Rotorua Geothermal Field - Management, Monitoring and Surface Features [Field Trip FT3]

Abstract

We will depart Hamilton at 8 am and drive to Rotorua via Highways 1 and 5 across the Mamaku Plateau. We will met up with the trip leader, Ashley Cody at Kuirau Park at approximately 9.30 am. People should have old footwear and be prepared to walk thru damp or mud covered/dusty ground. We will walk around Kuirau Park; visiting in particular the 26/01/01 eruption site and out to Tarewa Road house sites impacted by resumed hot spring activity. Returning to the park area we will see instances of well casing failure, tree die-off, and ground subsidence problems in this part of the geothermal field. We will then drive to the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute, via the Hospital production and reinjection monitor wells. We will have lunch here where toilets are available, and it is an opportunity for field trip participants to wander around the institute viewing carvers and exploring the model Maori village. After lunch we will walk to Geyser Flat in Whakarewarewa, then onto Waikite Geyser where hopefully we will see Pareia playing. Here we can examine in detail features of active hot spring systems and climb into an extinct geyser. From Whakarewarewa we will travel a short distance to the Forest Research Institute then onto the Rotoa- Tamaheke hot lake and springs. Time permitting we may be able to visit other features in this area. We are due back in Hamilton around 5.30 pm, requiring a departure from Rotorua at approximately 4 pm.