On day 5 of our trip, we headed to Wai-o-tapu Thermal Park, a place of extraordinary geothermal activity.  After getting our tickets and going in, we were told we could catch the geyser show, they do this once a day, where they add soap and cause a crater to look like a volcano. Wouldn’t you know, we “just” missed it, and only caught the tail end.

Continuing around the park, we (of course!) stopped at The Artist’s Palette, with such lovely colors, I was unable to do them justice with my paints.

The rock formations and colors were spectacular, again, challenging to capture on paper.

Got in a quick sketch at Rua  Ōwhanga

Another pool was Roto Kārikitea, also known as The Devil’s Bath, an eerie bright green phenomenon caused by a toxic mix of sulphur and ferrous salts   combined with minerals from the Champagne Pool.

Ending this supernatural visit, we went to a local spa on Lake Rotorua, with geothermal hot springs, with pools of alkaline or acidic baths in varying temperatures. A superb finish for the day!