Back when we lived in the Tauranga there was a day we made a trip out to Rotorua with my daughter. We wanted to show her the hot pools as the whole region is full of geothermal activity. One of the walks was at Kuirau Park where the ground and water wasn't just hot but we could see the sulphur which turns a yellow/orange colour.
Here is the story behind it:
Lake Kuirau use to be cool enough to bathe in. According to Maori legend a beautiful young lady named Kuirau use to swim here, however a large Taniwha use to live in the lake.
The Taniwha would watch the girl swim until one morning he rose up and seized her. Maori believe that either she died of fright or he was taken back to the Taniwha's lair but whatever happened she was never seen again. The Gods were so angry that they made the lake boil to get rid of it. From that day on the Lake was named Lake Kuirau in memory of the lady who use to swim in the water.
Every now and again we read news stories about people who accidentally fall in (there's usually not much left of them after) or those who try to cook their food in the pools but usually there are warning signs up everywhere to stick to the paths and steer clear.
Linking up with Weekend Reflections and The Weekend Roundup.
