Welcoming visitors for more than years, Rotorua is the oldest and best-known resort in the country. Generations of visitors have enjoyed its waters, marvelled at its fascinating geothermal activity and experienced the region's unique Maori culture.
Rotorua is the heartland of New Zealand Maori culture, and visitors have the opportunity to experience the warm spirit of Te Maori. Although most of the Maori population live in the urban areas, there are about 35 marae meeting grounds in the Rotorua district. The Rotorua region is also one of New Zealand's prime trout fishing spots. It's a little further from Rotorua than the Kaituna is — expect a 45 minute journey to get there — but for a white water rafting experience that's ideal for families and the less extreme among us it makes for a solid choice.
You'll get a taste of the bumps and splashes typical of white water rafting while still having time to set back and admire the view of native trees and their wildlife inhabitants which line the riverbanks. An even smoother course on the Rangitaiki that's perfect for those with younger kids looking to participate is available too, with only smaller Grade 2 drops encountered along the way.
One of Rotorua's most iconic adventure activities that blends pristine waters with a rush and great group fun, white water rafting can be enjoyed by all. If traditional adventure activities bore you or you feel like you've done them all before, Rotorua's Agroventures Adventure Park is almost certain to offer something that even the most seasoned activity junkie has most likely never tried.
Not just a place merely for kids, Agroventures just outside Rotorua provides and entirely original way to spend a few hours or a full day. Each ride is unique in its own way, and will appeal to different people. The bungy jump is obviously the most extreme as it towers 43m above the ground and provides some great views from atop the platform. Next on the extreme scale is the Swoop experience — similar to rides such as the Shotover Canyon Swing in Queenstown — which allows up to three people to hop inside a secure body harness, be winched up to 40 metres above the ground, then pull a ripcord and drop-then-swing at speeds of up to km per hour.
It's a slight step down from bungy jumping, but still provides a free-fall and a pretty darn cool feeling while suspended. The free-fall extreme serves as New Zealand's only wind tunnel, emitting powerful enough air to suspend customers in mid-air and try their hand at performing various rolls and spins. The experience aims to emulate the feel of skydiving without actually having to head up into the air, and those participating will wear a full-body flight suit that helps maximise the impact of the air to propel your body.
It's a great option for those who aren't game enough to skydive for getting a sense of the feeling your body goes through during that experience. The last — and perhaps the weirdest — of the activities is the Shweeb; explaining it with words is hard to do, but it's basically a human-propelled monorail in which each passenger is given their own carriage to push along.
If you're feeling like you've done all of the world's rides, attractions and activities before, you'll definitely want to pay a visit to Agroventures Adventure Park for a refreshing take on the typical fun park routine. Rotorua has two such attractions — the Tamaki and Mitai Maori Villages - both of which are highly regarded and incorporate a blend of ceremonies, music, storytelling, dance and dining into a single package that's as entertaining as it is informative.
Each of these also puts a premium on audience interaction and participation, and both aim to be as authentic to their roots as can be while still providing entertainment to visitors from all over the globe. Visitors who attend can take time to explore the village, listen to various stories on both history and legend, witness rituals and art, and view song and dance performances all culminating in a traditionally-prepared Hanhi dinner by the attraction's Maori hosts.
Step back in time — before the days of European settlement - and explore the Maori way of life, including the small dwellings, the arts and the songs; watch the women weaving, see the warriors training with traditional weapons and openly talk with the villagers about their heritage.
It's one of the best value culture-based experiences in New Zealand when you factor in that you're getting dinner and accommodation transfers as well, and a great way to spend an evening in Rotorua if you're looking to fill out your itinerary.
Mitai Maori Village , meanwhile, is slightly further from the CBD along Lake Rotoua's west side, and offers another authentically-themed introduction to the Maori culture while also providing the chance to visitors to see glow worms in their natural habitat.
It's smaller and more intimate than Tamaki, which can either be a good or bad thing depending on what you're looking for.
While the Maori culture stretches back a long time into the past, both of these villages aim to break as much of it up as possible into a bite-sized morsel that will at least give visitors an overview should they wish to expand their knowledge further at a more traditional facility such as A beautiful building in its own right, the Rotorua Museum just a few minutes walk from most city-centre accommodation is the real choice of destinations for those who take their history seriously.
The Elizabethan-style architecture of the building makes it a highly photogenic site, with large windows and orange spires that conjures up images of Europe and dates back to over years ago in what was previously solely a purpose-built Bath House which opened in and spa. Rotorua Museum features a robust yet compact display of exhibits that go into great detail on Maori history and art that encompasses relics dating back to the journey of the region's original inhabitants that made their way across the Pacific Ocean to New Zealand.
Most visitors to the Rotorua Museum will want to start off the experience by taking in the starting video presentation which details the eruption of Mount Tarawera back in and also goes into greater detail about the history of the Rotorua region in general, and comes complete with seats which vibrate in time with the eruptions occurring on screen. Many periods of Maori culture are also covered here, with the origins of the inhabitants, the history of the bath houses era, and the Maori involvement during World War II all touched upon in great detail.
Guided tours are also available if you're looking to gain further insight, and all of the guides are famously knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the subjects covered. Visiting the museum is, in fact, very useful as a starting point for those who will be seeing more of Rotorua or travelling further on throughout NZ in general, as its various works and their informative descriptions help put into context a lot of what you will see when visiting other places.
Lastly, there's also a scenic viewing platform that can be reached via stairs through the museum's attic that grants some great panoramic views of the city and its surrounds, which when added to the cultural value of the museum itself is simply the cherry on top of what is a highly educational and enjoyable New Zealand sundae. Steaming this list up once again is the Waimangu Volcanic Valley , full of amazing thermal activity that allows visitors to walk through a wild, active landscape.
As the result of a volcanic eruption over years ago, the various boiling springs and geysers are so close you could touch them at many points throughout the trails — however unless you want your skin scorched off, this is highly inadvisable. While guided tours are available, you don't need one to enjoy yourself at Waimangu; the area does well to cater for tourists and has plenty of information as well as detailed walking maps that show the many highlights along each of the two main tracks available to take.
The colourful spectacle is definitely what makes Waimangu Volcanic Valley so interesting; volcanic pools are famous for their strong, sulphur-induced colorations and here is no exception; vivid blue-greens exemplified best by the large Inferno Crater and its pool rule the day, while the area is also rich in green forest which contrasts nicely with the rocky landscape and bright waters. There are few spots in New Zealand — let alone the world — which blend both bushwalking with volcanic activity better than Waimangu does, and the walk for it as about as accessible as such an active place as this could be.
In line with this convenience, there's even a restaurant and gift shop to provide visitors with a bite to eat or a keepsake from their visit. Representing great value for money and a less crowded alternative to other sightseeing experiences, Waimangu Volcanic Valley is an essential Rotorua itinerary item — just be sure to bring your camera!
Capping off the list of all-things-geo that is Rotorua is Wai-o-Tapu , an incredibly colourful grouping of hot springs, geysers and pools each with their own distinct character, shape and texture formed solely by nature itself which sits around 20 minutes south of Rotorua city.
This is the place that you've most likely seen in postcards or promotional material promoting Rotorua as a travel destination, and with good cause; it's the most colourful volcanic area in the country and allows visitors some great angles for photos as you're able to basically step right up to — or in some cases, walk directly through — some of the most striking hot pools you're ever likely to see. Wai-o-Tapu also combines the three essential sights of any geothermal hot spot prominent geysers, naturally boiling mud pools and volcanic vistas in a single location, making for a comprehensive experience.
The area is broken up into three separate tracks coded by colour, each of which emphasize a different aspect of the grounds and none of which are difficult and which will take you roughly 3 hours to complete, all set within a lush green valley bordered by forest and farms. Welcome to Rotorua. How can we help? Let's Go! Come share our stunning geothermal landscapes, sparkling lakes and beautiful forests.
Visit Rotorua. Rotorua is also distinguished by a large concentration of thermal activity in and around the city, giving it a unique flavour both geographically and historically. As an area of tremendous significance to the Maori people, Rotorua has emerged as an important cultural centre with an interesting element of social diversity.
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