Craters of the Moon (geothermal site)

Craters of the Moon Thermal Area (or Karapiti in Māori language) is a region with geothermal activity north of Taupō, New Zealand.

It is a part of Wairakei, the largest geothermal field in New Zealand, with a surface area of about 25 km2, which lies in the Taupō Volcanic Zone.

The craters are a relatively recent feature of the area and appeared as a result of human activity in the region.

The site is Crown Land, administered by the Department of Conservation, with help from the Craters of the Moon Trust, a volunteer organisation that provides information for visitors and passive vehicle security.

In 1859 Ferdinand von Hochstetter, an Austrian geologist who traveled through the area, reported a colossal column of steam from the Karapiti Blowhole (fumarole), observable from about 20 km away.

It was difficult to approach because steam vents and springs covered the valley floor and the ground was warm, soft, iron-stained clay for great distances around.

[1] By the beginning of the 20th century the Blowhole was a tourist attraction, albeit not of the level of the nearby Wairakei Geyser Valley.

Then the “jet, filled with smoke and burning shreds becomes a whirling inverted cone flashing with thousands of yellow sparks in a brilliant pyrotechnic display”.

Material may be blown up to 100 m, leaving behind holes or craters as deep as 20 m. Hydrothermal eruptions occur about once a year.

When there is water present, this forms the grey coloured mudpools “that bubble and burp as steam and gas escape through them”.

Visitors can walk a main track circuit, suited for people of all ages and fitness levels, which is also wheelchair accessible.

Due to the somewhat poisonous fumes and the fact that ground temperatures around steam vents can reach dangerous levels, the paths and board walkways that allow access to the field are relaid at irregular intervals to bypass them.

In 2000 the Trust opened a similar kiosk and passive vehicle security at the famous Huka Falls.