Cool Days, Hot Springs

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Kia Ore (hello, welcome, goodbye, have a safe journey in Maori) everybody! While we were getting ready to go from Rotarua to Lake Taupo, we had another time change — we did the fall behind for Easter, instead of the spring ahead! Really weird!

The geo-thermal system of the NZ island(s) is amazing!

We have had a wonderful time in Rotarua, New Zealand! Guess what? We got to see a waterfall and swim in a hot spring in a river! On our way to Huka Falls, in Lake Taupo, we stopped for a lunch right next to a river with a moon-like rock on the other side. It was awesome! I never thought ducks could swim in hot water, but they can. It was tempting to go in. I wanted to swim in it, but I remembered we would swim in a hot spring later.

After a long time of driving, we reached Huka Falls. They are amazing! Since the current is so strong and the space to go through is so narrow, it creates so many bubbles in the water that it turns light turquoise.

The waterfall crashed down on the water below making endless splash waves.

Walking the hike was great, too. There were many cool looking trees everywhere and interesting bird calls echoing through the forest. After the hike came the awesome hot spring.

Hot meets cold, and we meet friends!

When you look at the water, you think, “This is going to be freezing,” but once your toe skims across the water, you realize, “This is a hot tub!” I didn’t want to get out, but I knew we had to go. These natural spot springs come from a hot steam that flows into the Waikato River. The hot steam is created by the geothermal activity bubbling away underground. I didn’t know what geothermal activity was until this trip, did you? Geothermal activity is the transfer of heat from deep in the earth to the surface of the earth. Hot pools happen because of hot water or steam heating the groundwater. There are not many places on earth where this happens, so we were lucky to experience it. Does anyone know another location on earth where there is geothermal activity?

Beautiful! And the Hot Springs, too!

EZ 2B in NZ!

The house that we would be staying at was owned by an Indian and German couple. It is sort of interesting to think that two people from different countries found each other in New Zealand! They had a beautiful sheepdog who would catch any ball or stick you threw to it. They were also taking care of a black lab who always wanted you to pet him.

That was what we did in Lake Taupo. Look soon for more posts from your Junior World Trek Reporter