Lake Rotorua, which sits at the heart of a dormant volcano and is the setting for one of New Zealand’s most famous Maori love stories, has been mapped in detail for the 1st time.

New maps have revealed a hidden hydrothermal system beneath a legendary lake in New Zealand, which serves as the setting for a famous Māori love story.

Lake Rotorua sits at the heart of a massive ancient crater of a dormant volcano on New Zealand’s North Island. The lake has a storied history: it is where the daughter of an influential chief is said to have overcome forbidden love by swimming across the lake to be with a young warrior.

The Rotorua area is also well known for hydrothermal activity, with the Tourism New Zealand website stating that clouds of steam drift around the lake’s shore, and that sulfur gives a “magical green-blue” color to the water.