'Te Whakarewarewatanga O Te Ope Taua A Wahiao'

'Te Whakarewarewatanga O Te Ope Taua A Wahiao', the Maori for: The gathering place for the war parties of Wahiao, often abbreviated to Whaka by locals.

'This was the site of the Māori fortress of Te Puia, first occupied around 1325, and known as an impenetrable stronghold never taken in battle. Māori have lived here ever since, taking full advantage of the geothermal volcanic activity in the valley for heating and cooking.'

We had booked a guided tour through this special place, still owned by the Maori people. I struggled to decide on a favourite picture for this day as there was so much to choose from; with Sol getting involved in a 'Haka war dance', watching carvers and weavers at work and eating food baked in the heat of the geothermal grounds. But by far the best image for me was watching the sun set over the geyser activity with the natural springs in the background. The hot springs are only used by local traditional villagers so as not to let the whole site become a tourist attraction - I was happy enough just to be sharing this amazing view.