Water: Steaming, Falling and Bathing

Blue skies and sunshine warm enough for us to enjoy a fried egg sandwich for breakfast outside greeted us this morning. It was a far cry from the grey and rainy skies under which we arrived at Reid's farm yesterday evening. The Waikato river was lined with golden trees shedding their leaves into the water and looked splendid.

Waikato River in autumn

To get closer to nature, now that we were out of Wellington and urban life, we decided to explore the countryside on horseback.

Saddle up

A little light trekking in the forest seemed ideal. One of our number is more than comfortable in the saddle, but for the rest of us it was an unfamiliar experience - and a first for me in particular. Nevertheless, courtesy of four placid creatures, named Rogan, Bailey, Tonka, and, ingeniously, "Horse", we set off for a loop that took us as far as the Craters of the Moon.

We could see from afar that steam rose from the ground at various points where the geothermal activity not far below had broken the surface. While riding we couldn't get close, but having dismounted, afterwards we took a walk around the steaming craters.

Steaming Craters of the Moon

This area of the country is replete with unusual and impressive natural phenomena. Near to the craters is Huka Falls, a torrent of water that, while not falling far vertically, causes the waters of the Waikato River to rush through a narrow passageway it has carved in the rock, and exit downstream, turning the river into a foaming pale blue and white jacuzzi.

The raw power in the falls is awesome, and the Waikato River apparently provides 15% of NZ power requirements through hydroelectricity - a figure I find astonishing.

We segued from these two natural phenomena to enjoy the results of a third - combining geothermal heat and cascading water. The Wairekai terraces are a set of shallow terraced steps, down which water flows that has been heated by the Earth to 70°C. Around this hot spring, a series of pools has been built. While many hot pools exist in New Zealand - we have tried a few - this is by far the most natural setting, as the heated mineral-rich water flows directly into the pool, creating a gradient of heat, in which anyone can find their ideal temperature. In the cooler autumn air, the scalding source created a metres-high plume of steam, which was backlit by the low afternoon sun. The water contains silica, which is apparently good for the skin, but also lays down deposits, so that the terraces are continually growing. We all agreed this far surpassed the experience at the more famous Hanmer Springs - an important factor in its favour is that it is restricted to adults only.

Relaxed by the steaming waters, we came back to the darkened campsite at Reid's farm to cobble together a meal from packet couscous, cauliflower and red cabbage. The result was pleasing and varied.