Te Whakarewarewa

Te Whakarewarewa is a geothermal field used by Maoris as a fortress as early as the 14th Century—spitting steam, smelling of sulphur and erupting mud, it would have been a pretty intimidating area to try and do battle in. For the Maori people who lived here it was very convenient—they used the hot ground for heating, cooking and drying things and the hot water for bathing. The sulphur smell dies away after a while. There are also more than 500 hot spring pools, so that would have been a nice addition to any settlement. These days the spouting geysers, mudpools and steam remains and there are some important Maori cultural museums and recreated villages.