Rotorua & Waikato
CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND
Bay of Plenty & Waikato

Rotorua

Lake Rotorua is one of many crater formed lakes in this region, but relatively small and shallow, making it a perfect setting for natural hot pools and springs around its shoreline. Rotorua has been very much a spa town for the last hundred years. The town is quite large with a population over 50,000, but you can smell the sulphur in the air. It is famous for its mud pools, geysers, thermal hot springs and steam rising everywhere. It is also a significant place for Maori culture and has a sizeable Maori population. You can visit several Marae here and learn about wood carving and Maori art and perhaps experience a Maori hang (a feast cooked over steaming rocks).

The 2,280 hectare Whakarewarewa Forest has become a mecca for mountain bikers with an extensive trail network laid out through its plantations of giant redwood and other exotic trees. Hire bikes and explore the forest and the lake side. Take a cruise on the lake and enjoy a private natural hot spring or fish for your dinner.