are numerous vents where geysers have come and gone over the years, with the most recent, Wairiri Geyser. Atop this terrace is the Artist's Palette, a 10,000 m² silica sinter terrace covered with clear blue alkali chloride pools and irregularly erupting geysers. To one side of this topmost terrace a new geyser began to erupt in 2001, possibly the beginnings of a further terrace. Also at Orakei Korako is the Ruatapu Cave, one of only two caves in the world known to exist in a geothermal field. The cave extends 45 metres, with a vertical drop of 23 metres, to a shallow pool of clear, sulfate-rich, warm acid water. (The pool's chemical composition gives it the unique ability to clean jewellery.) Another notable feature at Orakei Korako is the Soda Fountain, which burst into life in 1984 after a 17-year dormancy. To the south of this feature, high atop a cliff above Lake Ohakuri, are three further geysers, Kurapai, Ellan Vannin and Benedix Washer Geysers, in an area not accessible to the public because it is too dangerous. Temperatures of 100 degrees Celsius (212 degree fahrenheit) have been recorded here just 100 to 150 mm below the ground. Of these geysers, Kurapai Geyser is the most significant, and can sometimes be seen erupting from across the lake in the visitor's centre. The Orakei Korako geothermal system now has some protection from further development, although the nearby Ngatamariki Geothermal Development at Tahorakuri gained resource consent in 2010 despite its possible effects on Orakei Korako. References Bain, Carolyn et al. (2006) New Zealand Gordon, Terence (1888) Hot Lakes, Volcanoes, and Geysers of New Zealand, with Legends Published by Dinwiddie, Walker & co., ltd. External links Website of Orakei Korako – The Hidden Valley Geysers of New Zealand Hot springs of New Zealand Geothermal areas in New Zealand Rock formations of Waikato Whakamaru caldera complex