Rotorua

Overview

It was interesting, many NZ locals sorta recommended against Rotorua — saying it was “run down” and “smelly” (there is a faint sulfur smell near some of the volcanic ruins) — we found it outstanding, but we’re into geothermal features.

If one reads a history of NZ, in the late 19thC Europeans were almost entirely near the coast, and the Maori retreated to the inland areas. Rotorua was a center of Maori culture and remains so, and it’s noticeable on the streets that many more Maori remain there than in Wellington/Auckland/Christchurch/Queenstown.

We did 2 main adventures:

Waimangu Volcanic Valley: Waimangu Thermal Reserve Self Guided Walk and Boat Cruise — very enjoyable. This is one of the newest (maybe the newest?) geothermal areas on earth, there was a volcano eruption in 1886 that buried a Maori village. Gorgeous boiling lakes, and the boat trip was very pleasant.
One evening: Te Po - Indigenous Evening Experience with Hangi Dinner Buffet. The Dinner buffet was very “ok”. I wish we’d done this differently. They have cultural exhibits in the afternoon that we missed, but First Light booked us for the evening, which was a long dinner. That being said, there was an impressive Maori dance performance before the dinner that was entertaining.