Diamond Geyser

Well actually it's not it is the Sapphire Geyser at Orakei Korako, the Hidden Valley near Taupo. We were just looking around this thermal park when up it popped. The Diamond Geyser is around the corner but he wasn't playing.

This place really is hidden and we only knew about it from a leaflet from my cousin, who came some years ago, inexplicably in german. After a considerable drive a little boat takes you across Lake Ohakuri to this hot spring valley that has remained unchanged for thousands of years. 20 billion litres of hot water flow over silica terraces every day. There are boiling pools, unpredictable geysers and amazing coloured lichens.

Here you see part of the Golden Fleece ridge that was first formed in 131AD when Lake Taupo was last erupting ( the lake is a caldera).

What you see is pretty amazing but the noise and smell ( though not overpowering) is all part of the experience. Even with the drought here in NZ making the mud pools less spectacular you can hear them bubbling away.

It has been hot here today and this was certainly a hot experience.