Kuirau Park

One of Rotorua's best free attractions. Kurau park is different from normal parks. It has swings and slides but also Thermal mud pools. Situated within the junction of Ranolf Street and Lake Road, Kuirau Park is a popular inner-city reserve. Kuirau Park occupies an area of geothermal activity typified by many hot springs, gas and steam upflows, thermally altered ground and silica deposits from prehistoric times. Much of the southern part of the reserve was developed during the Depression of the 1930's. Until then it was almost entirely swamp but covered with a heavy growth of manuka. The northern part of the reserve wasn't developed until later and still contains many geothermal features. Kuirau Park is part of the Rotorua Walkway and, as in all geothermal areas, you are advised to stay on the walkway for your safety. A little History... ERUPTION AT KUIRAU PARK, ROTORUA 26 JANUARY 2001 These notes and comments are based on a visit on Friday evening, and again on Monday. On Friday 26 January about 3.30 to 3.40 PM NZDT, a muddy hot pool 2.5-3m diameter (Spring 721) burst into eruption, generating the largest hydrothermal eruption in Kuirau Park since 1966. The eruption of blocks and mud was to about 100 metres height and produced a thick carpet of blocks and mud to the east, extending over 120m from the vent. The eruption was very directional. Very little ejecta is distributed to the west (may be less than 30m from the vent). Blocks up to about 1m diameter were projected over 50m from vent, while blocks around 0.1m or less diameter landed over 100m away. The crater formed is about 10-12m in diameter. It was possible to recognise 4 eruption deposits on Friday evening, and this may give some insight into the eruption. These are: A ballistic block bed, the most widely distributed unit. It would appear that this unit is almost entirely formed from Oranui Formation. A basal dark grey mud deposit directed to the east, ranging from about 400mm thick to a trace of only mm at Ranolf Street. An upper, smaller and slightly lighter grey muds deposit. This was also distributed to the east, overlying the basal darker mud. It was smaller in distribution and the dispersal access was a little more to the south-east. Thickness appeared to be about 100-150mm at its thickest. A dark grey, very liquid hydrothermal mud distributed to the west, onto the adjacent road. This appears to be the contents of Spring 721. The ballistic blocks appear to be present through almost all of the deposit. That is there are blocks that are clearly on top of all the muds, while other blocks are coated by mud with shelter zones on their leeward sides. Based on first impressions the dark grey liquid muds were erupted first, to the west. Then the main phase of the eruption commenced, ejecting muds and ballistic blocks to the east; this was followed by a smaller mud rich phase (no relationship with ballistics was ascertained), which was followed by a distinct ballistic shower, numerous cm-sized blocks are impacted into all the muds. The ballistics extend well beyond the muds to the north-east and it is not clear from first impressions the exact relationship to the muds. Fallout of the mud layers has loaded all the trees and shrubs within the ejecta apron bending and braking many.

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