Little Lolly's Small Adventures: Mud pools and hot spring rivers

Kerosene Creek

After a delicious breakfast Paul and I headed out from the farm stay to explore the surrounding
countryside, ideally hoping to come across hot springs.

We found a place called Kerosene Creek and found a quiet spot in the warm stream for a dip after which we headed upstream to the waterfall where there was a nice natural pool below the waterfall. It was like getting into a warm bath so we couldn't stay in the water for too long - we got quite hot! It was a very popular area for visitors!

Wai-o-Tapu mud pools

After our dip we headed to the Wai-o-Tapu geothermal area and stopped to watch a mud lake bubbling and steaming away. We could have gone to see the Lady Knox Geyser and visited the Wai-o-Tapu Thermal Wonderland close by but the parking area was full and the place looked very busy. We decided to give it a miss.

Hot and Cold (hot spring rivers)

Just a bit further down from the thermal wonderland car park we came across the Wai-o-Tapu Bridge Hot Springs (it also goes by the name of Hot and Cold). Two rivers merge into one; the one river being cold and the other hot but merging to make a lovely warm area to sit in (the river is quite shallow). And it is for free! We discovered that part of the river bank was of white clay so we got some, made it into a paste and smeared it on ourselves. We then allowed it to dry off a bit (it became powdery) before sitting in the river and soaking it off.

After an hour or two at the river we took the back roads to Taupo, on the edge of Lake Taupo, had a quick bite and took the back roads to our lodgings.

There is a nest of 5 chicks outside our bedroom window, in a rose bush. And below, on the ground, a hen is brooding. The farmer's wife is keeping an eye on the hen so that she doesn't go hungry while incubating her clutch of eggs. It's a nice little nursery area outside.

Time for bed.