Wai-O-Tapu (Sacred Waters) is NZ's most diverse volcanic area with geothermal activity, lakes, craters and steam vents.

Lady Knox Geyser (not pronounced 'Geezer') which erupts daily (with the help of organic soap) and reaches heights of up to 20metres was our first spot before we made our way around the area which took us past huge volcanic craters, mud pools and steaming hot pools which all have an amazing variety of everchanging colours, from illuminous green and yellow to deep orange.

The Champagne Pool which is a fifth of a hectare of bubbling, hissing water with a coloured 'petrified' edge and 'the artists pallette' with a panarama of hot and cold pools and steaming hissing vents were the most impressive. The largest pools in NZ which hold violent boiling mud was also something to see.

The afternoon and evening was spent chatting to Jose, a Spanish guy who lives and teaches in Las Vegas, shame he's moving on tomorrow though.