Rotorua & the Bay of Plenty
Okere Falls, 20km northeast of Rotorua, is a rafting town, so it's not just the fridge full of craft beers that's chilled out here. The food at this store with a beer garden ranges from kimchi-and-cheese toasted sandwiches to vegan kick-start breakfasts. Eat out on the raffish balcony with views over the Kaituna River.
It also hosts regular live music and a beer festival in October.
11.23 MILES
Te Puia dials up the heat on Māoritanga (things Māori) with explosive performances from both its cultural troupe and Pōhutu (Big Splash), its famous…
18.59 MILES
The most visible wound from Mt Tarawera's 1886 eruption, the Waimangu geothermal area spreads down a valley to Lake Rotomahana (Warm Lake). The experience…
23.32 MILES
The most colourful of the region's geothermal attractions, Wai-O-Tapu (Sacred Waters) has a variety of features packed into a relatively compact, heavily…
28.4 MILES
The steep slopes of 232m-high Mauao swarm with walkers in the morning, when the Mount’s early risers perform their ritual climb to the summit. The ascent…
10.91 MILES
This magical park of forest giants is 5km southeast of town. From 1899, 170 tree species were planted here to see which could be grown successfully for…
10.94 MILES
Wander the streets of this living village, where the local Tūhourangi/Ngāti Wāhiao people have resided for centuries, with its homes, stores, cafes and…
10.38 MILES
The Wingspan National Bird of Prey Centre is dedicated to conserving threatened NZ raptors, particularly the karearea (NZ falcon). Learn about the birds…
9.59 MILES
Thermal activity comes no cheaper than at this free public park that runs along the western edge of the town centre. It's a wonderful juxtaposition of…
3.35 MILES
Known as Tikitere to the Ngāti Rangiteaorere people, this highly active geothermal reserve lies 16km northeast of Rotorua on the Whakatāne road (SH30). It…
4.73 MILES
Located near the northern shore of Lake Rotorua, these springs are a sacred place for the local Ngāti Rangiwewehi people. A pretty 1.5km walk leads…
8.88 MILES
Lake Rotorua is the largest of the district’s 18 lakes and is − underneath all that water − a spent volcano. Near the centre of the lake is Mokoia Island,…
4. Rainbow Springs Nature Park
9.11 MILES
The natural springs here are home to wild trout and eels, which you can peer at through an underwater viewer, and plenty of animals, including tuatara (a…
9.14 MILES
Consecrated in 1918, Ōhinemutu's historic timber church is intricately decorated with Māori carvings, tukutuku (woven panels), painted scrollwork and…
9.19 MILES
Ohinemutu is a lakeside Māori village that is home to around 260 people. Highlights include the 1905 Tama-te-Kapua Meeting House (not open to visitors),…
9.3 MILES
Constructed in a striking faux-Tudor style, this museum, which began life in 1908 as an elegant spa retreat called the Bath House, has been closed since…
9.34 MILES
The manicured Government Gardens surrounding the Rotorua Museum are a wonderful example of the blending of English (rose gardens, ponds, croquet lawns and…