Orakei Korako & Geyser Valley

Orakei Korako is a highly active geothermal area most notable for its series of fault-stepped sinter terraces, located in a valley north of Taupo on the banks of the Waikato River in the Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand. It is also known as "The Hidden Valley".

Geyser Valley was a spectacular attraction in the first part of the 20th century with tourists making regular trips to see the great Wairākei Geyser and Champagne Pool. These suffered as soon as the Wairākei power station began tapping underground fluids in 1958. Other springs soon disappeared, and by 2005 all that remained was steaming ground, renamed the Craters of the Moon.

These photos were taken in March 1960. For the photographers looking at this, all were taken on Kodachrome slide film, with a Pentax SLR, subsequently scanned to digital.