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342--New Zealand: Sacred Waters of a Thermal Wonderland @ CherieSpotting     Feb 04 2006 - 12:17 PST cherie writes: The sacred waters of Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland have enchanted the Mauri people for centuries. Nestled in the Taupo Volcanic Zone, Wai-O-Tapu is home to collapsed craters, swirling ink pots, bubbling champagne lakes, gurgling mud pools, erupting geyers, volcanic waterfalls, and crystallized sulphuric caves. Colin, Sarah, Crystal and I spent the day letting the shocking colors of New Zealand's thermal wonderland dazzle our senses. For more info click on Thermal Wonderland Click on each picture to see it full size. read comments (0) | write comment| views: 5057    | rated: 0.0    printer-friendly version   Cherie near the Champagne pool of Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland. *Photo by Sarah. Cherie, Sarah and Crystal. Vibrant colors. Cherie exploring the thermal wonderland. The yellow earth beneath our feet. Sometimes when you are lost, nature points the way. Sarah and Crystal. Cherie by the greenish yellow water of the Devil's Bath. It's so beautiful, you just want to dive in. Go for it Crystal! The green color is caused by the sulphur and ferrous salts mixing in the water. It looks like some kid painted the colors beautifully wrong in this picture. Cherie, Crystal and Sarah. The hypnotic colors of nature. Don't fall in! Creamy green pool. What landed on my nose? Every lake Taupo Volcanic Zone seems to be a different color. It's not spilled paint. It's nature at her most vibrant. Crystal checks the tempurature of the bath-like water. Wai-O-Tapu (Sacred Waters) is where the blue sky meets green water. Your hands sink right into the soft earth. Crystallized sulpher rests undisturbed in this cave. Searing sulphur gasses have cooled to form these brillant yellow crystals. There goes the geyser! It looks fake, but it's a real geyser. Cherie, Colin, Crystal and Sarah at Wai-O-Tapu's famous geyser. The geyser keeps shooting out water and steam for over an hour. Look at the geyser release its force. I'm getting wet! Colin made a stinky. Crystal's head is about to blow. It's the perfect place for Sarah to wash her hair. The other tourists have left...bored by the geyser after a few photographs. This geyser erupts daily. A bubbling mud pit. The mud belches and boils. *Photo by Sarah. Splat! Watch out for hot flying mud! Cherie near a cave. *Photo by Sarah. Sarah by the Champagne Pool. Orange earthly beauty. The art of nature. The swirling colors of a volcanic stream. Fuzzy orange twigs. (The orange is antimony.) Little bird. Thw green water of Lake Ngakoro Waterfall. Sarah smiles. Lake Ngakoro was formed after a volcano erupted 700-years ago. Cherie and Sarah. A glowing pool. The colors of the earth never cease to surprise. Crystal and Sarah. Nature's designs. The birth of leaves. *Photo by Colin. The cracked volcanic earth. *Photo by Colin. I'm ok, as long as the bug stays there. *Photo by Colin. The creepy bug examine's Colin's tattoo. Where should we explore next? Rivers of green. Sarah at the Devil's home. Funky steamy swirls. Nature's designs. If you fall in here, your name is mud. Green and orange. The earth's curve.