Te Puia is an experience like no other. It is a centre of Maori culture and a geothermal wonderland including the largest geyser in the southern hemisphere. Our entrance fee included a visit to the meeting house (shown below) where we saw a range of traditional Maori singing and dancing, culminating in the haka. The meeting house itself is an incredible building, the interior features intricately carved panels and weavings.
Te Puia is also home to the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute. Here teaching  the traditional methods of carving, casting and weaving ensure that the skills are handed down to future generations.
The geyser field here is protected buy law from any external development that might affect it. The whole area is simply stunning and I took so many photographs it was diffficult to choose which to include. The path down from the main entrance gives you tantalising views of the main geyser terrace.
The constant eruptions of the geysers has created a most beautiful terrace made mainly of silica. As a water feature it is pretty impressive and watching the water flow down is a a good way to spend the time while waiting for the star of the show. This is the geyser named Pohutu, the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, Â it erupts roughly twice an hour and can reach heights of up to 30 metres.
Pohutu means constant splashing in Maori. Water is at 95 Celsius when it erupts but cools quickly so that if you get spray from the geyser it is actually cooling. When we visited it hadn’t erupted for two hours and we were wondering if we were going to be out of luck. The Prince of Wales Feathers geyser to the left of Pohutu is much smaller but acts as an indicator geyser. It erupts first and then Pohutu usually follows some 15 minutes later. We were in luck and a guide informed us that an eruption was imminent. the eruption involves clouds os steam and it is difficult to see the actual water against it. The eruption we witnessed was relatively small with nothing like 100 metres in height. It was still a marvellous spectacle.
The small pond just below the geysers looks blue because of the mineral deposits. It fills only occasionally as it is dependent on the direction of water flow following eruptions.
Mudpools are a feature of geothermal activity in the area around Rotorua. They can take many years to fully form, the one below was described by our guide as only a teenager and still has lots of water visible (though this can vary in all mud pools depending on rainfall). They begin to form when hot gases begin to rise from the bottom of a pond that has been caused by the condensation of venting steam. The acidic gases destroy the rocks and produce clay and the area starts to thicken.
The mudpool below is much thicker and gases can be seen escaping from the surface and make a sound like the leaping and croaking of a frog! the hotel building in the photograph is no longer occupied after it was found to be sinking. investigations showed that the mudpool was expanding under the structure.
Rotorua mud, not necesarily from these pools is available to buy locally as face packs.
There is so much more to see at Te Puia including New Zealands national bird, the Kiwi. It has become endangered in recent times as a result of predation by dogs and cats and there is a programme of conservation underway. Despite being the size of a chicken it lays an egg about four times the size of an hens egg!
The Pikirangi village is a reconstruction by students from the Arts and Crafts school to show life in a Maori village before the arrival and settlement of Europeans.
An awful lot to see and do and a fantastic way to spend a few hours. you can find out more about Te Puia by visiting their website (click here), they have some wonderful photos and detailed information.
