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rotorua regional information | back to regions & attractions

Rotorua is one of the original tourist destinations in New Zealand - it has been welcoming visitors for more than 200 years. From the moment people arrive in Rotorua they know they're somewhere quite different. There is a scent of sulphur in the air. At nearby geothermal hotspots, there are spouting geysers, boiling mud pools and warm geothermal springs. Silica terraces are naturally decorated with a kaleidoscope of colours.

Rotorua is also the heartland of New Zealand Maori culture, and visitors have the opportunity to experience this. You may be lucky to enough to stay as a guest on a marae - an unforgettable experience. Or you could catch a Maori cultural performance, where stories are relayed through beautiful song and dance. You can also indulge in a traditional hangi feast where the food is cooked below the ground in earth ovens.

After a hard day's sightseeing or strenuous activity, visitors can relax with a soak in the healing waters of the geothermal hot springs, or totally unwind by choosing from a selection of therapeutic spa and massage therapies.

For some suggested itineraries that include Rotorua, please click here.

For a video preview of Rotorua, please click here.

top attractions

• On arrival get sulphur-acquainted with a visit to the thermal reserve of Whakarewarewa (on the way into town).
  
• For a full day of thermal wonder, take a trip to the beautiful Waimangu Valley where the village of Te Wairoa was once buried in a volcanic eruption. Now excavated it is worth a visit as is a cruise to the steaming cliffs of Lake Rotomahana.
  
• Don't miss a night out Maori style - a traditional cultural dance and hangi (feast).
  
• You could also consider staying overnight in the communal Maori marae (meeting house).
  
• Pay a visit to the Agrodome and Rainbow Farm.
  
• Take the Skyline Gondola ride for great views then ride a luge back down. Great family fun.
  
• There is superb trout fishing in 14 fishable lakes - gear and licence can be arranged.
  
• Treat yourself to a massage or a hot soak at the Polynesian Spa.