Waimangu App
Check out our run down of the different types of content and features available on the Waimangu App.
Valley Map
The easiest way to use the App is to navigate through the Valley Map. You can easily see where you are, and the App tells you when you’re arriving at an area with content.
Audio Guide
As you travel through the valley, there are short audio clips to explain the history of the area that you are standing in. This provides a great balance for those who don’t want to spend the whole day reading signs but want a deeper understanding of what they can see.
Top tip: You might want to bring headphones to listen to the commentary.
Discover hidden content
There are several spots throughout the valley where the app has hidden information. These often highlight areas of interest that you could easily have just walked by and missed. Examples include layers of soil buried by eruptions, plants that have adapted to the geothermal environment or traditional medicinal uses of native plants. Many of these highlights are snippets that would be pointed out by a knowledgeable guide on a tour of the valley.
Travel through time with photo sliders
There are a number of photo slider features on the app. This is where you use your finger to slide across the screen between 2 images taken from a particular point. The historic image shows the Waimangu Valley after the eruption of Mount Tarawera in 1886 and the current images have been taken recently. These allow you to see the complete transformation of the valley – the regeneration of native New Zealand forest and new lakes created where people previously walked.
Rediscover the Pink and White Terraces with Augmented Reality
At some key points, there are augmented reality features. This superimposes images or informative content over what you can see in front of you, for example cross section infographics to see the depth and temperatures of the crater lakes and the Waimangu Geyser is brought back to life in its previous location.
On the boat cruise, you can rediscover the Pink and White Terraces. When you’re in the right position on the lake, you can see the terraces in their actual location. While it’s still a little hard to fully appreciate the sheer scale of these huge silica terraces, it allows you to visualise what was once considered to be the 8th wonder of the world.
Make the most of your day with the timetable function
The timetable feature is particularly useful if you’ve booked a boat cruise on Lake Rotomahana and want to get there on time. The timetable tells you when the next bus will arrive at each stop and approximate walking times to the stop.
