April 13, 2012. Samuel Valero
A hidden reservoir of boiling water regulates the pulse and power of this stunning array of gushing geysers. Like southwestern Iceland and Yellowstone National Park in the United States, New Zealand’s North Island is well known for its abundance of hot springs and geysers. Of the several hot-spring areas in the northern part of the island, a perennial favorite with visitors is the Whakarewarewa Thermal Area.
Although it includes a number of hot springs and perpetually boiling mud pots, the main attraction is spectacular geyser displays.
The so-called Geyser Flat is a group of seven geysers that erupt from an extensive silica terrace. The terrace was formed from minerals that were dissolved in the steaming water. Another cluster of geysers, the Prince of Wales Feathers, sends up jets of spray to heights of 40 feet (12 meters).
Here too is found Pohutu. (Its name means “splashing.”) The largest geyser now active in New Zealand, it produces fountains up to 100 feet (30 meters) high. Pohutu is quite unpredictable, however. In 1926 it erupted 613 times, but from April 1932 until June 1934 it did not produce a single column of water. And while its outbursts average 20 minutes, one day in May 1920 it remained in continuous eruption for more than 12 hours.
The geysers, supplied by the same subterranean reservoir of superheated water, exhibit an interesting rhythm in their activity. Just before Pohutu erupts, the water in a nearby hot spring begins to boil over; then, when the geyser begins to spout, the water level drops Similarly, the Prince of Wales Feathers begin to play a few hours before Pohutu erupts, and then die down just before Pohutu does.
Maori villagers living in the area take advantage of the hot springs for bathing, laundering, and cooking just as they have for generations. Residents of the nearby city of Rotorua, in turn, have harnessed the abundant supply of geothermal energy for home heating as well as a multitude of other uses. Anna loves travelling and writing her last trip was Majorca.
Updated April 13, 2012. Published February 13, 2012. Samuel Valero
