Rotorua, New Zealand

After a week in Auckland, where I spent four days with a WWOOF’ing family, I headed to Rotorua. The city is known for its immense geothermal activity, geysers, and hot springs. It bubbled, simmered, and steamed in many areas around the city, which made it sometimes smell strongly of something reminiscent of rotten eggs.

It was truly a cool area, and several of the spots had the most beautiful colors! It was such an awesome experience to spend a few days in the city and get some of the nature experiences I had been looking forward to in New Zealand.

My favorite experiences in Rotorua

1. Kuirau Park

Right next to Haka Lodge where I stayed, there was Kuirau Park. It’s a geothermal public park in Rotorua, where you can experience the natural hot springs and bubbling mud pools for free. Definitely worth a visit.

2. Redwood Forest

A beautiful forest filled with majestic redwood trees, and many beautiful hiking trails of varying distances. It’s also very popular to experience the treetops of the forest from high walkways, both during the day and at night. I decided to save the money and took the free walking trails in the forest instead, which were really beautiful. It was truly a cool area, and several of the spots had the most stunning colors! It was a super cool experience to spend a few days in the city and get some of the nature experiences I had been looking forward to in New Zealand.

3. Maori Living Village

Rotorua is a city with a lot of history, where you can experience Maori culture in many places. I took part in a guided tour through the authentic and living Maori village. The woman who showed us around had grown up in the village and still lived there. She talked about their many traditions and how they used the hot springs and bubbling mud pools in their daily lives.

4. Wai-O-Tapu

I visited Wai-O-Tapu, one of New Zealand’s most famous geothermal areas, known for its spectacular colorful geysers, hot springs, and bubbling mud pools. The landscape was really impressive and unique, and it was wild to experience what nature is capable of. Definitely a place I would recommend visiting.

5. Eat Street

A lively area in the center of Rotorua filled with restaurants and bars offering food from all over the world. I went to Eat Street with a girl from England whom I had met at the hostel I was staying at. There was a cozy atmosphere, and we had a really good dinner at the restaurant Atticus Finch.

6. Three Tikis Souvenirs

I have to mention this lovely souvenir shop that sells traditional Maori crafts and other little cozy things. Even though it was a souvenir shop, I fell in love with the boats, t-shirts, caps, and headbands. Definitely my favorite in the city.

7. Cafés I recommend

Artisan Café: A cozy café known for its good coffee and breakfast menu, focusing on fresh, local ingredients.
Capers Café: A local café offering delicious dishes and many tasty homemade cakes.

8. Accommodation – Haka Lodge

I stayed three nights at Haka Lodge. A budget-friendly hostel in Rotorua with both dorm rooms and private rooms. It’s centrally located, which made it easy to explore the city.

9. Rotorua Lakefront

I took a walk along Rotorua’s beautiful lakeside promenade, where there was a view of Lake Rotorua. From here, you could also book various activities on the water.