From hot pools to the Haka, Rotorua is a bubbling mix of mud pools, explosive geysers, white- water rafting and Māori culture. Go discover what Rotorua is all about and live the Kiwi dream.
Soak It Up
Soak up and enjoy Rotorua’s geysers, colorful hot lakes and bubbling mud pools. You might even feel like you’ve stepped onto an alien planet. There are loads of geothermal pools to enjoy.
South of Rotorua, relax in the naturally heated waters of Kerosene Creek, where hot spring and freshwater stream meet. Set amongst lush native bush, Kerosene Creek is popular among visitors and locals alike, offering a natural bathing experience like no other.
Get Steamy
At Te Puia, you can watch the Pohutu Geyser erupt to a height of 30m (100ft), at Orakei Korako take in the colorful silica terraces and mysterious cave; either choice will offer awesome Instagram opportunities. Also, lest we forget to mention, Wai-O-Tapu is home to an impressive bright orange ‘champagne’ pool, and it’s not to be missed!
Make a Splash
Go white-water rafting on Rotorua’s Kaituna River. Kaituna’s 23 foot-high waterfall is the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world but the river is also home to smaller, more manageable rapids and white water. You’ll have the time of your life. Get your adrenaline pumping for the day on a rafting or sledging adventure in Rotorua. You won’t regret it.
Embrace the Unknown
Rotorua is home to indigenous Māori people who live amongst the geothermal activity. They use the boiling water to cook, bathe and warm their homes. There’s no doubt that you need to experience the spirit of Manaakitanga (hospitality) and join a cultural experience like no other.
A Māori cultural experience in Rotorua is a classic stop on the Kiwi Experience. You’ll enjoy dramatic performances, traditional Māori villages and delicious Māori food cooked in a traditional way underground called Hangi. If you’re up to it, try your hand at learning the Haka… ka mate, ka mate!
Walk Through the Sky
Just a 5 minute drive out of town lays the beautiful Whakarewarewa Redwood Forest. Gain a whole new perspective of the Redwoods by taking a Treewalk. The new TreeWalk consists of 21 suspension bridges traversing between 22 Californian coastal redwoods. It gives walkers a unique view of the native undergrowth below from up to 40 feet above the ground. You’ll have plenty of time to appreciate the beauty of the forest that is quite different from what you experience on the ground.
Soak up the culture and natural beauty of Rotorua. Live the Kiwi Dream.