It is well known that Rotorua holds numerous geothermal area's, many of which have been developed with walking tracks so we can enjoy the wonders of these colourful and vigorous scenes. It is less known that there are countless other geothermal area's along the whole Taupo Volcanic Zone. Even the locals of Lake Taupo are surprised at the activity only a few kilometers from their homes. The hidden geothermal area's around Taupo are difficult to access (except by air) and unstable to walk around, so scores of brightly coloured hot lakes and mud pools have been all but forgotten. Somewhere not far beneath the surface here is magma or molten rock. This Magma is the heat source for the many different geothermal features around Taupo. The cycle of geothermal activity starts with rainwater percolating deep into the ground finding it's way through cracks and fractures in the earth. As water seeps deeper it becomes superheated under pressure and rapidly finds it's way back to the surface. It reaches the surface as geysers or hot springs, fumaroles and mud pools

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