Geothermal mudpool that burst into Rotorua woman's backyard could become permanent garden feature

Wednesday, 26 June 2019

Out of the blue, a mudpool explodes out of a Rotorua backyard.

Susan Gedye might have to get used to having a steaming hole to a sulphurous underworld in her backyard.

The Rotorua woman awoke on Tuesday morning to what she thought was an earthquake but later discovered a mudpool had opened behind her house.

'There was mud flying everywhere, it was shaking everything.'

Susan Gedye said she was alerted to the new mudpool outside her home when everything started shaking on Tuesday morning.

GNS staff have been in site investigating and monitoring the new mud pool.

*Rotorua experiences another hydrothermal eruption**

Gedye's garden, on Rotorua's Meade St close to the Whakarewarewa Living Māori Village, was welcoming the region's latest mudpool.

GNS Science volcanologist Brad Scott said the eruption was 'part and parcel of living in Rotorua.'

GNS volcanologist Brad Scott, who visited the site on Tuesday morning, said it had been the location of geothermal activity before, but 'this time round it's a little bit different'.

He said there were three scenarios for the site.

Rotorua Lakes Council said the region is no stranger to geothermal activity.

'The normal behaviour is for it to cool down and go away,' he said.

The other two options were for it to remain active, or the least likely option was for the site to expand.

He said given the amount of heat being given off, 'it looks like it wants to stay there'.

He said GNS would continue to monitor the site, but said Meade St residents had little to fear.

'I don't think there's an issue. It's part and parcel of living in Rotorua.'

On Tuesday, when her house started rattling at 2am, Susan Gedye thought it was an earthquake, a big one too.

'After about two minutes I went to the kitchen and thought shoot, something's not right here.'

Then she had a look outside to see hot mud flying from the ground.

*Rotorua experiences another hydrothermal eruption**

She said she alerted Rotorua Lakes Council to the eruption of mud and steam billowing out of the bank in her garden, and they initially told her she would be safe to stay the night.

It wasn't a good night's sleep.

'It was shaking the bed all night so it was hard to sleep. It was a long night.'

She said that by morning the advice had changed.

'There was mud flying everywhere and they said it might be time to go.'

Gedye spoke to Stuff outside her property as steam poured into the sky and the odd spurt of mud was flung upwards, with a loud bubbling noise.

She was relaxed about her situation however, at one point joking she should start charging the curious sightseers.

She also said she was able to move her and her two children in with her father, so she's 'houseless but not homeless'.

'I'm just thankful no one was hurt.'

She said the area had seen geothermal activity before, with steam bursting from the bank in 2017.

'It just came out of the bank and stopped, but it's worse this time.'

A council spokesperson said their geothermal inspector had checked the sight and observed venting under pressure from a hole in the lip of the bank with wet mud also being thrown out of the hole.

'There was some ground collapse later in the morning and later in the day the occupant of the property where the activity was occurring was advised to move out as a safety precaution.'