|
North Island
TAURANGA - ROTORUA
(86km/53miles, 1hour 30mins)
With your Budget Campers Motor Home Rentals take State
Highway 33 to Rotorua, leaving the Pacific Coast Highway touring
route behind. Spend the remainder of Day Four in Rotorua.
Rotorua is one of the most famous tourist destinations in New
Zealand, and has a long history of welcoming visitors. From the
moment people arrive in Rotorua they know they're somewhere quite
different. There is a scent of sulphur in the air, and at nearby
geothermal hotspots there are spouting geysers, mud pools
bubbling and belching, and warm geothermal pools and ponds that
create a kaleidoscope of colour.
There are many activities and attractions to appeal to a
wide range of visitor interests:
- Visit areas of geothermal
activity in and around Rotorua or choose from
numerous hot mineral baths in which to soak
- Gain a different
perspective of Rotorua - from the air. Choose a
flightseeing excursion to White Island, an active
volcano, or over the majestic crater of Mt Tarawera,
Waimangu Thermal Valley and the beautiful lakes of
Rotorua
- With 11 major lakes, the
Rotorua region is one of the country's prime
trout-fishing spots. There is high chance visitors
will catch a trout, especially if a local professional
guide is hired. Or visit a trout farm to view rainbow and
brown trout
- Learn about the history of
Rotorua at the Blue Baths in the Government
Gardens and the Rotorua Museum of Art and History,
or venture to the village of Te Wairoa, which was buried
by the 1886 Mt Tarawera eruption and is now on display as
an archaeological site
- Experience an action-packed
live stage show at the Agrodome or Rainbow Farm
and see rams, sheep shearing, sheep dogs, milking cows
and baby lambs
- View springs and streams
full with trout, see the native kiwi, and observe the
tuatara, a unique prehistoric lizard
In the evening, discover the
customs of the Maori people at one of the Maori concerts and
traditional hangi meals staged daily, OR visit one of the many
spa complexes offering therapeutic treatments and thermal bathing
facilities.
For those able to stay in the Rotorua area for additional
days, activities include:
- Whakarewarewa Forest:
visit the giant Californian redwood trees. With Rotorua
becoming well known as a mountain bike adventure mecca,
one of the main activities in the Forest is mountain
biking through a network of trails. Mountain bikes can be
hired and guided trips are available. Other activities in
the Forest include running, walking and horse riding
- Mt Tarawera: hike to
the top of this majestic volcano
- Volcano tours: join a
4WD tour to the dormant volcano of Mt Tarawera. Take a
guided walk in and around craters, and see spectacular
views of surrounding lakes and mountains
- White water rafting:
experience the most exciting river locations, including
thrilling rapids on the Rangitaiki River and New
Zealand's highest commercially rafted waterfall on the
Kaituna River
For more information on Rotorua
visit www.rotoruanz.com
|
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
