Champagne Pool, Wai-o-tapu, Rotorua

“Approximately 20 minutes south of Rotorua, Waiotapu is the region’s most colourful thermal park. In English Wai-o-tapu means ‘Sacred Water’. Hot pools ranging in colour from turquoise blue, rich green and gold to an almost olive/yellow, make the water at Wai-o-tapu a dazzling must see. The array of colours is caused by mineral salts in the water including arsenic, gold and silver.

The spectacular Champagne Pool is a magnificent example of the vibrant colours caused by mineral and silicate interference. Follow the pool down to where it spills over a waterfall of ethereal beauty, coming to rest at the edge of one of the best examples of silica terracing in the Southern Hemisphere since the destruction of the Pink and White Terraces in the 1886 Mount Tarawera eruption.

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