Rising out of the steam at Wairakei smooth silica stairs are forming - reminiscent of Rotorua's Pink and White Terraces which were destroyed in the Tarawera eruption.
In stunning shades of pink and surrounded by brilliant blue water, the Wairakei Terraces were manmade using silica-rich water piped from
the nearby geothermal power plant.
The original Pink and White Terraces were considered one of the natural wonders of the world. The smaller, current version at Wairakei, between Taupo and Rotorua, is steadily growing with a new set of radiant stairs open to the public.
The terraces were first started in 2001 with a second stage completed last year.
A geyser at the top of the terraces spills 130C water over 8m steps, the silica forming a staircase among the continuous cloud of steam.
Wairakei Terraces marketing and tourism manager Teori Paki says the creation of the terraces has been a matter of trial and error but with careful management of the flow and temperature they're were now thriving.
"There is no manual out there on how to grow silica stairs but we have helped nature take its course."
Water from the stairs flows into the stream Te Kiri o Hinekai, which means "food for a woman's skin" and has been used for generations by local Maori for its healing and cosmetic properties.
The silica in the stream makes the water a brilliant shade of blue and sits at about 70C.
Mr Paki says the terraces were the idea of company owner Jim Hall and were intended to resemble terraces which once existed in the Wairakei Valley.
"We have tried to recreate a lot of things that have disappeared," he says.
Mr Hill and his wife Raewyn built the terraces as part of a tourism venture which aimed to give people a "Tuwharetoa perspective" of the area.
People are constantly amazed at the beauty of the terraces which will keep growing over time, Mr Paki says.
After four years of growth, maintenance is needed every now and then to stop the stream getting clogged by the silica.
Mr Paki says there's nothing else like it in the world.
"They are just really beautiful," he says.
"When you see them at night it is like stepping back in time."
