Taumatapuhipuhi Geyser

Tokaanu geothermal field

At the south-western coast of Lake Taupo is the beautiful Tokaanu geothermal field. Part of its hot springs and geysers was eliminated by the piping of hot water and construction activities, such as the construction of the car park at the Tokaanu Thermal Pools building.

But, on the western side of the small Tokaanu stream the geothermal field still exists and there is a nature trail – Tokaanu Thermal Walk. Several picturesque springs and pools are seen along this walk.

In the past, there were more geysers in this area but today there are two: Taumatapuhipuhi Geyser and the possibly extinct Matewai Spring.

Taumatapuhipuhi Geyser

Away from the tourist trail, at the Tokaanu stream south of the building of Thermal Pools is located one of the local geysers – Taumatapuhipuhi Geyser.

This is a group of three hot springs. These springs have formed some 15 by 20 m large sinter formations. Geyser, most likely, is fed by two hot springs that use one and the same vent.

Today this geyser is degraded – part of it is channeled away, and numerous visitors have trampled the sinter terrace, creating fractures in it. The heat now leaves through these fractures and prevents the buildup of pressure for the action of the geyser.

Earlier this was an impressive geyser: in 1928 it was up to 6 m high but in the 1950ies – even more than 10 m high.

Now this geyser erupts just a few times over the year, reaching up to 1 m in height. It is a boiling pool of lucid water in the wide fracture of andesite rock. A man-made channel has been cut from the basin towards the north.

References

1. Ashley D. Cody, Ron F. Keam, Jesse Lebe, Bridget Lynne, Katherine Luketina. Sinter-forming springs and geysers of the Waikato region, July 2021. Accessed on September 21, 2022.
2. Dirk Niermann, Tokaanu, Volcanic Springs. Accessed on September 21, 2022.