See Majestic Geysers Rage
at Orakei Korako Cave and Thermal Park New Zealand

Lonely Planet Travelers Guide called Orakei Korako Cave and Thermal Park New Zealand “possibly the best thermal area left in New Zealand and one of the finest in the world.” This natural wonder goes by many names. “Orakei Korako” in Maori means “The Place of Adorning.” The area is also known as “The Hidden Valley” because of its distance from major New Zealand settlements.

Orakei Korako Cave and Thermal Park New Zealand sit in New Zealand’s Taupo Volcanic Zone on the Waikato River’s banks. A 45-minute drive south from Rotorua and 25-minute drive north from Taupo using a rental car in New Zealand will get you there, and the sights of this hidden valey will astonish you. Hot springs and geysers boil and bubble with activity all around, marking your approach to a remarkably preserved geothermal cave.

A fascinating feature of this NZ thermal park is the Emerald Terrace at the lowest level of Orakei Korako. It is vibrantly green, the color of jade. From this terrace, water mixed with silica flows downward into the cave lake Ohakuri.

Unfortunately, many of the geysers of Orakei Korako have been submerged underneath one of the artificial park lakes. But despite this, Orakei Korako Cave and Thermal Park New Zealand continues to hold New Zealand’s largest collection of geysers in close proximity - an astounding 35 of which are active.

Orakei Korako is the place to go to see the phenomenal Diamond Geyser, known for its capricious, unpredictable nature. Sometimes the geyser will just emit a bit of steam for a minute or two. At other times, it will rage on and on for hours without end. Water at scalding temperatures will shoot up into the air for as high as nine meters (almost 30 feet)!

Don’t worry; the boiling water will not touch you under any circumstances. Experienced guides will take you on cave tours and will only lead you to absolutely safe areas from which you can observe the geysers’ majesty and force.

The fascinating colors at Orakei Korako Cave and Thermal Park New Zealand are partly the result of a wide variety of cyanobacteria and hot water algae for which the thermal park’s climate is optimal. Some of these microscopic organisms are yellow; others are black and green. There are literally billions of them amassed in close proximity to create the colors you’ll see!

Come to the Hidden Valley on your New Zealand vacation to enter a world of ceaseless natural activity and observe a kind of dynamic beauty that will take your breath away!