Visiting Rotorua And What To See and Do

On the North Island of New Zealand there’s a town that is super gorgeous but smells like rotten eggs. For anyone who has been there, you know the smell and the coolness that it exhibits. If you haven’t then make sure you read on for visiting Rotorua and what to see and do.

Visiting Rotorua and what to see and do

Where is Rotorua?

Rotorua is on the North Island of New Zealand in the bay of plenty region. It is approximately 230km south east of Auckland and approximately 450km north of Wellington. Rotorua has a local airport with flights to and from Wellington.

Why does Rotorua smell so bad?

Rotorua has a bad smell due to the sulphur that comes from the geothermal activity. It reminds you of rotten eggs and that is no exaggeration. You could smell it in the accommodation, streets and parks. Even after having a thermal bath you could smell it on yourself well after it. You do get use to the smell of Rotorua and if not, you’ll leave eventually (brutal honesty).

 

What to see and do in Rotorua

Geothermal activity. The main attraction for Rotorua is the thermal pools. The best spots for this could be right where you are staying. That’s right, there are so many hotels and hostels that offer genuine thermal pools. Most are also private as well. My accommodation had two private thermal pools. Of course I jumped in for about 25-30 minutes to relax in the heated pool.

Also if you head over to Kuirau Park you will see nature showcasing thermal pools. You will be able to see the steam as you get closer to the park. You won’t be able to hop into the pools here and that’s for your own safety and it’s fenced anyway.

I was here at Christmas time and I know it sounds cliche but you should walk around the city centre. It has lots of little shops, so many restaurants and it’s actually a bigger town than I was expecting. We (Mum and I) walked around for about two hours after all we weren’t visiting just for the geothermal activity.

When it comes to lakes in New Zealand I feel you can never get enough. Some more beautiful than others like Pukaki on the South Island. But, any NZ lake I’m happy to see. So hence, make sure you head to Lake Rotorua. This lakes existence is due to an eruption some 200,000 years ago and a caldera was the result. It filled up with water and so became Lake Rotorua, interesting story, isn’t it.

Whakarewarewa

This village deserves its on heading! When visiting Rotorua this is something you must do. Whakarewarewa (Whaka for short) is a village that has existed for about 1,000 years, maybe longer and is still a living (occupied) village today.

You do not want to miss this spot when visiting Rotorua.

Guided tours run daily (apart from Christmas Day) on the hour from 9am to 4pm. The ticket office is located at the end of the roundabout. There is free parking available and long bays for caravans etc. Tickets start from $40 and you can pay more for food/meals and other entertainment. If you buy online  you can get them cheaper!

The thermal pools are incredible, if you are lucky you can see what they are cooking for the day in the boxes. The water is so hot you can put potatoes in for just seconds and they are ready to be mashed! You may also be lucky enough to watch some explode like a blow hole effect. Ask the guide if one is due to go off soon on your tour.

You will see where the locals bathe as well. Yes, they bathe in the thermal pools. The houses are small compared to what I am use to seeing in Australia, but they are absolutely gorgeous. So different and so loveable.

At the end of the tour you are led up to the stage where a Maori family perform with song, dance, chants and the best thing, THE HAKA. The haka is a posture dance for war or protection (plus other reasons). I remember first seeing it with the football when I was really young. The energy, passion and power that illuminates from the tribe is amazing. Make sure you watch the performance in the village.

The tour ends after this and you are free to roam around at your leisure. We explored for a little while longer, but as it was a gloomy rainy day we left about 45 minutes after the tour ended.

Bathrooms are also located in between the road of the car park and the ticket building.

Thoughts overall of visiting Rotorua

When coming to the North Island, visiting Rotorua would definitely be a highly recommended place to add to your list.

I thoroughly enjoyed my quick trip there. You’ll find way more other activities depending on time and budget – such as boat cruises, zip lining, hot pools & mud baths and scenic flights.

The smell can get to some and you certainly will not be able to avoid it, but you do get use to it. This was one part about Rotorua I will not miss. Although I’m glad I can pass on this detail to others who will visit and aren’t aware of it.

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