Let’s Go, Any Day! Advertorial
Instead of waiting for Friday to roll around, why not use this summer to test out what a mid-week weekend feels like. Skip the lines, skip the traffic, and say good bye to Monday-itis! If the idea of starting your weekend on a Monday or Tuesday appeals to you, there’s plenty to do in Rotorua every day of the week. Amazing experiences and loads of great dining and accommodation options await. Plus, there’s something for every budget. Here are just a few that are open each day of the week. Grace the skies Volcanic Air offers amazing ways to experience our geothermal gems. Make a splash with a water take-off and landing via floatplane to soak in secluded hot pools on Lake Rotoiti – otherwise only accessible by boat or five-hour tramp. Next, view the incredible geothermal valley from above with a helicopter tour that includes landings on the summit of Mt Tarawera and at Orakei Korako Geothermal Park and Cave. Grab some adventure Mt Ngongotahā is the site of several adventure activities. You can roll down in a giant inflated ball at ZORB or race down on a Luge at Skyline Rotorua. Hit the water
Volcanic Air landing on Mt Tarawera
More adventure can be found on water. Choose from Kaitiaki Adventures, Kaituna Cascades, River Rats, or Rotorua Rafting for a heart-pumping whitewater rafting excursion that includes a sevenmetre waterfall – the world’s tallest commercially raftable waterfall. Get quacking Families and non-families alike love Rotorua Duck Tours for their unique way of seeing Rotorua’s beautiful lakes aboard a rather quirky form of amphibious transport. There are no actual ducks included in the tour 32
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– apart from those you may pass while cruising the lakes – but trust us, you’ll have a quacker of a time. Walk with giants Stick with the nature theme and visit our world-famous Whakarewarewa Forest, aka The Redwoods. Free trails take you through this amazing place where Californian redwoods tower above and around you, up to 60 metres and taller. If you’d like to UP-grade your experience, the Redwoods Treewalk takes you 20 metres higher into the forest, giving you a whole new view as you walk along a series of suspended walkways and platforms. At night, a beautiful display of lights adds another dimension to this experience. Feel the heat Another must-do in Rotorua is to visit at least one of our incredible geothermal parks. Waimangu Volcanic Valley is superb. Allow a couple of hours here for a selfguided tour where you’re close enough to feel the heat of the thermal activity. We recommend including a boat cruise on Lake Rotomahana too; here you’ll learn about the flora and fauna that call the valley home. Relax and play Kuirau Park is another gem that many people miss even though it’s just a few minutes’ walk from the city centre. This is New Zealand’s only public geothermal park. It’s free to visit, with pathways that meander past boiling mud pools and steaming vents and lakes. There’s also a free thermally heated foot bath, perfect for relaxing tired feet, as well as an epic playground for the kiddos.
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