Rotorua, New Zealand Travel Blogs

Our Indigenous Cultural Experience
May 1, 2007 (6 photos)

... 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!
Apr 6, 2005 (3 photos)

... 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! On ...

This place stinks
Apr 5, 2005 (13 photos)

Will be updated soon . Meanwhile , check out the pictures

Rotorua, smelly farts country!
Jan 5, 2005 (9 photos)

... ! 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 trip!

Thermal Fields of Rotorua
Jan 17, 2006 (35 photos)

We headed inland to check out the famous Thermal Fields in the Rotorua area. Rotorua, which is nicknamed 'Sulphur City,' has the most energetic thermal activity in the country, with bubbling mud pools, gurgling hot springs, gushing geysers and evil eggy ...

On the Road South
Apr 1, 2007 (30 photos)

... 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 has ...

Rotorua
Mar 27, 2007 (13 photos)

... 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 drizzle, ...

Putting down a hangi - in southwest China
Nov 24, 2008 (3 photos)

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 ...

Back to Rotorua
Apr 20, 2006

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 the ...

On to The Stinky City
Aug 7, 2005 (12 photos)

... 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 2005. ...

Smelliest Town on Earth.....
Apr 16, 2006

... 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 go ...

Maori Culture
Apr 15, 2005 (19 photos)

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 ...

Rotorua ruckus
Dec 6, 2005 (5 photos)

... in the water and generally having no clue where I was or what direction I was moving in. Zorbing was invented here in Rotorua, New Zealand. These Kiwis are absolutely deranged, but in a brilliant sort of way. Last night I had a bit of a model UN night, ...

Driving south
Oct 24, 2005 (11 photos)

... 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 Wednesday.

Week Thirty Eight - Rotorua
Jun 29, 2004 (17 photos)

... 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 and ...

Rotorua - Luging
Jan 10, 2004 (4 photos)

... city. The next morning we took the gondola up Mount Ngongotaha (I've no idea how it's pronounced) for panoramic views of Rotorua. In a very similar set up to the Queenstown gondola, Rotorua also has a luge track (well three actually) at the top of the ...

123 jump...........
Dec 15, 2007 (6 photos)

... 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...
Jan 30, 2005 (7 photos)

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 ...

Chapter 8: Glow-worms, and black water rafting.
Nov 11, 2003 (7 photos)

... 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, ...

Rotorua
Nov 16, 2005 (41 photos)

... 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 saw how ...

Week Forty - South Island
Jun 29, 2004 (23 photos)

... 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 ...

Heading South
Oct 7, 2004 (11 photos)

... 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 in ...

More Volcanic Activity
Jan 27, 2004 (8 photos)

... through the gates and splashes over the rocks below. Sunday night we stayed at Golden Springs, halfway back to Rotorua, where the campsite included a gorgeous hideaway garden, complete with river, waterfall, natural hotpools, a trampoline and a flying ...

Greeting from NZ
Aug 6, 2004 (3 photos)

... along egg sarnies & stank out the whole bus? Well it's like that but much more intense. Main reason for visiting Rotorua is Wai-O-Tapu which is a thermal springs heaven. Got there early for the Lady Knox geyser eruption which occurs promptly at 10: ...

Auckland to Waitomo Caves to Rotorua
Apr 1, 2008 (9 photos)

... ground, doing a nice "cliff" jump in the caves and being extremely cold despite the wet suits. I decide to drive on to Rotorua as I realized that there wasn't much going on in Waitomo other than the caves.  I go about an hour before getting a flat ...

Volcanoes and Maoris
Oct 20, 2003 (8 photos)

For our first kiwi foray out of Auckland we joined Marcus's Mum & Dad (currently here on holiday) down in Rotorua - aka "Rotovegas", the tourist capital of the North Island. This whole area is seething with volcanoes, geysers and hot sulphur lakes, all ...

Tongariro Crossing and Rotorua
Feb 8, 2006 (23 photos)

... drink. Well, we're willing to put up with this for a day as it is also right next to Wai-O-Tapu, New Zealand's most colourful and diverse geothermal park. Violently bubbling mud pools and the lady Knox geyser which erupts several metres high at ...

Photo´s of Rotorua
Apr 3, 2005 (4 photos)

As promised we have managed to get hold of some of the photo´s when we were in Rotorua for your perusal. See Ya.

Gates to Hell
Apr 19, 2005 (17 photos)

... and finished our day at the Polynesian Spa. This was a treat indeed. I soaked in private natural pools overlooking Lake Rotorua, before being treated to a delicious massage. I left smelling of coconut and sulphur pool and feeling totally relaxed. The ...

Rotorua
Dec 6, 2008 (18 photos)

... were kind enough to let us kip in their spare room for two nights. The next day we went to the blue lake which is outside Rotorua. We did an hour walk around it followed by a swim and a picnic lunch. We then headed into town where I hit the hairdresser ...