Slope Point and Champagne Pool: Exploring New Zealand’s Wild Wonders

March 10, 2021 CATALYST Team

Sometimes nature is simple: vibrant sunsets, rays of warming moonlight or bouncing ocean waves. Other times, however, nature shocks and stuns. New Zealand houses two such examples: the odd site of Slope Point and the equally eerie Champagne Pool.

Slope Point with sheep. Seabird NZ. CC BY-ND 2.0.

Slope Point

Perhaps most descriptions of the wonders of wind speak of a gentle breeze or freshly blowing air. On the southernmost tip of New Zealand’s South Island, the winds are instead far from calm; the violently whipping winds gave one area the name “Slope Point.” Situated along a steep cliff at the island’s southern edge, Slope Point is an ideal spot for those mystified by science. The ocean winds are violent and unrelenting to the area’s trees. The wind provides a scary picture of nature’s true power, blowing away anything that may come in its path. The location of Slope Point forces the trees to become the first victims of the winds. As a result, the tall trees are bent at an odd angle, making them seem as if they were purposely posed. Although few people live in the area, local farmers planted the trees to provide shelter from the wind for their herds of sheep.

Photographs of the area offer profound inspiration for artists: the odd trees bend against a gray background striped with warm rays of sun. Although the area hosts an eerie feel, it is surely one underlined with the beauty of Mother Nature’s masterful hand.

Champagne Pool

Boiling Champagne Pool. t3rmin4t0r. CC BY 2.0.

Far north of Slope Point lies the mystical Champagne Pool on New Zealand’s North Island. Although an uncanny site, Champagne Pool is only one of many geothermal spots peppering the area around the city of Rotorua. The surrounding area, called Wai-O-Tapu, is known for its geothermal sites carved throughout the landscape. The strips of active volcanic sites and geothermal pools have created an admittedly scary yet magnificent look into what lies just beneath our feet.

Champagne Pool is a captivating hot spring that stretches over 200 feet and is about equally as deep. A hydrothermal eruption caused this crater, which boils at over 160 degrees Fahrenheit, to form about 900 years ago. The hot spring earned its name from the presence of carbon dioxide that causes it to bubble like Champagne. Although seemingly uninhabitable, the hot spring teems with a rich microbial ecosystem. Additionally, striking photos of the site capture the vibrancy of the pool’s outer rim. Its neon orange strip is caused by antimony deposits that harden on the cooled rim of the pool. The surrounding grounds are equally rich in minerals; gold, mercury and silver are found in nearby rock beds.

Whether one is an artist, a scientist or an adventurous visitor, both Slope Point and Champagne Pool stand as equally inspiring trips.