Of Hobbits and Fumaroles

Never in my 25 years of existence did I think of touching base with New Zealand. If I have a ‘places to go to’ list NZ would be on the last or perhaps not even on it. I thought, who would want to go there anyway? NZ is so to the south, even farther than Tasmania, what would I expect there? As they say, sheep has greater population than humans. Correct! But there is definitely more to NZ than the sheep, cows and kiwis. Oh yeah, NZ is the 'Lord of the Rings' land!

My trip to NZ was part of a technical training at work. But honestly, this has been more of an escape than a job, this has been the best adventure I had so far. I thought I would be bombarded with tons of geologic stuff but I was wrong. I had a perfect, and just enough time exploring both the metropolitan Auckland City and its suburbs, and the more geologic landscapes of the Northern Island- Taupo, Rotorua, and Waihi.

This trip has many firsts: we flew to NZ on-board a business class suite, the one where you have your own TV and bed. I had a hard time sleeping on that flight, I think because I was super excited and the fact that I am on this extravagant suite. You know the feeling when you get so agitated you couldn't sleep? Ten hours after, I had the first glimpse of the Land of The Maoris. It was a bit cloudy but I could tell how green and luscious Auckland is. And yes, you could see the sheep from the plane window.

View of Auckland from the plane...refreshing (Find the ship if you can, but i think they're hiding)!

Exploring Auckland

I was with my two colleagues, Aimee, a geologist and Angel, a geophycist on this trip. We had the extra days to explore Auckland before our fieldwork proper. We stayed near Queen Street, which is the main street in Auckland. It was a back-packers inn but we managed to get a room for us three. It was really practical to stay on these inns, after all, I don't wanna spend all the money I have so I could stay in a grand hotel. There are a lot of inns that are pretty inexpensive and offer great deals like the one we stayed in. It has the amenities we need plus it is really in the heart of the city so we just had to walk going to the main spots in Auckland. My principle in traveling is simple: I'll spend as little as i can while maximizing my time and imbibing the culture.

The first thing we did, put on our winter clothes because the temperature outside was like 8°C. Of course we brought our owns jackets, scarves, and most importantly, the thermals since it was quite expensive if we buy there. 

Auckland is a small, vibrant city, a mixture of the old and the new. You can tell from the alternating contemporary and English edifices, the edgy and the conservative people, the modern and the cultural, that Auckland is a place of balance. Walking along Queens Street was a visual treat- full of contrasting colors and a mixture of faces- from English, Asians and mostly Polynesians.

Our cozy room near Queen Street.

Obviously, Angel and I liked being photographed.

The three of us, still fresh before the fieldworks.

Walking along Queen street was a visual treat.. and literally cool.. :)

Auckland Botanical Garden 

It is always exciting to explore a new place, there is this thrill of self-navigation using maps and the thought of getting there after getting a bit lost. Our first stop was the Auckland Botanical Garden. It was pretty expensive to ride a cab so we decided to take the bus. We were so tourist-ish with our maps wide open. Who cares? Who wants to get lost anyway? 

We got to this town called Manuwera. Still navigating with our maps, we walked a couple of kilometers to the garden. Ok, a geologist MUST know how to navigate, and MUST always be prepared for such long walks. I didn't mind the walk since it was cold. We got there before lunchtime and we were pretty tired.

The garden was a breather, really refreshing. It was exciting to see plants I could never see in the tropics, I wasn’t really able to identify any species by the way. The flowers were still in bloom and the sight was just fantastic.

The serenity in the Auckland Botanical Garden is more than relaxing. The colors add more eye candies.

Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World

The travel going to here is quite memorable. The view of the Auckland coastline is just breath-taking. Even if the sun was so directly upon us, it was still kinda freezing cold. This place was not really grand but seeing real penguins playing and swimming was heart-warming. i couldn't stop making that 'ahhhh' sound.

Just outside is the Auckland coastline.

Ok, I was trying hard to fit inside this thing.

Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World in Auckland Harbor. Happy Feet on the loose.

To the North, of the North Island


Firth of Thames 
 

After three days in Auckland, we set on to our fieldwork proper. We were hopping from one hotel to another. It was tiring but really exciting. We started studying the geology (hmmm,,, rocks, faults, landscape) of the North Island with a stop in the Kawakawa Bay in the Firth of Thames (I have no idea why a body of water will be called such). To a geologist, this site was heaven. Ok, nerd-mode switched-on. The rocks here are Jurassic, meaning they were formed at the time when the dinosaurs were at their height, say around 150 million years ago!

        On the way to the North.. the hills are alive!

The typical food stop. BURGERS! 

 

The GEOLOGIST- studying the Jurassic Greywacke of the North Island, New Zealand. Cut it!

Waihi

We then headed to Waihi, a very quiet small mining village to the northwest of Auckland. The chilling climate and the lush vegetation was relaxing. From our bus, I could see gazillion grazing sheep on the hill slopes. The kiwi vine was something new and those trees carved to act as wall barriers were reminiscent of the movie ‘Labyrinth’. Our first stop was the Waihi Mining District where we had the opportunity to explore the Martha open pit mine. It is so huge and deep and the veins (these are usually fractures on the rocks filled with mineral deposits) are just everywhere! A miner's dream, that is.

We had lunch at the beach. Wow! The seascape is just fantastic- lots of surfers riding the monstrous waves, while the sea gulls were flocking on the shore. A big piece of cold cuts sandwhich, apple, pear and fruit juice was the best lunch to complement that seascape. To top the day, we stopped at a winery to have a taste of NZ and Australian wines. I was not really keen on wine tasting but the fact that I got a bit tipsy was more than great! :)

The Martha Open Pit, a gold mine in Waihi.

And yet again, we went down the pit of Martha Mines checking out the mineralized vein. :) That diagonal structure is just outstanding.

The very picturesque Karangahake Gorge, an old mine site. We got to navigate the adits a.k.a. horizontal tunnels here.

The seascape of Waihi is just breathtaking- the waves, the sand, the wind and my pose! And Aimee was caught eating!

This bird got the best photo! I hate it! Scene-stealer! Look at that neck! LOL

The winery- didn't buy a thing, but yeah a bit tipsy when we got out. Free taste come on!

Aimee, caught, again!

Nagmama-photog!

Dinner in a local resto- I think I had some steak?

The Rotorua Holiday

We stayed in the Rotorua for a couple of nights. It is a very sleepy rainy town (well, literally since most establishments are closed by 5pm! Yeah, seriously!). What's startling is that it sits on a very active geothermal area that you can see fumaroles from some backyards and yet a lot lives here. For the next 6 days we stayed there, it was raining, and really really cold. We checked-in Princess Gate hotel, the most famous in town and that buffet breakfast of ham, pancakes, eggs and honey was divine! I remembered checking in from Waihi on the way to Rotorua in a hostel which looks like the 'Bates Motel'. I really got pretty paranoid thinking Norman Bates would just show up while I was taking a shower! LOL. It was really creepy, add to it the foggy atmosphere!

Downtown Rotorua.

A view of Rotorua from a hill, fumaroles all around!

A hot water public pool, just for the feet.

Gigantic conifers!

The creepy 'Bates Motel'. LOL. Creepy... creepy...

Immersion with the Maoris 


Before embarking on the THE adventure of a lifetime, we had sort of a cultural immersion thing with a simulated Maori Village. Maori is the ancestral people of NZ. To be honest, at first i thought that it was a real village but to my slightest disappointment, they were just actors in a production design. LOL. Nevertheless, it was a great night experiencing the culture of the natives- the singing, the food, the folk stories and that welcome ritual of the big guys trying to indimidate us with their popping eyeballs and spears. For the record, I got here  before the 14th cycle of America's Next Top Model was shot here! LOL.

   The Maori welcoming ritual.

 He is supposed to a warrior defending the tribe from 'Us', the visitors.

He is the uber HOT village leader. I swear he looks like Matthew Perry!

The Thermal areas of the Taupo Volcanic Zone


Rotorua would be our starting point on exploring the volcanic and geothermal areas of the Taupo Volcanic Zone. The Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ) is a highly active volcanic extensional area where most of the geothermal areas, both for commercial and for tourism are located. It is named after the lake located north of it, formed by crater collapse, Lake Taupo.

WAI means Water

The objective of the trip is to see and experience as many geothermal and volcanic areas as possible. To say that the goal was MET is an understatement. Our expectations were exceeded a thousand-fold. We were in awe all the time. The surface manifestations- fumaroles, hot springs, mud springs, etc. were all of grand magnitude and activity. This place is a geologic wonder. 

We went to four places of interest- Wairaki, Orakei-Korako, Waitapo and Waimangu. FYI: Wai in Maori means Water, since all these landscapes were influenced and created by hot water (geothermal, that is :)). I never thought of seeing these things ever in my life but I did! Well, the ones in Makiling are pretty petite. And it was a real thrill to be beside an erupting baby geyser! Hello, Diamond Geyser! Luckily the eruptions weren’t that catastrophic or we were so out of those places.

The parks are governed by the Department of Conservation. The area has so much thermal energy on it and could power millions of households in New Zealand, but harnessing it could mean destroying these natural wonders. That’s the compromise, and the Kiwis chose to conserve them and to think of ways to harness the energy without compromising these tourist spots. :) It might take years to develop the technology but it took geologic time (ahmmmm, millions of years) to build these magnificent landscapes.





Wairakei


Wairakei field is one of the earliest geothermal fields developed in New Zealand. 

Wairakei Geothermal Field

Having lunch in Braodlands-Ohaaki, another geothermal field, with the cooling tower as backdrop.

Craters of the Moon, it did feel like we were on the moon! The steaming ground here was formed when the nearby geothermal areas of Wairakei was exploited.

Orakei-Korako

This area has one of the biggest and possibly the best thermal activity in the Taupo Volcanic Zone. The Waikato River cuts this feature on the west. See for yourself!

 

Just imagine how big these surface manifestations are- the silica terraces formed by circulating geothermal waters.

Diamond Geyser, one of the erupting geysers, hmmm but just a sweet eruption.And is our team lead, Stuart, a geologist as well.

One of the many boiling Chloride springs in the area. FYI, some of these boil at ~70 degrees C. 30 degrees lower than normal boiling point of water.

Boiling Mud Pools. Mud pack, anyone? But yeah, they have beauty products like soap made from these mineralized muds.

Raitepu Cave with the crystal clear spring... dip on it and you'll melt because it is an acid pool!

Of course I wouldn't leave that place without a solo fierce shot. LOL
 

The Devil's Bath, which looks like Avocado Soup.  LOL

Wai-O-Tapo


And yet another area of geothermal surface manifestations- the Wai-o-tapu, which means 'Black water' . This has the largest area of thermal activity in the Taupo Volcanic Zone.

Want sauna? It's free here!

 

Champagne Pool, one of the boiling chloride springs in Waimangu. FYI, those orange stuff (these are arsenic and antimonous precipitates) along the banks are gold-bearing!

Waimangu

This area has the most number of craters and fumaroles. Waimangu had one big hydrothermal eruption in 1886 that dramatically chnaged the surface as well as the hydrology of the area. Ok, nerd alert! We needed to hike for almost an hour to get to the first crater. What a work out!

Photoshoot with Angel and Echo Crater. Our classmates were watching us and most of them were asking if I am a photographer. LOL

The entire class.

Inferno Crater, how can such beauty be named Inferno? LOL

Silica Rapids- Tongariro National Park

This was the last stop we had before heading back to Auckland. It was the first time to experience snow, well, not really like I touched it, but I did see a snow-peaked mountain so it was sorta jaw-dropping! LOL. But more importantly, the ridge which we hiked was the location of Mt. Doom in 'Lord of the Rings' so hey, we did get to the land of the hobbits!

My first snow encounter, well not quite!

The Latinos! Que tal?

Mt. Doom was conquered!

More than a Climax- the White Island edition

Just when I thought we’ve been to the best, the climax of the trip - THE HELICOPTER RIDE to White Island Volcano, was dropped like it's HOT! Seriously? Hell yeah! It was my first time ever to ride a chopper. Just the mere thought of actually riding it for 40 minutes was more than unbelievable. 

We were in groups of six each ride. When a group gets there, the previous group would return. I was with the Peruvian guys and one of them was my crush. LOL. And yes, we were the ponkan-heads (the orange skull guards, that is). First things first, and for this trip, it was safety. Since a lot of hiking was expected, we needed to bring our gear- the hard hats, the safety shoes, the sample pick and lots of energy! We needed to have that ponkan hard hats and that sort of breathing thing since the gases are really all over the place, volcanic gases that is.

Nerd-alert! White Island is an active andesite stratovolcano in the Bay of Plenty around 300 meters above sea level. It last erupted in 2000. It is a private property so we were prohibited to take any rocks (not to allow geologists to take rock samples is TORTURE!) Sad but our instructor Stuart had to be strict on it. The volcanic landscape was just magnificent. You would think that you were in another planet or something, deserted, hot, sulfur-smelling, but totally grand, untouched. We got so close to the crater, and yes, it did look like that thing Linda Blair spewed in ‘The Exorcist’. LOL. By the way, the activity of this volcano is closely monitored so we were never scared. Hahah but you can never tell!

The crater of White Island Volcano seen from the chopper. Whoa!

The seemingly extra-terrestrial landscape of the volcano.

The ride. You can take the boat, but we did the Chopper! LOL

Posing with the steam vents. HOT, literally!

Introducing the Ponkan-heads.

Sulfur-encrusted slope, the color contrast is just amazing!

The Finale

After almost two weeks of going around the North Island, I got pretty tired. Waking up at 4 am to travel by bus, eating packed lunch and hiking all day had been default things for us. But I must say, this was by far the most unexpected, overwhelming and fantastic trip I’ve ever had. Just the thought of being in NZ is quite unfathomable for me, add to it the places I’ve been to- and the climactic chopper ride to an active volcano, they spell AMAZEMENT. 

Being with my two colleagues also added fun and comfort, we always laughed and had fun wherever we are. The trip was balanced- with that geologic lectures in between, tons of walking and hiking, delish foods and gazillion memories. And hey, that kilometers of walking helped me not gain weight! LOL. Oh by the way, we were not able to locate that Hobbiton movie set in Auckland but but but, we were able to hike that mountain ridge where Mt. Doom is! Hahaha. Confirmed!

Last but definitely not the least, I would like to thank my tripod, Merapi for always being with me, and taking the most gorgeous photos ever!

New Zealand.. CONFIRMED!