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ORAKEI KORAKO
Calling Code: +64 7
Situated just 25 minutes north of Taupo and 45 minutes
south of Rotorua, Orakei Korako is often described as the most
interesting and picturesque geothermal areas in New Zealand. For
information on how to get there, click
here...
Nestled on the shores of Lake Ohakuri lies "The Hidden Valley" of Orakei Korako Geyserland and Cave. Orakei Korako
(The Place of Adorning) has been left almost completely unchanged for thousands of years and is a valley
of unbelievable colour; over 20 million litres of hot water flow over the silica terraces each day.
The journey begins with a short boat ride across the lake to the
Emerald Terrace or Kakariki. Often mistaken for an old
lava flow, the silica terrace is the largest of its kind in New
Zealand and varies in thickness from 20mm to 20m and continues
another 35m under the lake. From here you embark on an hour-long
self guided tour through a valley of unbelievable colour, bubbling
hot springs, gushing geysers and unimaginable natural beauty preserved
by its isolation from the outside world.
The first stop is the Diamond
Geyser, so called for the way it shatters the water into a
million droplets, reflecting in the sun like diamonds. Moving
up to Aniwaniwa, the Rainbow and Cascade Terraces are one
of three great fault scarps, formed by a massive earthquake in
131AD. The colors on the terraces are formed by hot water algae
growing in temperatures up to 60°C.
Continuing along the path you come across Elephant
Rock, a rock formation resembling an elephants head. Next you come to Kei Runga Ite Mania, or the
Artists Palette, an area formed by hydrothermal eruptions between 8,000 and 14,000 BC and remains
today one of the most dangerous and unpredictable areas in the Hidden Valley, with the thickness
of the silica in some places as little as 20mm.
After climbing some serious hills and then descending them you
come to the sacred Ruatapu
Cave, one of only two geothermally situated caves known in
the world. The cave was once used by Maori women to prepare themselves
for ceremonies.
Upon leaving the caves you make your way down to the Kohua
Puharu or Mud Pools, places where the thermal fluids have
chemically decomposed surface rocks to form clay; the clay is
heated by the underground energy source and creates boiling mud
pools. Some expel pellets of thick viscous mud which form cones
and thus mud volcanoes.
The journey continues on as the path starts to lead you back to
the jetty via a beautiful bush walk as well as more geysers and
geothermal activities. It's then back on the boat and across the
lake giving you time to soak in everything you've seen.
Scenes from the BBC's Natural History Series "Walking With Dinosaurs"
were filmed at Orakei Korako.
For more pictures of Orakei Korako, click here...
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