Lake Rotorua erupts again

CONCERN: Ohinemutu resident Lani Kereopa was awakened yet again by an eruption in Lake Rotorua behind her home. PHOTO/FILE

An Ohinemutu resident has witnessed what is now the fourth eruption to occur in Lake Rotorua, describing this latest one as being a lot wider.

Lani Kereopa said it happened between 4am and 4.30am today.

She said there had not been one in a while and this was a lot wider. "It was like a wall of black water."

She said the previous eruptions had started with pulsing, like rumbling, under the ground first but she did not hear that this time.

This time all she heard was spray and, since it was the fourth eruption, any noise made her a bit anxious.

"Every time I've seen it, I'm paranoid it's going to be a big eruption and affect our home or village."

She said the eruption lasted about five to 10 seconds and when it stopped she sat there for a bit to see if anything more would happen.

After running upstairs to let her son know, she sat for another 15 to 20 minutes to see if it would happen again, but it did not.

Ms Kereopa was frustrated because the event kept happening in the early hours of the morning and she said she thought if people saw it they would feel as worried about it as she was.

The last eruption was before Christmas and she had been quietly hoping it was linked to the earthquakes happening around that time.

The eruptions were happening directly in front of the channel which should run into Ruapeka lagoon, Ms Kereopa said.

The Ruapeka lagoon had been closed off from the lake as a sand bar was developing in front of it. She could not help but feel it was connected as there had been no eruptions before it closed itself off.

Since the lagoon was cut off it was getting hotter and Ms Kereopa said she thought it would be worth opening the channel again, to see if it had anything to do with the eruptions.