Most southerly active geyser field

Ōrākei Kōrako, New Zealand’s most concentrated area of geyser activity, is located at a latitude of 38.4°S, some 35 kilometres (22 miles) south-west of the city of Rotorua on the banks of Lake Ohakuri. Although once boasting many more geothermal features, it is still home to around 35 active geysers, including Diamond Geyser, Sapphire Geyser and Bush Geyser. Several faults cut through the basin to create natural steps that promote terrace formation. One of the few caves formed in active geyser areas, Ruatapu Cave, is also located here.

Lake Ohakuri was created in 1961 when the Waikato River was dammed for hydroelectric power generation. Unfortunately, the new lake drowned two-thirds of the original geyser basin. This included the two of the world’s tallest geysers: Ōrākei Kōrako and Minginui Geysers, the latter of which could erupt to 90 m (295 ft), the same as the current tallest active geyser: Steamboat Geyser at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.

Its Māori name translates to “Place of Adorning”. Historically, the Ngati Tahu-Ngati Whaoa people used the thermal features for cooking, bathing and healing, and they continue to care for the land to this day.