Rotorua is insane. It smells like sulfur, and it’s filled with wild colors, mud pools, and thermal rocks, and crazy hot lakes. Rotorua could totally be another planet. I mean, look at this:

I’ve fallen behind on my New Zealand series, but I am determined to get back on track with one new post each week! So, on our way to the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, Nick and I stopped in Rotorua for just one night, so that we could see all of the crazy geothermal activity – craters, hot springs, mud pools, geysers, and volcanic vents. On a whim, we decided to check out Waimangu Volcanic Valley, where a volcanic eruption over 100 years ago created craters and brought geothermal fluid to the surface, and the geothermal activity is still going strong. This place was great because there was a set walking tour that would bring you to all of the awesome sights, and then a bus brought us back. I also loved how many different, totally unique things we were able to see in such a small area:

I have never seen anything like this. I couldn’t get over just how weird everything was, taking way too many pictures and videos.

This is the New Zealand I had been dying to see!! The entire town smells like sulfur, which I swear you get used to.

And in the middle of it all, there is this perfectly blue lake. It is one of the most beautiful shades of blue I have ever seen in nature. It looks peaceful and inviting, right? Well, the name for this beauty is “Inferno Crater Lake” because it can get up t o 176°F (80°C). Yikes.

How crazy is this place?! I still can’t get over it whenever I look through the pictures!

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