Photo: Mud Pools Orakei Korako

Fascinating boiling mud pools can be seen at Orakei Korako near Taupo on the North Island of New Zealand.

Orakei Korako near Taupo on the North Island of New Zealand is home to an unspoilt geothermal wonderland. Here you can explore a world of gushing geysers, boiling mud pools and some of the world's largest silica terraces.Mud pools form in spots where the thermal fluids have chemically decomposed surface rocks to form clay. The boiling mud pools are heated by underground energy and intriguing mud creations are then formed as seen in this picture. The mud pools at Orakei Korako make some incredible sounds as they spit and gurgle the thick and guey geothermically heated clay.The mud pools change with the passage of time where new features form and the old ones go away. You can watch one area for a long period of time and see new things every minute. Sometimes the mud is just the right consistency and you get formations that look like little mud volcanoes.The mud pools at Orakei Korako in New Zealand are hidden away from the main highways and are about a 25 minute drive north of Taupo. ... continue below the picture...

... This geothermal park is considered one of the best tourist attractions in the world and is a fascinating way to spend a day in New Zealand.Mud Pools at Orakei Korako, near Taupo, North Island, New Zealand.