Waimangu Volcanic Valley ** Lake Rotomahana Voyager Boat Cruise ** Te Ariki Historical Bush Walk ** Lake Tarawera Boat Cruise ** Historic Maori rock paintings ** Te Wairoa Buried Village . Hangi dinner and Maori concert at hotel

Volcanoes, Craters, and Mud

At Waimangu Volcano Valley we saw some incredible sights. The views were spectacular. I am amazed at the views in so much of New Zealand. We hiked from the top of the crater to the bottom, took a bus to a boat, crossed Lake Rotomahana, then hiked a very steep path across the mountain to catch a second boat on the second lake, which is Lake Tarawera. We heard the story of the Pink and White Terraces which were simply erased when the lake bed erupted in 1886, burying about 150 people in their villages. Visit the links above to see the whole story. It’s incredible what used to be there and how it was transformed.

Ari, Taijun, Ashley, and Kyle enjoyed the day:

Photo courtesy of Michelle

Waimangu Volcanic Valley

This was a very busy day! We started out at the Volcanic Valley Park area, trekked down a steep path on the side of the volcano where we saw the steam rising, the craters filled with boiling water and mud, took a boat across the lake, hiked up another steep hill and over the mountain to the second lake, then another boat ride, and on to the buried village.

Here's the first boat on the first lake:

Here's Rick on the hike between one lake and another:

And here's the second boat on the second lake:

Here's Courtney on the boat, and you can see some of the steam from the thermal area in the distance:

By the time we got to the second boat, most of us were pretty darn tired out and in need of a nap!

Courtney naps while Kelsey and Dana smile sweetly...

Te Wairoa Buried Village

This was one of my favorite stops because of the crystal clear stream and the stunning waterfall. This is the photo as taken without any alteration of color or brightness. Isn't it like a postcard?

Kai and Hannah climbed a big tree limb over the stream.... Careful, don't fall in!