Can anyone give us info about Rotorua?

Hi,

We will be cruising to NZ in two weeks' time and plan to go by car from Tauranga to Rotorua. I have been reading about Te Puia, Wai-o-tapu and Whakarewarewa Maori village. They each seem to have different things to offer, but can someone who has been there tell us more about them? We want to see geysers, bubbling mud pools etc. and a Maori cultural show. :):)

Evon.

Hi Evon

Can't help you with Te Puia but you may be able to google something up. Waiotapu is wonderful although is a little way out of Rotorua towards Taupo, probably about 30mins drive. It will take you about 40 minutes to walk around it and possibly longer if you linger. While there you can also see the pohutu Geyser blow it's top at about 11am each day (there is a reason for this predictability which you will find out if you go.

You will get a traditional Maori show etc at Whakarewarewa and also mud pools.

There are also many "free" mud pools around Rotorua, heaps of them in the park across from the hospital and many small ones around the Lake.

If you do decide to go to Waiotapu and would be interested I can give you directions to a totally unspoilt thermal stream complete with hot waterfall, which is only a 5 minute deviation from your route.

You will find info and photos of Waiotapu on the Net...the colours there are truly beautiful

Cheers Linda

I just loved Rotorua, from the Traditional Cultrual show & village to the hotsprings, geysers & hot bubbling mud :D am sure you will enjoy them.

Just not sure which island I prefer as the South & North Island are like "chalk & cheese." both have great things to offer.:o

Hi Linda,

I checked out the three places on the internet, but I was hoping for more info from someone who had been there. Te Puia sounds good. It has geysers & mud pools as well as a Maori village and a cultural performance. The thermal features at Wai-o-tapu also sound good and I appreciate your comments. It is 27km south of Rotorua. The Lady Knox Geyser goes off every day at 10.15 (aided by soap suds) and can last up to 45 minutes.

I am trying to work out if it is worth going to both Te Puia and Wai-o-tapu. :):)

Evon.

We went to Te Puia and found it very good, mud pools geysers and a cultural show....good tours available from the tourist info centre in Tauranga and they drop you back to the ship. Was less than half the ships tours for the same deal with the same company.:D

Hi Evon

One of the thermal villages has a spa which offers a mud bath. Just so you know you do not sit in a bath of thick mud. It is a concrete pool which they put the mud into and then they fill the pool with water. It is special mud and they dig it out of the stream each morning but the mud bath is more like a very dirty bath. You scrape the mud off the bottom of the pool and spread it on your body. When you get out they wash you down with cold water and then you get into a hot pool. An interesting experience but not quite the mud bath we expected.

Ruth

Hi Ruth,

Thanks for the info, but I think I'll pass on the mud bath. Several years ago on a visit to Japan we went to a beach with hot black sand (volcanic). The attendants dug out a large depression for each person, and dressed only in a cotton wrap-around roabe, we each lay down and were covered with the hot black sand. It was an amazing experience. The visit ended with soaking in a traditional bath - one for ladies and one for men. Just as well because at this time it was "no clothes". :):)

Evon.

Hi Linda,

I checked out the three places on the internet, but I was hoping for more info from someone who had been there. Te Puia sounds good. It has geysers & mud pools as well as a Maori village and a cultural performance. The thermal features at Wai-o-tapu also sound good and I appreciate your comments. It is 27km south of Rotorua. The Lady Knox Geyser goes off every day at 10.15 (aided by soap suds) and can last up to 45 minutes.

 

I am trying to work out if it is worth going to both Te Puia and Wai-o-tapu. :):)

Evon.

Wai-o-tapu is good - allow plenty of time to walk completely around the park.

Thanks to everyone for their comments. I'll discuss it with Peter and the friends we are travelling with. :):)

Evon.

I have done both now and I think I preferred Te Puia. Wai-o-tapu is is cheaper and has a lot more walks but the geyser only erupts the one time. Whereas at Te Puia the geyser erupts naturally and usually multiple times per day, although not guarantee when or how many. I actually missed it erupting as we were only there a short time, however my husband sat and watched it and thought it was much better. Also Te Puia has the maori exhibits, show and the kiwi exhibit. Wai-o-tapu, did have some beautiful scenery and I really enjoyed looking at all the different natural features.

Either one you chose allow yourself lots of time to look around.

Thanks for the info. We were planning to go just to Te Puia, but when I read more about Wai-o-tapu I wondered if it was worth going there also. The problem is that I always want to see the lot and this can be a bit difficult when we have only one day in port. :):)

Evon.

I would only go to one or the other in one day.

No we're not Kiwis but have been there a couple of times and just love the place. DH would move there in a heartbeat if I let him.

http://www.geyserland.co.nz/ - Wai o Tapu

http://www.nzmaori.co.nz/ - Te Pauia

http://www.hellsgate.co.nz/ - Hells Gate

We have done Te Pauia and Hells Gate, both had something different to offer. Amazing how you will get used to that sulfur smell pretty quick, (just like rotten eggs :o). The first time we went to Rotorua Te Pauia was having some sort of festival and we got in for free, funniest thing I saw was some local maori kids ask some Asian tourists if they wanted to see a Haka which the Asians said yes. Well the kids did the Haka (really good too) and at the end asked the Asians for money for it, very cheeky and I don't think they got any.

Hells Gate also has spa facilities, didn't use them but heard from friends the same sort of story you mentioned. Getting hosed down with cold water after the mud. yuk. The change in the scenery as you walk through is amazing.

A shame you are not there for the night. For a really authentic and traditional maori experience we really enjoyed the Mitai evening. Have also done the Tamaki village one but Mitai was so much better.

Other places which may be of interest.

Rainbow Springs Nature Park

Agrodome Sheep Show & Farm Tour

Skyline Skyrides - this is awersome fun, you go up the mountain in a Gondola (fantastic views) then zoom down the tracks in a 3 wheel luge. Our family loved this one.

There is heaps to do in Rotorua, if you haven't already check out http://www.rotoruanz.com for more info.

Cheers

Jingles.:D

If you are hiring a car I suggest you make sure you have insurance and make sure you leave plenty of time to get back to the ship as travelling times between Tauranga and Rotorua can be impossible to predict. Ther was a nasty accident on friday when some Diamond Princess passengers crashed on their way back to the ship and all five are still in hospital. I would allow at least 2 hours to return as traffic can be particularly heavy in the afternoon.

Thanks Jingles for your info. Thanks also to Bomber for your advice. It is a sobering thought that passengers on a recent cruise ended up in hospital. We always leave ourselves plenty of time to get back to the ship. We are due to leave Tauranga at 8pm, and I think we would probably plan on being back around 6pm. :):)

Hi evon,

I would suggest if you are staying in Auckland at end of your crusie, to do rotorua from there, which is what we did. No presuure to get back to the ship as rotorua is about 2 hours from tauranga, and a lot of your day is spent driving.

Cheers,

Michele:)

Hi evon,

I would suggest if you are staying in Auckland at end of your crusie, to do rotorua from there, which is what we did. No presuure to get back to the ship as rotorua is about 2 hours from tauranga, and a lot of your day is spent driving.

Cheers,

Michele:)

Hi Michele,

Thanks for that suggestion, but our cruise is return to Brisbane. Peter and I have been to Rotorua years ago, but are keen to go again. :)

Evon.