If you’ve never seen geysers, mud pools, kiwi birds or Māori song and dance in person like me, you’re in for a real treat at the Te Puia Geothermal Park. Driving through New Zealand’s beautiful landscape, we saw a few hot springs with towers of steam climbing up into the sky. Yes, I got excited at this, but it was nothing compared to what we experienced at Te Puia. And yes, it didn’t smell the best because of all the sulphur, but once I got to witness the geothermal activity, I was too mesmerised to even notice it.
Te Puia is a “geothermal wonderland” with naturally occurring geysers, hot springs, mud pools, a kiwi conservation centre, a Māori art gallery and a traditional Māori meeting place. This breath-taking geothermal activity is what Rotorua is truly famous for. Māoris used these hot springs and underground heating for many activities, such as cooking and bathing. The water that is seen in steam vents is caused when rainwater seeps through cracks in the earth’s surface, and is then heated to rise back up to emerge as steam. In the Taupo and Rotorua regions of New Zealand, this geothermal water is heated by magma from the country’s active volcanoes. This heat can also rise up between fault lines, causing hot springs and mud pools, as well as the more spectacular event; geysers. Geysers are formed in the same way as hot springs, but instead of allowing the boiling water and steam to be released from an open area in the earth’s surface, the water is forced up through a narrow vent. This pressure causes the water to shoot up into the air in a stunning display of the thermal fountain.
So now we know what causes the wonders of Te Puia, let’s get to the tour. With a lot of excitement and wonder, we bought our tickets and joined our group. Our guide was absolutely lovely, and clearly loved what she was doing which is so important for a place like this. She had so much knowledge to share with us and made the whole experience a lot of fun. The first thing we saw was the Māori carving and weaving, where we could watch these artworks in progress. You could see the time and effort that went into these works, as well as the admiration for what they’ve made with their own two hands. Later on, we got to see the gallery with all sorts of artworks and artefacts. Some of these items I would’ve loved to take home with me, but they were a little over my spending budget for my holiday. Maybe next time.
The next part was what I’d been hanging for as soon as I set foot in New Zealand; we got to see kiwi birds! For one of the country’s most famous animals, most New Zealanders haven’t even seen a kiwi in the wild. This is because the birds are nocturnal and like to borrow when they sleep. But at Te Puia, they reverse the day cycles of the kiwi enclosures so that you can see the birds in their natural habitat. And they were so cute! They had a pair of brother and sister kiwis foraging around, running back and forth. One of them was right up next to the window as if there wasn’t even a group of big scary humans on the other side of the glass watching him. To be honest, I thought kiwis were a bit bigger and rounder. Although Dad thought they would be a lot smaller, so I guess none of us really knew what we were expecting.
Now onto why we came here in the first place, the geothermal wonderland! First, we stopped by one of the little mud pools that was bubbling away. Again, I’ve never seen anything like this before so it was spectacular from my perspective! We followed our guide to the plumes of steam rising from the ground. Now this was a sight to see! But it was even the main attraction… that came later! Everywhere I looked, there were just clouds of steam. I remember saying it looked like the end of the world, but it also looked beautiful. I don’t know how to explain it but for something so apocalyptic, it was so peaceful. So angelic.
Te Puia really has it all. As soon as we booked our holiday to New Zealand, I started looking for Māori cultural experiences, and this one really sent chills up my spine, in a good way of course. Whenever I watch Māori people perform a haka, whether it’s before a game of football, for family or any other occasion, I’m left with a body full of goosebumps. But experiencing it in person, the emotions were so much stronger than I ever imagined. First, we were welcomed in by the tribal chief, and introduced to the group and the culture. We were immersed in their traditional dance, song, chants, games, and of course the haka. There was one lady I honestly couldn’t take my eyes off. She was so engaged in her performance, and she had a gorgeous smile on her face the entire time. Seeing the traditional Māori dress was also a great experience, as well as being in a traditional meeting place of the Māori people. I truly felt like I was being immersed in their culture, and it’s something I’m never going to forget.
The only thing that disappointed me about the Maori cultural experience, with no fault to any of the Maori people, was the reactions of the audience. When we were walking past one of the other groups being welcomed into the traditional meeting place, I noticed some of the audience laughing. The same reaction came from a few of the people in my tour group when we were lucky enough to experience the haka. I find this so sad because it’s not only very disrespectful to Maori culture, but you’re also paying to witness a culture other than your own, only to completely humiliate it. Take a moment to understand another culture before laughing at it.
With that out of the way, onto the big showstopper! Pohutu Geyser is the Southern Hemisphere’s largest natural geyser, and she really put on a show for us today! Pohutu erupts every hour with heights up to 30 metres high, so of course we had to wait around to see the spectacular sight. With a few quick spurts of water, the steam seeping from the earth suddenly erupted into a fountain of boiling hot water reaching up into the sky. Again, for someone who’s never seen any geothermal activity in their entire life, I was just mesmerised by what was happening in front of me. The tower of water just seemed to grow and grow with every burst from the geyser. The photos on my camera don’t even do this phenomenon any justice. Trust me, you just have to go see it in person when you get the chance.
I think Mum and Dad got a little annoyed at me on this holiday because I had to stop at every single gift shop for every place we went to. But I needed to remember a place like this. So I bought a t-shirt for myself, and a tiki necklace for one of my coworkers, my work mum I should say. This whole experience has been my favourite part of the New Zealand trip so far, and it’s definitely something I’ll be coming back to next time I’m in the country. Because trust me, there will be a next time.
All photos in this post are taken by me.
For more information, visit https://www.tepuia.com/
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