Ford Family Photos

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Wai-O-Tapu ... Thermal Wonderland, North Island, New Zealand

We soon arrived at the area Jerry and I were most excited to see! The Wai-O-Tapu "Thermal Wonderland". There were trails (tracks) throughout the area and it was incredibly interesting.

BEST WHEN VIEWED ENLARGED

A thermal river steams and puffs out that wonderful sulfur smell in many places.

This was the scene just around the bend of the same river above.

Thermal caves...

This area is called the "Devil's Ink Pots".

Devil's Ink Pots

Staying on the marked trails (tracks) is VERY important despite the temptation to get closer looks.

This is where I couldn't stop taking images...the movement of the steam altered the scene so dramatically that I wanted to catch it all!

The colors are fabulous!

The walkway (track) cuts through the middle...DRAMATIC!

I waited for people to come and go for interesting images...before we took our own turns to do the same.

Peeking through the bushes creates even another scene.

Great reflections!

A guide leads the way for those who care to follow.

Jerry is with the group from our tour...I am lagging behind, of course.

Some seem to be enjoying the smell!

I think it is truly a Wonderland...smell and all!

Some abstract photography is a must!

The lines and shapes are spectacular.

I keep trying for the perfect shot...don't know if I got it or not because the scene constantly changes.

...another side and another view

...a straight "down in the water" view! WOW...the color!

At this point I realized I lost the group and Jerry...oh well...I'll walk back on my own.

One last shot!

...and one last look at the sign before we left.

Wai-O-Tapu, North Island, New Zealand

November 22, 2012

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Lady Knox Geyser -Wai-O-Tapu, Rotorua, New Zealand

Lady Knox Geyser erupts many times throughout the day and night but can be coaxed to erupt on demand!

Here, she performed for the crowd at 10:15 a.m. like she always does...not bad!
Lady Knox is named for Lady Constance Knox, a daughter of the 15th governor of New Zealand. Lady Knox Geyser is a fascinating geological phenomenon!
Every day it erupts at precisely 10:15 a.m. when a park guide induces it to do so...with soap.

Soap is used to break the surface tension of the cold water in the geyser's upper chamber so that it will mix with the hot water in the lower chamber which causes a 20 meter (65 feet) eruption that can last up to an hour. Stones have been placed around the opening in order to enhance the blast, and over the years, silica in the water has given the spout a nozzle-like appearance.

In 1901 the first open prison in New Zealand was established at Waiotapu, its object to accommodate some of the better behaved prisoners from around the jails of the Rotorua Lakes District.
It was a gang of those prisoners who first discovered the clearing in which the geyser is situated and that the spring could be made to erupt by adding soap, discovered when they first accidentally dropped soap into the geyser while washing their clothes...SURPRISE!
^{November 22, 2012}