The thriving tourist hotspot of Rotorua was in the business of delighting tourists long before New Zealand itself was an independent nation. Known for its volcanic terrain, adventure sports and thriving Maori population, Rotorua hosts many well-planned attractions that capitalise on everything that makes this city so unique.
When tourists first arrive, their initial impression of Rotorua is bound up in the smell of sulphur. While the smell can be an initial turn-off, it doesn’t take long to get acclimated, and most visitors concede that smelling the hydrogen sulphide emitted by the geysers and hot springs is a small price to pay in exchange for such a stunning landscape.
For centuries, locals have acknowledged the healing properties of the steaming mineral water that seeps from every crevice and crater. Spas like the Blue Baths and the Polynesian Spas offer pampering treatments that harness the heat, minerals and water from these thermal springs, and private, thermal pools can be chartered.
Parks like the Waiotapu Thermal Area host a myriad of bizarre features like boiling cauldrons of mud; green, steaming pools; and brightly-coloured deposits of silica. Hell’s Gate is Rotorua’s most active geothermal area. Here boiling cauldrons of inky mud are the main attraction, with side-highlights like the hot water flowing over Kakahi Falls.
Despite these attractions, Rotorua has more than thermal pools and volcanic activity to entertain guests. The Agrodome is a major attraction that highlights the region’s agricultural prowess with a series of show-stopping attractions. Sheep dogs perform outlandish tricks; trained rams trot through a series of well-rehearsed steps; and performers find a way to make old-fashioned sheep-shearing seem theatrical.
No matter where you travel in Rotorua, adrenaline-pumping adventure sports wait in the periphery. Every major attraction seems to have a bungee-jumping platform on the premises and wherever you turn tourists are discovering new avenues of exhilaration.
Accommodation in Rotorua is varied and plentiful, and many of the area’s best restaurants are found in conjunction with local four- and five-star hotels. A variety of establishments cater to all budgets. Local lodges fill up early during the Christmas season, so it pays to make advance reservations. Meanwhile, off-season bargains are widely available from June to September.
With so much experience in hospitality and tourism, Rotorua continues to attract and charm a consistent flow of tourists. Seasoned locals know how to entertain international guests; this coupled with outstanding accommodation means you’ll thoroughly enjoy a visit to Rotorua.
The islands of New Zealand were some of the last land masses in the world to receive human settlers. In fact, even the indigenous Maori arrived relatively recently. Arriving from Polynesia, migratory mariners arrived in waves between the 9thand the 14thcenturies.
These groups stratified into sub-tribes over the coming years, ultimately forming the backbone of New Zealand’s indigenous culture. A Maori explorer (the uncle of Chief Ihenga) scouted the countryside around Mount Tarawera, and named the lake here ‘Rotorua’, which means ‘Crater Lake’ or ‘Second Lake.’
Dutch explorers arrived in the 17thcentury, though many of the crew were killed at the hands of the Maori. As a result, Europeans were wary of sending settlers or mounting further exploration. Britain’s Captain James Cook arrived 130 years later and had better luck with the Maori. Trade opened between Europe and New Zealand and Christian missionaries arrived.
In 1840, the British signed a treaty with some of the Maori at Waitangi in the north. Shortly after, the New Zealand Land Wars broke out due to disagreement over the terms of the treaty. During this time, Rotorua played a key role in regional conflicts.
Once the wars subsided, Rotorua began to emerge as the modern spa town it is today. The region’s geothermal activity created the Pink and White Terraces, which were once the primary attraction in Rotorua. Boatloads of tourists embarked on sightseeing tours on Lake Tarawera where they could view the terraces.
On a fateful day 1886, two independent groups of tourists reported seeing a war canoe of weeping Maori emerge from the mists of the lake before disappearing. When news of this sighting reached the Maori village of Te Wairoa, the local chieftain said this was an omen predicting imminent doom. Eleven days later, Mount Tarawera erupted, burying the village, destroying the Pink and White Terraces and killing more than 150 people.
Rotorua quickly recovered from this disaster, and the Blue Baths were opened in the 1930s. These heated pools were the first in the nation to condone mixed-sex swimming. The lakes and rivers were also stocked with trout in hopes of enticing avid anglers to vacation in the area.
Today, Rotorua is one of New Zealand’s longest-standing tourist centres. Plenty of high quality accommodation awaits visitors who come to view the volcanic landscape, fish the lakes, brave the river rapids, and encounter the ancient traditions of the area’s thriving Maori tribes.
Rotorua’s temperate climate is characterised by comfortably warm summer days and chilly evenings. The best time to visit is between the months of November and April, when the warm and balmy days are conducive to outdoor sightseeing excursions to the geothermal areas
Keep in mind that local schools dismiss pupils for about a month during the Christmas and New Year season, and tourist destinations can become congested with local families during this time, limiting space and vacancies around Rotorua.
Rotorua sits at an elevation of roughly 1,000 feet. As such, balmy days can quickly transform into cool evenings. Daytime highs of 23°C drop to 12°C after dark. Temperatures drop significantly during the off season, and lows in July dip to just above freezing. Average highs in July are typically 12°C.
Precipitation levels are relatively stable throughout the year and there is no marked B to avoid. There are slightly higher levels of rainfall in the winter, with August being the wettest month by a slight margin. The warm season sees less than four inches of rain per month, making this as a desirable time to visit Rotorua.
I would certainly recommend this hotel - the standards here are very high, it is in a great location, almost on the lake, at the top of the town, with all conveniences nearby. The staff were welcomin...
