Whakarewarewa - Rotorua, New Zealand
Posted by: 
paulspaper
S 38° 09.702 E 176° 15.420
60H E 434909 N 5775983
This was the site of the Maori fortress of Te Puia, first occupied around 1325, and known as an impenetrable stronghold never taken in battle.
Waymark Code: WM40BJ
Location: North Island, New Zealand
Date Posted: 06/16/2008
Views: 48
This information is from Wikipedia: "Whakarewarewa is a geothermal area within Rotorua city in the Taupo Volcanic Zone of New Zealand. This was the site of the Maori fortress of Te Puia, first occupied around 1325, and known as an impenetrable stronghold never taken in battle. Maori have lived here ever since, taking full advantage of the geothermal activity in the valley for heating and cooking.
Whakawerawera has some 500 pools, most of which are alkaline chloride hot springs, and at least 65 geyser vents, each with their own name. Seven geysers are currently active. The most famous, Pohutu Geyser, meaning big splash or explosion, can erupt up to 30 m, usually every hour.
Many of the thermal features at Whakawerawera have been adversely affected by Rotorua residents taking advantage of the underlying geothermal fluids of the city by drawing shallow wells (20-200 m deep) to extract hot water for both domestic and commercial heating. A bore closure programme in 1987-1988 resulted in 106 wells within 1.5 km of Pohutu Geyser being cemented shut, with another 120 wells outside the radius being shut due to a punitive royalty charging regime. There has subsequently been a pronounced recovery in the geysers and hot springs at Whakawerawera."
This was a very interesting area. It is a must see if you are in New Zealand.
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