Kerosene Creek & The Craters of the Moon

At or recent campsite, the DOC camp warden recommended that we check our the natural hot springs of Kerosene Creek just south of our location.  We went on a dodgy gravel road and came across it on the right.  A sign mentioned that it was safe to swim, so we put our suits on and walked along the creek to the pool at the end where there was a beautiful waterfall and rocky overhangs.  We had to wait for a naked guy to finish his bath before we ventured in, and then I had to wait for Syd to steel up the nerve to get into the hot water. 

To be fair, the water was probably 100-105F, and Syd has a tough time with hot water at the best of times. He was glad that I coaxed him in eventually as the mineral water was good for his skin and he enjoyed the hot waterfall.   The only annoying thing is that a tour group came by just after we got in and we felt like spectacles - hey look at those people swimming in the hot spring!

After a quick dry off, we were back in the van and heading south to Lake Taupo.  The Taupo region itself is the most geothermically active of all regions in New Zealand and as a result it had many activities.  We checked out a geothermal plant, which from afar looked like a nuclear reactor but Syd said that since they are anti-nuclear here , it must be a geothermal reactor.  So neat how they are able to harness the energy underneath the earth to heat the homes across the region.

The one activity we chose to partake in was to walk on the Craters of the Moon hike - which is essentially a protected geothermal area that had large craters and fissures.  The area still has eruptions due to pressures under the surface, and the last eription was only in 2002!  We enjoyed this walk though it was mad hot - but gave us more incentive to enjoy a picnic and swimming in the clear freshwater Lake Taupo.

Lastly, we checked out a highly voluminous waterfall called Huka Falls.  The water rushes super fast (290 cubic meters per second) down a narrow channel with a 10m set of falls at the end.  Though they are not high the water is blasting over the drop so quickly its pretty amazing.  Kayakers attempt this every often, though they wait until after 8pm when the water flows are lower (since less water is being redirected for hyrdo generation further down stream, since it is no longer peak time for electricity uses).  But I was just pumped about the colour!

Astrid.