for a moment and were the best things about the place so far.

Finally the trail left the fake buried village and followed a stream; this stream was the only natural thing about this place. It was lovely so that helped bring my annoyance levels back down.

I found the turn off to the Wairere Falls and followed the steep muddy trail as the sound of crashing water grew closer. Despite my “it’s hard for a waterfall to impress me” stance from earlier this week, like Huka Falls yesterday, I actually found the Wairere Falls to be quite impressive. The way it cascaded down so powerfully into an entire system of smaller falls beneath it that ran into frenetic streams. It may be one of my favorite waterfalls ever. I was mesmerized and spent way more time than I normally would at a fall studying all the little offshoot falls and feeling the power. Something about this waterfall speaks to me. It’s a shame it’s surrounded by this faux history.

I have barely eaten today and though it was not quite even 5pm when I left Buried (fake) Village I was starving. Though I still remembered my turnout rule and stopped at one to have an impressive view of Blue and Green Lakes on either side.

Arriving back in Rotorua, I chose The Vnam Kitchen for some Vietnamese food. After the rainy days some pho sounded perfect. Vnam did not disappoint. My fresh rolls were fresh and the grilled chicken in my pho may possibly be the best grilled chicken I’ve ever eaten. I considered an after dinner walk along Lake Rotorua and went as far as to drive to the lakefront but the rain. I’m so sick of this rain. I do not want to be out in the rain any more tonight. So instead, it’s been a relaxed and quiet evening in my AirBnB.

According to the weather reports, tomorrow is once again rain but should be slightly less so I think it will be my Whirinaki Forest day. I also have to pack up in the morning to move to a different AirBnB though I’ll still be in Rotorua for my last two nights. Including tonight, only three nights left in New Zealand. Normally I am sad for these trips to near their end but my discontentment with the weather combined with my excitement to get to Hawaii and meet up with C has me more anxious than disappointed.