« NEW ZEALAND • Discover New Zealand • North Island • Rotorua

Discover magical Rotorua

Rotorua is home to not only geothermal interests, but botanical gardens and some interesting historic architecture. Known as a spa town and major tourist resort for more than a century, many of the buildings hint at this history. The formal Government Gardens close to the lakeshore at the eastern end

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» Maori Arts and Crafts Institute (Te Puia)

Te Puia, the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute was established by the New Zealand Parliament to guard and preserve Maori culture, housing the national schools of carving and weaving. Visitors interact with master craftsmen as they turn native hardwood and plant fibers into beautiful pieces of traditional art, spinning stories as they work. Touring the facilities is interesting, informative and not to be missed, but the highlight is Te Po, Te Puia's authentic evening experience …

» Mt Tarawera

Near the northeast coast of the North Island is Mount Tarawera, the volcano responsible for a massive eruption that destroyed the famed, naturally occurring Pink and White Terraces and buried three Maori villages, including Te Wairoa, in 1866. The volcano is currently dormant, but visitors can book several different guided tours of the mountain, ranging from helicopter, 4-wheel drive vehicles and mountain bikes. The area around Mt. Tarawera is breathtaking in its beauty …

» Ohinemutu

Ohinemutu was the first settlement in the region established by the Ngati Whakaue people. Originally used as an entry hub for visitors and food headed to the neighboring villages, Ohinemutu is now a suburb of Rotorua city, but it is still a perfect example of how Western and Maori cultures integrated. Visit the Te Papaiouru Marae and St Faith's Church, and you'll see how the two peoples collaborate, as Maori carvings and woven panels complement the Tudor-style architecture …

» Paradise Valley Springs

Started in 1939 as a trout sanctuary, Paradise Valley Springs Wildlife Park is now a popular destination for animal lovers of all ages. Visitors can feed and interact with many of the animals, most of which are native to the island. Given New Zealand's isolation from the rest of the world, its flora and fauna evolved differently than continental creatures, and as such, New Zealand's wildlife is unique. While many New Zealand trips involve outdoor activities and visitors see much of its indigenous animals in the wild, the park has the most interesting native critters under one roof …

» Rainbow Springs Kiwi Wildlife Park

Even though New Zealanders call themselves 'Kiwis,' seeing kiwi birds in the wild is rare. At the Rainbow Springs Kiwi Wildlife Park, however, not only do you have the chance to see kiwi birds in the brush, but you can also learn the ways that baby kiwis are being reintroduced into the wild. Due to invasive predators, only 5 percent of wild kiwi birds will live through to adulthood, and proceeds from the Rainbow Springs Kiwi Wildlife Park help to fund programs to raise the birds from incubation up through release …

» Rangitaiki River

Splash, bounce, laugh, clench and swim your way down the Rangitaiki River between Rotorua and Taupo. The whitewater rafting on the North Island of New Zeaalnd is some of the best in the world, and this wild river to the south of Rotorua has 8.5 miles of raging rapids that are constant for most of the year. At just over 95 miles long, the Rangitaiki River is the longest river in the North Island's Bay of Plenty. Trips begin in Murupara (about 45 minutes from Rotorua) …

» Rotorua Museum

The Rotorua region is steeped in New Zealand's history, from the days of the Maori settlers to the advent of European explorers. At the Rotorua Museum, you'll get an in-depth view of Rotorua's past, seen through cinema, galleries and historic locales. When you get there, you'll want to spend some time in the Te Arawa and Tarawera galleries - the former houses an extensive collection of ancient Maori art and artifacts, as well as treasured antique photographs from the European colonial era …

» Sulphur Point

The first thing you notice when you arrive in Rotorua isn't the natural beauty; instead - it's the smell. From the moment you set foot in this North Island hot spot, the pungent smell of rotten eggs seems to waft in the air like a cloud. Don't worry - it doesn't take long to get used to the smell, and it's actually the result of fresh sulphur and the Earth's volcanic flux. While the smell is noticeable all across town, nowhere is the sulphur more beautifully evident than at the sands of Sulphur Point …

» Tamaki Maori Village

Built by two brothers in 1989, the Tamaki Maori Village is the destinatition for an authentic Maori experience. If you are looking for a Maori encounter beyond the typical performance found at hotels, this is the place to go. The village is itself a recreation of an actual Maori settlement, and in this village, guests experience "The Chronicles of Uitara," a story following a single warrior line from 3,000 BC to the present day. Based on true events effected by actual people …

» Te Puia

When you first catch a glimpse of Pohutu Geyser thundering up from the Earth and crane your neck skywards at a column of water that's nearly 100 feet high, you begin to understand why this place has drawn visitors for literally hundreds of years. Only five minutes from central Rotorua, Te Puia is a geothermal and cultural attraction in the Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley. When compared to Whakarewarewa Thermal Village, Te Puia is closer to the geysers and also offers an impressive center of Maori arts and crafts …

» Te Whakarewarewa

For over 200 years, the people of the Maori tribe of Tuhourangi - Ngati Wahiao have lived near the geothermal activity of Whakarewarewa; but in 1998, they established a charitable trust through which they were able to create a unique, independent tourism experience. Called the Living Thermal Village, Te Whakarewarewa is a visitor experience similar to Amish country in that you get to experience a way of life that has remained relatively unchanged since the early 1800s …

» Waimangu Volcanic Valley

When the North Island of New Zealand's Mt Tarawera erupted in 1886, it forever changed the Rotorua landscape into a valley of steaming wonder. This is a mystical land where lakes boil and mountains are bathed in steam, and walking past pools of bubbling mud is just another daily occurrence for visitors here. Of all the places in Rotorua to encounter this geothermal wonder, the Waimangu Volcanic Valley area offers one of the largest zones for exploring …

» Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland

Like much of New Zealand's attractions, the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland centers on walking outdoors - but what a walk! The park is New Zealand's most colorful and diverse geothermal attraction; visitors follow demarcated tracks through a stunning variety of volcanic phenomena. You'll see fantastic, naturally colored hot-and-cold pools, the world famous Champagne Pool, the amazing Lady Knox Geyser and the massive craters that are the hallmark of the Rotorua region's volcanic heritage …

» Whakarewarewa (The Living Maori Village)

Like much of New Zealand's attractions, the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland centers on walking outdoors - but what a walk! The park is New Zealand's most colorful and diverse geothermal attraction; visitors follow demarcated tracks through a stunning variety of volcanic phenomena. You'll see fantastic, naturally colored hot-and-cold pools, the world famous Champagne Pool, the amazing Lady Knox Geyser and the massive craters that are the hallmark of the Rotorua region's volcanic heritage …

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« NEW ZEALAND • Discover New Zealand • North Island • Rotorua