This geothermal area sprang to life when hydroelectric tinkering around the power station in 1958 caused water levels to fall. The pressure shifted, creating new steam vents and bubbling mud pools. The gentle 2.7km walk takes about 45 minutes and loops through a mass of steaming features. A side track constructed in late 2019 adds a five-minute climb to perhaps the most impressive crater, which hisses like a factory boiler.
It's more active from June through August when it's cold and wet (from December through February, summer can dry everything out). It's signposted from SH1, at the Hub, about 5km north of Taupō.
