Lady Knox Geyser facts for kids
The Lady Knox Geyser is a cool geyser found in the Waiotapu area of New Zealand. This spot is part of a big volcanic region. The geyser gets its name from Lady Constance Knox. She was the daughter of Uchter Knox, who was a very important leader in New Zealand, like a governor.
Every day at 10:15 am, the Lady Knox Geyser puts on a show! People drop a special soap-like liquid into its opening. This makes the geyser shoot water up to 20 meters high! The eruption can last for more than an hour, depending on the weather. The part of the geyser you see is a white cone shape. This shape is made of rocks and a mineral called silica, which has built up over many years from the eruptions.
The Lady Knox Geyser was found in the early 1900s. Because of this, it does not have a Māori name. Most other hot springs and geysers in New Zealand have Māori names.
How the Lady Knox Geyser Was Found
The Lady Knox Geyser was discovered in a very interesting way! In 1901, a special kind of open prison was set up in Waiotapu. This place was for people who were learning to be better citizens. They were from different jails around the Rotorua Lakes area.
A group of these people were the first to find the clearing where the geyser is. They discovered that the hot spring would erupt if they added soap to it. This happened when they were trying to wash their clothes in the hot water!
