Rotorua

As a former resident of New Zealand, I have visited Rotorua on several occasions and was never disapointed. I lived in Hamilton also known as 'The Tron' which is about 45 minutes drive from Rotorua. It is a fairly large town located in the central east part of the North Island of New Zealand on the edge of the large Lake Rotorua which has a high elevation above sea level as it was originally the crater of a volcano, and its this unique location which gives it is geothermal activity, making rotorua a very special place to visit. Rotorua is full of areas with naturally bubbling hot steam pools throughout the town, it is these pools which give Rotorua its unique ...  Read the complete review

Rotorua is a great spot for a wide range of sightseeing and activities, it smells a bit like rotten eggs but you soon get used to the smell! One of my favourite activities in Rotorua was an evening tour of a traditional Maori evening, with a visit to an old fashioned style village, a wonderful meal and fantastic traditional dances. Another must see is the Wai-o-tapu geothermal park. You can spend hours here exploring the many natural wonders such as sulphur pools, volcanic craters, geysers and mud pools. I would definitely recommend spending a full day here to appreciate all there is to see! There are many geothermal areas around Rotorua, some ...  Read the complete review

When visiting New Zealand, Rotorua is a must for any adventure or adrenaline junkie. There is so much to see and do you will never get bored and a few days here just isn't enough. As well as being known for all the adrenaline packed activities on offer, Rotorua is also known for its geothermal activity. There are many mud pools located in random places throughout the city and many hotels and hostels have bubbling hot pools that you can take a dip in. One thing that you will notice as soon as you get into Rotorua is the occasional rise of steam coming from the ground as well as the distinct smell of rotten eggs, from the sulphur which is in the geothermal ...  Read the complete review

Well again this was part of my Rugby tour in NZ, and a great part of it at that. But I had best get one thing out of the way before I go through its merits. It semlls. This is due to the Sulphur there as it is a geothermal hotspot, but thats as much part of it as the scenic geisers so is unavoidable. On the upside you do sort of get used to it. The town itself I would not deem to be great, it envisages almost a stereo-typical American town with the straight road and lots of signs down it, with little going on in it. Furthermore I believe it has come to be quite notorious for gang culture amongst the Maoris, but we definately did not experience any such ...  Read the complete review

I have been to Rotorua twice, once in 2005 and again in 2007. Rotorua is another beautiful part of New Zealand with a massive lake and beautiful surrounding mountains. When you arrive in Rotorua you will be hit with a strong smell of rotten eggs, but dont let that put you off as you will get used to it, and the smell is produced by some amazing geysers which you can pay to see, which is definately worth it, but if you are on a tight budget then you can take a casual walk down to one of the parks where you can see many boiling mud pools for free. However to see the biggest and best ones you do need to pay. You can book a trip to a hangis where one can eat food cooked in ...  Read the complete review