Mud Pool 
Mud Pool 
Devil’s Bath 
Champagne Pool 
Champagne Pool 
Champagne Pool 
Champagne Pool 
Fumerole 
Terrace 
Terrace 
Inferno Crater 
Geyser 
Waimangu Volcanic Valley – Frying Pan Lake Crater
This part of our trip included visiting the main geothermal region of the country on the North Island in and around Rotorua. There are many examples of fissures and vents belching noxious gases, hissing steam and boiling water and they occur virtually everywhere, including in the main park downtown. There are two major attractions on the southern edge of the town that host hordes of tour busses and visitors. We chose, rather, to visit two places out of town. Waimangu Volcanic Valley is a quite recent geothermal system located about 10 miles south of Rotorua. The valley has a number of different examples such as a crater containing a huge hot water spring, small but beautifully colored geysers, and colored rock terraces. We also visited Wai-O-Tapu where the big ticket item is the eye-popping Champagne Pool with its surrealistic colors. Just outside Wai-O-Tapu is a small public reserve containing an extensive mud pool with all manner of burps, flops, and spurts.