Whakarewarewa

Whakarewarewa
Suburb
Aerial view of Whakarewarewa; Pōhutu Geyser is erupting.
Aerial view of Whakarewarewa; Pōhutu Geyser is erupting.
Map
Coordinates: 38°9′44″S 176°15′23″E / 38.16222°S 176.25639°E / -38.16222; 176.25639
CountryNew Zealand
CityRotorua
Local authorityRotorua Lakes Council
Electoral wardTe Ipu Wai Auraki General Ward
Area
[1]
 • Land328 ha (811 acres)
Population
 (June 2023)[2]
 • Total880
Springfield Glenholme Ngāpuna
Whakarewarewa

Whakarewarewa (reduced version of Te Whakarewarewatanga O Te Ope Taua A Wahiao, meaning The gathering place for the war parties of Wahiao, often abbreviated to Whaka by locals) is a Rotorua semi-rural geothermal area in the Taupō Volcanic Zone of New Zealand. This was the site of the Māori fortress of Te Puia, first occupied around 1325, and known as an impenetrable stronghold never taken in battle. Māori have lived here ever since, taking full advantage of the geothermal activity in the valley for heating and cooking.[3]

Māori women washing clothes in a hot pool at Whakarewarewa in 1916

Whakarewarewa has some 500 pools, most of which are alkaline chloride hot springs, and at least 65 geyser vents, each with their own name. Seven geysers are currently active. Pohutu Geyser, meaning big splash or explosion, erupts approximately hourly to heights of up to 30 m (98 ft).[4]

Many of the thermal features at Whakarewarewa have been adversely affected by Rotorua residents taking advantage of the underlying geothermal fluids of the city by drawing shallow wells (20–200 m [66–656 ft] deep) to extract hot water for both domestic and commercial heating. A bore closure programme in 1987–1988 resulted in 106 wells within 1.5 km (0.93 mi) of Pōhutu Geyser being cemented shut, with another 120 wells outside the radius being shut due to a punitive royalty charging regime. There has subsequently been a pronounced recovery in the geysers and hot springs at Whakarewarewa.[5]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Area was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Population estimate tables - NZ.Stat". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  3. ^ Scheffel, Richard L.; Wernet, Susan J., eds. (1980). Natural Wonders of the World. United States of America: Reader's Digest Association, Inc. p. 411. ISBN 0-89577-087-3.
  4. ^ "Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley". Archived from the original on 17 April 2007. Retrieved 10 May 2007.
  5. ^ "Chemistry of the Rotorua Geothermal Field Part 3: Hydrology" (PDF). Retrieved 14 October 2013.