[New Zealand] Rotorua - Wai-O-Tapu + Taupo - Huka Falls

After staying in Rotorua for 2 nights, it was time to bid goodbye to this beautiful place! One must note that it takes a while to get used to the 'rotten egg' smell due to the sulphur content in the air from the thermal springs! This however, should not put you off when visiting Rotorua, as it really was a very enjoyable and pretty place.

We checked out from our room in the morning, and we headed down to Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland to see geyser's, craters, hot springs and volcanic pools. Wai-O-Tapu means 'Sacred Water'  in Maori, and it is an active geothermal area. 

We picked up our tickets once we reached the premises, and we drove to the 'Lady Knox Geyser' to check it out. The Geyser is a natural geyser and was named for the daughter of a prominent governor in the earlier 20th Century. While it is a natural geyser, the park rangers induce it to erupt daily by adding a chemical for a reaction, and the eruption of the geyser can reach as high as 20metres! I think some of the visitors were not very impressed as it was not a natural eruption, but an induced one.

We walked around the reserve area, and we saw many different types of craters and bubbling hot volcanic pools. 

The crowning glory of the reserve has to be the Champagne Pool. 

The lovely Artist's Palette contains pools within pools of minerals rich water. 

The Devil's Bath gave us goose-bumps, as it was in green in color. It changes colors depending on the amount of reflected light from the sun or when there are cloud hovering over!

I loved walking in the forest, as it made me felt that I was surrounded and protected by Mother Nature! 

I enjoyed my walk and the sights were splendid, but the smell was pretty unbearable! I saw many mud pools and I learnt about their benefits during my visit to Rotorua. This naturally resulted in me buying some Rotorua Thermal Mud Masks for myself!

We spent 2-3 hours exploring the whole reserve, and I strongly recommend checking out Wai-O-Tapu if you are visiting Rotorua. Do give yourself at least 2 hours in order to experience the full range of Geothermal activity within the park!

We drove another 2 hours from Rotorua to Taupo, and our next stop was the famous 'Huka Falls'. It is located at the north of Lake Taupo, and it is one of the most popular attractions in Taupo. 

We walked among the trails, and there were several viewpoints to witness nature in all its impressive splendour and glory. The best thing  is that it's all free!

Upon reaching the premises, I was greeted by a high waterfall. The currents were so strong, and the water is was sapphire blue and crystal clear! It is the longest river in New Zealand. 

The Huka Falls are a dramatic sight, and the clear water perfectly reflected blue light in the flowing movement of the falls. The Maori word 'Huka' means 'Foam' and this is how it was aptly named. 

I end this post with photos of me and baby in front of the mock-up helicopter that was nearby! Thanks for reading, and in my next post, I will be sharing on my experiences on my stay at Taupo!