Wai-o-tapu is a Maori phrase that means, Sacred Waters. The waters here are heavily laden with minerals giving them many almost unearthly hues. This area is extremely geo- and hydro-thermally active, making it the home of a wide variety formations. All of this activity causes the gound to be quite unstable, so it's generally a good idea to stay on the marked paths.

Unfortunately we were there in the middle of a very dry spell, so the water level was very low. This caused a few of the features, such as some of the water falls and mud pots, to not put on quite as good a show as possible.

Click on the thumbnails to see the full picture
Wai-o-tapu Entrance	The Devil's Home	Painted Ground
The Champagne Pool Vista	The Champange Pool Shore	The Sinter Terrace
A Close-up of The Sinter Terrace	Bridal Veil Falls	No Name Falls
The Oyster Pool	The Oyster Pool Vista	The Devil's Bath