This view shows what I believe is called the Ketetahi Hot Springs Stream. It’s taken about 400-500 metres down stream from the hot springs which are privately owned by the local iwi Tuwharetoa and have been out of bounds since the 1990s when a tourist was scaled to death in the springs. Obviously I wasn’t going to put my hand down into this stream, though I’m sure it would be a lot cooler being a few hundred metres down stream. Seeing this view and how the sunlight was hitting the landscape I had to stop and take out my camera.
The contrast in the light between the foreground and background is great, it is very typical of a New Zealand landscape. Getting low to the water (but not too close) I was able to frame the stream coming into shot from the right and running off down towards Lake Rotoaira and further in the distance the huge Lake Taupo, which almost looks like it could be the sea. I haven’t yet had a chance to explore the smaller Lake Rotoaira but from here the Tongariro crossing, this is the last part of the crossing and it is around another 5 or 6 kilometres walk down to the Ketetahi carpark which marks the end of the hike.