Two Geothermal Parks Before Lunch: Wai-O-Tapu, Lady Knox at 10.15, Waimangu

A morning that fits two geothermal parks in before one o'clock, in a small group, out of Rotorua. Pick-up is between 8 and 8.30. First stop Wai-O-Tapu, twenty minutes from the Rotorua centre, where the guided walk runs 45 minutes to an hour past hot springs that take their colours from what is dissolved in them. New Zealand's largest boiling mud pool is on the way. At 10.15 the Lady Knox Geyser erupts. It does this once a day, at that time, and the guide explains why it is so punctual, which is a better story than the eruption itself. Then Waimangu Volcanic Valley, the youngest geothermal ecosystem in the world, because the eruption of Mount Tarawera in 1886 created it. The guide walks you through what happened that night and what the valley has done since. About ninety minutes here, including a thirty-minute stop at the Waimangu Café. Lunch is not included in the price. Budget for it separately. Drop-off is by 1pm. The pick-up is outside the Rydges hotel at 8.30, with free parking around the back. This operator does not collect from any New Zealand port on its shared tours, so cruise passengers need a different arrangement. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.