Rotorua
Travel Blogs from Rotorua, New Zealand
Thermal spa
... falls on our way through. After debating whether we should go on a river jet boat tour we decided that we would just go to Rotorua to go to 'Hells Gate’ geothermal spa and relax a little bit (because this trip is really starting to wear on us). We ...
Whine without the wine. (An 'Oh No' day)
... ready for camping in the next few days (i.e. buying jumpers!) and using the internet. Emma is working at one of New Zealand's polling stations today for the general election so we make her and Carl dinner in the evening (and Carl says it's ...
Our Indigenous Cultural Experience
... our next destination and irrespective of the weather we would spend a bit of time taking in some Maori culture. Rotorua is New Zealand's most dynamic thermal area with spurting geysers, steaming hot springs and exploding mud pools. The drive from Taupo ...
Evil smells!
... nose against his friend's, as opposed to our more formal hand shake. He seemed genuinely interested in where I was from and why I chose New Zealand, and so far this has been the case with most of the Kiwis I have encountered on my travels. Sweet as! ...
Phew, what a stinker!
... for fresh air, uttering the odd "you minger!", but then the smell got worse. In fact, we had arrived at one of New Zealand's most geothermally active regions, and that rotten egg smell that we were detecting was sulphur. An apology was issued to Kevin ...
Lake Taupo and Rotorua
... photos aren't meant to be seen in blogs or on Facebook!!! Ha ha!! This was the evening that the earthquake hit Japan, and New Zealand got the Tsunami warning for a bit....scary stuff, and very sad for the poor Japanese. We got up the next ...
What is that smell?
... the bus and made a few more stops before we got to Rotorua, at the bungee zone, and a working Maori village, where we got a tour. Rotorua is smelly. It has all sorts of geothermal activity and hot springs and geysers. So it smells. Bad. But got used to it ...
Rotorua, smelly farts country!
... ! A tad expensive at $35 for one go but worth it for the buzz, it was hilarious and we were thoroughly drenched after it! After our couple of days in Rotorua is was time for the final bus back to Auckland, our last stop on the entire New Zealand ...
Rotorua
Enjoying breakfast overlooking Lake Taupo in much finer weather than the previous day, we at least got a strong whiff of the sulphur (i.e. rotten eggs) the region is famous for! The smell only got stronger once inside Waiotapu Thermal ...
On the Road South
... the time. I met a girl named Mimi from Sweden on my first stop in Opanoni, and I've run into her 3 times since, lastly in Rotorua. I can't tell you how awesome it is to be in a country halfway around the world and have somebody call out your name. This ...
Rotorua
... to Trish and Sally as we all checked into separate hostels and went our separate ways afterward. The first thing that hits you about Rotorua is the sulphur smell, i.e. rotten eggs, fortunately you soon get used to it. The second thing to hit us was the ...
On to The Stinky City
... of buildings decorated in corrugated iron. The highlight being the sheep and the dog tourist info centre. We then headed over to Rotorua where we were greeted with a lovely sulphur smell, lots of thermal pools around there you see. 7th August ...
A ball and ramp,naked tramp and a guide who's camp
We woke up a little groggy thanking the lord we had bought bacon and eggs the night before. However we stood stunned as we overheard the Maori campers in one of the camp cabins yell to his friends "are you having a wine?" it was 7.10am. After a classic ...
Maori Culture
Kia Ora! It was the Maori greeting that welcomed us to Rotorua, a cultural hubbub of the Maori in New Zealand. Here the tourist is able to visit replicas of traditional villages and catch a glimpse of their culture. Kris picked us up at the plane at ...
Bay of Plenty
... out with the floor while we were there. At the drop of a hat, he could have had a job in either Australia or New Zealand doing flooring. Mercifully, the landscape in the Bay of Plenty is flatter than some we've driven through. Margaret lives on the ...
Back to Rotorua
So, back in smelly Rotorua and we decided to go to a Hangi, a tradtional Maori entertainment night. They picked us up from the centre of town and brought us to thier Maori village, stuck us all in a big marquee with loads of food that they had cooked ...
A Symbolic Evening
... friendship. One by one he called out names of countries from around the world. We all cheered when our homelands were announced. New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Spain, America, and on and on and on. A total of 11 ...
Smelliest Town on Earth.....
... push it before your cart was about to flip. Great fun. Then we went to the Agrodome, which is basically a huge barn where New Zealanders boast about how lovely their sheep are and how talented their sheep dogs are, I have never laughed so hard. You ...
Driving south
... the road with a lamb on a leash but it didn't seem to attract any strange comments or finger pointing from passers by. Only in New Zealand I guess. Next stop: Taupo/Turangi - I'm planning to complete the Tongariro Crossing either tomorrow or ...
Week Thirty Eight - Rotorua
... From there we followed the coast south as far as Whakatane and the lovely Ohope Beach where Elspeth used to live. We drove back to Rotorua via some of the many beautiful lakes surrounding the city as the sun began to fade. I think that my memory is fading ...
East Cape Tour
... began the long drive south east heading for the cape, I was reminded of the many weekend miles we have already covered in New Zealand. Something told me that this road trip was going to be just as eventful as the previous adventures. We drove through ...
This Place Stinks!
... (free range makes all the difference), we drove a few miles out of town to the most touristy place we’d ever been in New Zealand. A farmland experience with a theme park frame of mind. The name alone says it all: Agrodome. You know you’re in ...
123 jump...........
... up going out for dinner with a few of the skydivers, which was a nice way to end the day. Tomorrow we move from Rotorua to Waitomo, our final stop before heading back to Auckland on Monday for the night and then flying back. The last days will be ...
Bubbling Away...
Sunday 30th January 205 Drive to Rotorua today - pass some more pretty bays (New Zealand is full of beautiful scenery, everywhere you go). My guidebook was not joking - you really can smell the city before you arrive - it smells of rotten eggs, due to ...
Rotorua
... The sulphur smell is really bad and Chris struggled around heaving most the way!! This is a hot water waterfall! A visit to Rotorua is not complete without a cultural visit to a Maori village. We spent a few hours at Tamaki village and ...
Putting down a hangi - in southwest China
I'm a Kiwi living a long way from New Zealand. I am in the process of building an outdoor pizza oven, and also hope to put down a hangi in my garden. There's a couple of good resources for making an earth oven underground, including quite a neat ...
Heading South
... The way back down was quick. We stopped and did a lot of hiking through rainforest to see the Kauri trees. They only grow in New Zealand, and think they have been there since the year of Jesus. The tree's are not too tall, but the trunks were massive ...
Chapter 8: Glow-worms, and black water rafting.
... Rotorua at 5pm, and I checked into Wall Backpackers, which is a new & snazzy hostel downtown. Rotorua is the unofficial Maori culture capital of New Zealand, and it's also VERY geothermally active. There are steam vents randomly all around the city, ...
Week Forty - South Island
... house. Probably played some pool at the CT Club. Day 265 - Monday 31 May Phil takes me on a tour of the lakes surrounding Rotorua. The green and blue lakes are stunning and we drive on to Lake Tarawera for coffee by the water. Back in town I get a ...

