Watch Lady Knox Geyser Rotorua New Zealand
Get Induced Into Labor!

If you tour New Zealand in search of volcanic eruptions and wish to see a lady spew at the mouth, you need only to wake up in a hotel, motel, backpacking hostel, or other accommodation in Rotorua in time to head over to Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland and catch one special lady in action: Lady Knox Geyser Rotorua New Zealand. This natural geothermal phenomenon erupts religiously – provided she gets a little help from her friends – at precisely 10:15 AM daily.

Nothing in this world is perfect and that includes Mother Nature, who benefits from some gentle coaxing to induce Lady Knox Geyser into labor. It turns out that the lady’s volcanic eruption is much more dependable when detergent soap is poured down her throat, from which the water show originates.

The unlikely catalyst action was accidentally discovered by a group of convicts who, while laboring in the area in the early 1900’s, happened to wash their clothes in the hot pool of water at the geyser’s mouth, triggering an eruption that launched their laundry airborne. Sometimes sluggish Lady Knox Geyser isn’t inherently “Old Faithful,” but she does comply at 10:15 on the dot with her daily fed 2 kilogram diet of biodegradable soap.

The soap dissipates surface tension and releases a 50-foot fountain steam and hot water crest which lasts for up to one hour. A pipe inserted into the geyser’s vent and ring of rocks built around it have amassed a silica coating over the years which enhances the eruption with a white cone shaped mini-volcano structure appearance in front of crowds of tourists waiting to view the daily spectacles.

Tourists from Auckland, Christchurch and other parts of New Zealand aim their flights to New Zealand or rental cars to Rotorua with cameras in hand to capture pictures of this world famous signature event along with other Wai-O-Tapu natural wonders. Part of the attraction for eagerly awaiting tourists is to watch the “feeding” and a mere five minutes later the show begins.

It’s advised that Wai-O-Tapu admission tickets, which include Lady Knox Geyser (named after the 15th governor of New Zealand who visited the area prison in 1903) be purchased no later than 10 AM in order to view the phenomenon, particularly during crowded New Zealand holiday periods.

After enjoying the geyser’s powerful performance, extend your New Zealand vacation explorations to the other colorful and fantastic eye candy Wai-O-Tapu offers, including the Champagne Pool, Artist’s Pallete, and Rainbow Crater.