Rotorua
THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET HOT AND STEAMY
Rotorua IN ROTORUA VISITORS ARE LEFT IN AWE. THIS PERPETUALLY BOILING LANDSCAPE HAS EXPLOSIVE GEYSERS, MAMMOTH CRATERS AND BUBBLING MUD POOLS.
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ou’ve never seen anywhere quite like Rotorua. Or smelt anywhere quite so pungent, either. It’s safe to say you’ll get accustomed to the wafts of eggy sulphur, but much less so the staggering scenes of geothermal activity. When most parks boast green lawns and playgrounds, Rotorua features seething pits spitting out red-hot mud and plumes of steam. Even the drains like to vape.
Experiences that will stay with you for a lifetime include standing before a tightly wound geyser and marvelling when it blows like a rocket; sinking into a forest hot tub heated by nature, and walking 20 metres in the air on boardwalks and suspension bridges weaving through Whakarewarewa Forest. At night, enormous wooden lanterns illuminate the walkway and it’s truly enchanting.
Spewing hot cauldrons aside, this is a city with many additional surprises. Experience Māori culture in its heartland, stand beside mammoth Californian redwood trees, blaze down the mountain bike trails or spend some time on one of Rotorua’s 18 lakes.
There’s also the famous luge. Operating for over 35 years, this toboggan and go-cart hybrid offers fast, family-friendly racing. Steering your luge down the hillside is almost a rite of passage in these parts.
Waimangu Volcanic Valley © Destination Rotorua
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