Wai-O-Tapu's Devil's Bath and a 30-Metre Geyser: Two Parks and Lunch from Auckland

Two geothermal parks in one day, with lunch between them, in a small group out of Auckland. Wai-O-Tapu comes first. The Champagne Pool is the one on the postcards, but the Devil's Bath, a flat green that looks synthetic, is the one people photograph twice to check they saw it. Mud pools and craters fill the rest. One thing to be clear about before you go: swimming at Wai-O-Tapu is neither permitted nor safe. The colours come from chemistry, not from a bathing pool. Lunch is at Secret Spot, then Te Puia for ninety guided minutes. The carving and weaving schools have people working in them, the Kiwi Conservation Centre keeps the birds, and Pōhutu Geyser throws water up to 30 metres. Not everyone in the group does the same things, so the day is fitted to what each person booked. The drive down crosses the Waikato with a coffee stop and passes Tirau and its corrugated iron. Rotorua finishes with a guided drive past the lake, the museum, the Government Gardens, Whangapipiro (Rachel Spring) and the Blue Baths. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.