Geyser Notes

In preparation for our visit to New Zealand thermal areas, I tried to find out as much about current activity as I could. There wasn't much. It turned out that some of the most useful were items I'd accumulated over the last few decades. For example, the map of Artist's Palette at Orakeikorako is still accurate and useful in referring to features there.

We also walked right past Waiotapu Geyser without realizing it, as it no longer has a sign. Thanks to the map I'd scanned, we were able to go back and find it. And the description of the activity from 1958 still fits.

Here are the number of publications, maps and other reference material that I scanned which are useful for geyser gazing:

• Geology and Hot Springs of Orakeikorako
  E.F.Lloyd
  New Zealand Geological Survey Bulletin 85, 1972
  • Chapter 4: Hot Springs
    Summary of activity prior to flooding.
  • Chapter 8: Changes Caused by Filling Lake Ohakuri
    
  • Map 2: Aerial map of thermal springs
    
  • Fig. 50:Map of Artist's Palette
    
• Hot Springs and Hydrothermal Eruptions of Waiotapu
  E.F.Lloyd
  New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, (v2 n1), Feb 1959.
  • Map 1
    Southern portion, developed area.
  • Map 2
    Northern portion, developed area.

Also, here are a number of links that I found useful, or at least entertaining:

• Environment & Change Decline in Rate of (Silica) Sinter Deposition in the Tokaanu Domain, Lake Taupo (NZ)
• Sporadic and waning hot spring activity in the Tokaanu Domain, Hipaua-Waihi-Tokaanu geothermal field, Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand
• Rotorua Heritage Trail
  Guide to thermal activity in and along Rotorua lakeshore parks.
  Did not visit.
• Time series analysis of selected geothermal spring temperature recordings
  Recent activity of Waiotapu Geyser, Waiotapu, and Soda Fountain, Orakeikorako
• Geothermal Resources, Waikato Region
• Recovery of Rotorua geothermal field, New Zealand: Progress, issues and consequences. (2005)
• Te Kopia Walk
• Tokaanu Thermal Walk
• Waiotapu Boardwalk
  Guide to Waiotapu mud pots, which are part of the paid area.
• Wai-o-tapu Thermal Wonderland
  Guide to Waiotapu area. Ignore the Norwegian at the beginning and end, the descriptions of the photos are in English. May have been copied from old pamphlet.
• Whakarewarewa Pohutu
  Website companion to the NZ Frenzy North Island New Zealand, 3rd Edition guidebook. We found these books quite useful. Describes the Te Puia overlook (free), as well as other thermal areas. There's also a South Island guide, just as useful.
• A Bathymetric Survey of the Waimangu Thermal Lakes, 1980.
  Includes map of Waimangu thermal features.
• Geothermal Surface Features at Geyser Valley, Wairakei, New Zealand
  Includes map showing locations of former features.
  Did not visit.
• Wairakei Natural Thermal Valley.
  Site of extensive thermal area destroyed by geothermal power generations.
  Did not visit.
• Geothermal fields of New Zealand in tourism industry - the case of complementary assets and competitive products.
  Some text and captions in Polish. Interesting discussion of the thermal areas from a commercial point of view.
• Past and Present Day Thermal Activity Between the Orakeikorako and Te Kopia Geothermal Areas
• Rotorua Geothermal System
  Slide show with some comparative photos and other pretty pictures.
• Te Puia
  Old guide map to Whakawerawera thermal area.
• Waiotapu Guide Map
  Uses English names for thermal features, as opposed to the newer maps which are Maori names only.
• Land Taken in Orakei Korako for the Ohakuri Hydrodam
  A muckraker video report on the building of Ohakuri Dam that does have a few seconds showing an eruption of Orakeikorako Geyser. Starting at 1m45s.
• Thermal Activity in 1940
  Color 16mm film showing Pohutu and Papakura in eruption. Starting at 5m20s. Waimangu starting at 7m45s.
• "Pohutu Geyser"
  Video is actually Kereru Geyser.
• One Thousand Springs
  An inventory of thermal features. Has a photo, temperature and chemical characterists of features, along with approximate locations for features not on private land. (Got this link off of a photo of a sign at Kuirau Park. Wish I'd found this before the visit).