Rotorua - A city in an actual crater ...
A straight 2-3 hours drive from Auckland , and you are in the volcanic city of Rotorua. Rotorua is a city based on a crater of a volcanic mountain. Hence you will find here a lot of geological thermal activities. Its a quaint little town with no high rise building and having a car here is a must. I stayed here for 3 nights but 2 nights is enough in this village. Regent in Rotorua Booked this motel based on Tripadvisor rankings and was not disappointed. Its actually a motel, with ground and first floors only and no elevators. But the room design is quite boutique standard. The room sizes are small but overall the effect is quite intimate. Rotorua is a small town hence location is not an issue here, Regent in Rotorua is located in a district of many restaurants within walking distance. It also has a small indoor pool fed with natural hot spring waters.Overall, this motel is value for money. Wai O Tapu A 30 km drive from Rotorua, its a thermal park showcasing various natural phenomenons, all of which are very very unique. Be prepared with your walking shoes, as it involves 2-3 miles walk on a circular path to see various nature forms during this thermal park visit. Also there is a Hot Geyser burst shown every day at 11 am in the morning and it is really fascinating. The only disappointing part was that some chemical is thrown down the throat of the crevice and boom ... then there is blast of Hot geyser. Agrodome One of the recommended activities of Rotorua, and this is where you feel that you are in New Zealand. Among sheeps, dogs, huge pastures of green land, vineyards, etc, its a blissful excursion if the weather remains good. You get chances to get up close with various kinds of sheep, emus, ostriches, etc. Also there is a sheep dog show which is quite enthralling for kids. But the prices are quite steep. Opposite to Agrodome, there is an arena for doing Zorbing down the hill... we did not do, but regret it till now. Google about it and see if Zorbing excites you. Polynesian Spa If in Rotorua, and you did experience Hot spring bath then its useless to come all the way here. Starting at 20 NZD , its a 1 hour private bath in hot spring pools. I could not make out the difference between a normal Jacuzzi and hot spring pool , but just after a long walk in Wai o Tapu, its nice way to relax.
Mini Golf There is mini golf course just when you enter Rotorua. Its a nice 18 hole golf course with various obstacles and fun concepts. A nice way to spend your extra time, and its interesting also. The fact they have one small rabbit and a gigantic rabbit adds to its aura. Paradise Valley Springs We had time to kill, so thought why not go and feed a lion cub ! Paradise Valley Springs is a zoo in simple terms. Its around 30 mins drive from the city but the drive is very scenic. As for the zoo , its strictly ok. Except feeding milk to lion cub, there is nothing exciting. Black Water Rafting This adventure sport is alone worth coming for to the Northern Island. Its not exactly in Rotorua but in a separate district called Waitomo. Waitomo is famous for glow-worm caves , and people just come here for a 2 hour excursion. Normal people just take a walk tour or a boat ride inside caves to see glow-worm, while abnormal people like us do water rafting in underground caves to see these creatures sparkle away. One of the most unique adventure sports , its a must do for adventure seekers. Gear up in a body suit, with helmet and grab your floating black tyre, all for 3 hour duration.
You will be required to climb up and down in caves, wade through waist length water, jump from small ledges in water, flow on your tyre like lazy river rides, and all this in DARK with only helmet lights to your aid. One of the most beautiful moments in this ride was when you just sit on your tube and flow in the river, close your lights and gaze at the million glow worms on the roof of the cave, it seems like you are star gazing. A must do, booking in advance is a must. You can do this either on your way to Rotorua or do as a day trip from Rotorua.
