As we told you the other day, one of the reasons why you visit New Zealand is that it has a very varied nature, being able to find truly spectacular landscapes, such as the Tongariro National Park, the Waitomo Caves or Champagne Pool , a lake that bubbles as if it were champagne, something that happens because the water is at 75ºC.
This amazing body of water is located in the Wai-O-Tapu Geothermal Park, in the Waimangu volcanic valley. Would you like to discover more details about this wonderful corner of New Zealand? Well, you know what you have to do! Do not miss anything that we tell you below!
Bubbly looking waters
As we have just mentioned, New Zealand can boast of having a super varied nature. Thus, for example, you can enjoy numerous geothermal areas, although, without a doubt, the most famous of them is the Champagne Pool, a natural lake with thermal waters located in a crater about 62 meters deep and about 65 meters deep. diameter. As you may have imagined, the name honors the bubbly appearance of the water, whose surface is around 75º C and, in addition, has a yellowish color reminiscent of a glass of champagne. Of course, it is its abundant carbon dioxide emissions that cause the water to be constantly boiling.
Life in bacterial form
As you can see for yourself in the images that we offer you in the gallery, the edge of this natural pool is tinted orange. Why? Well, very simple! The many minerals found in the lake accumulate on the shore, obtaining an orange color with a certain grayish tone due to the silica. Despite the extremely high temperature of the water and high arsenic and antimony compounds, life has been discovered in the lake in bacterial form. The lake appears to have formed around 900 years ago after a hydrothermal eruption that spawned the crater. Therefore, compared to other thermal lakes, this one is quite new.
At some distance
Due to its high temperature, it is advisable to observe the lake from a certain distance. Of course, diving in it is completely forbidden, something that can be done in other thermal pools in the area. Of course, you will not need to bathe to enjoy the place, which is of enormous beauty . It is important to bear in mind that a visitor center has been set up in which excursions are organized and all the information related to the area is made known.
Wai-O-Tapu
As we mentioned at the beginning, the Champagne Pool Lake is located in Wai-O-Tapu, which in Maori means “Sacred Water”. It is a geothermal area located north of the Reproroa caldera, in Waikato, a region located 150 kilometers from Auckland. The Wai-O-Tapu geothermal area stretches for eight kilometers, in which you can see numerous collapsed craters, pools of water and mud, and fumaroles. The Lady Knox geyser stands out, which at 10:15 in the morning rises between 10 and 20 meters; and the Mud Pool, another lake located in a crater that is also boiling, among many other interesting corners. Admission is NZ $ 32.50, which is equivalent to about € 22.50. Then we leave you with our gallery , where you will find more images of this spectacular lake located in New Zealand. Do not miss it!
