Rotorua & Taupō.
Rotorua & Taupō.
Clarissa Russell
Rotorua - a town on the North Island that is well known for its geothermal activity and Māori culture. There’s so much to see from 30m tall Geysers and bubbling mud pools, to a living Māori village!
Taupō - located near the centre of North Island and known for its lake front setting on Lake Taupō. The lake is actually a volcanic caldera that drains into Huka Falls, which is a must see while in the area!!
We spent two weeks living in Reporoa doing “WWOOFING” and it gave us free accommodation, food every afternoon and two days a week to travel the area and see as much as possible!
Here you’ll find all of my tried and tested recommendations for the area ⤵️
I hope you enjoy this beautiful area as much as I did 🫶✨
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Rotorua.
Māori culture…
.. then you’re in the right place!
Before leaving Auckland, a couple of our friends told us that there’s a few things we should do while we’re in Rotorua.
One was to go to a Polynesia spa ⤵️
Polynesian Spa
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A relaxing way to experience the benefits of geothermal waters on your body.
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This spa utilises the geothermal capabilities of the land and has both acidic and alkaline pools to bathe in. Acidic pools help ease aches and pains, while alkaline is great for your skin!
It is a paid experience, but we found that it was a fantastic way to unwind.
Te Puia..
Te Puia - Rotorua, NZ
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A cultural and geothermal experience! They have package options on the website if you want to check them out!!
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Spanning 70 hectares in the geothermal Whakarewarewa Geothermal Valley, it is home to the famous Pōhutu geyser, mud pools and hot springs! Among visiting these amazing wonders, you can also indulge in a hāngī - a traditional Māori meal which is steamed underground, and after, observe the Hakka being performed.
The Hāngī restaurant here is SO good. If you go for the lunchtime service you can get an all you can eat buffet for $53NZD per person. It’s suuuch a good feed.
There are plenty of other cultural Māori centres in the area. You can pay to learn more about the culture, however they are expensive! It’s definitely something we will do once we have started earning money here in Aotearoa.
Some other options:
Te Pa Tu - The Gathering Place
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This option is on the more expensive side, but has a high quality three course meal at a sit down restaurant. From what I have seen of this place, it’s worth the money. But we couldn’t justiour budget just yet.
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Mitai Maori Village
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This is a cheaper alternative to Te Pa Tu, but is still pricey if you’re on a budget! Maybe consider saving some of your budget to have this experience- or choose to come back when you’ve been working a while (presuming you’re on a working holiday visa)!
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Activities & Destinations..
Skyline Rotorua
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✨The Luge✨ This was BY FAR one of my favourite days!! This is an activity where you can just let loose and be a child again! It’s a bit pricey.. but it’s SOOO much fun!!
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Rainbow Mountain Scenic Reserve
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This is such a beautiful scenic walk in the area! It took us 2-3 hours to get up and down, and soak in the scenery at the top (it can be done faster but we took a leisurely stroll 😂).
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Kerosene Creek
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This place is so pretty! And super special! It’s one of the few thermal waterfalls in the world - absolutely perfect for a soak 😍
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Redwoods Treewalk
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Sadly we didn’t make it to this one! But next time we come through we will be going - and why wouldn’t we!! Look at it ✨ I would check out the evening admission so that you can explore the tree tops below all of those pretty lights 🥰
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Hell's Gate Geothermal Reserve and Mud Spa
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We didn’t have time to get here while we were in the area - but it’s on the list and was recommended! I the it would be so cool to experience the water spa and the mud spa around the same time!
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Kuirau Park - Mud Pools
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While you’re in the city you should head around this park and have a look at the mud pools! There’s also some public geothermal foot baths for you to warm up with - an authentic Aotearoan experience!
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Eats & Coffee..
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Pig & Whistle, Historic Pub
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We didn’t go, but it was recommended as a tourist must do for the fact that it’s a historic pub! Pub grub and beer! 🤷♀️ if I must 😏
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Taupō.
Activities & Destinations..
Ngatoroirangi Mine Bay Maori Rock Carvings
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Depending on how long and how much energy you’ve got you can take a boat trip or kayak there ⤵️ (more down here)
From Acacia Bay by kayak it’s an approximate 4 hour round trip on a clear day! So pack water, suncream, a hat and some snacks!!
We saw on Google maps that there’s a jetty really close to the carvings but I believe that it’s within a gated community and is not accessible to the public!
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Tongariro Alpine Crossing
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This is a bucketlist hike here in Aotearoa New Zealand! It can take between 6-8 hours and isn’t an easy hike - but anyone with a decent level of fitness and ability can complete it! Definitely do your own research on this hike!
Things to consider:
It’s a one way crossing - you will need a bus ticket to get back to the start to collect your car or you’ll need to get the bus back to Taupō.
Equipment- walking boots vs trainers.
Weather & time of year! (It’s a snow capped mountain but the track should be free of ice and snow depending on the time of year!).
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Huka Falls
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A beautiful and impressive sight! There’s also a few walking trails in the area if you’re interested in hiking!
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Craters of the Moon
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It’s a really cool place to see for geothermal activity and to learn how it is utilised. It’s paid entry - $10NZD per adult. The gates close at 5pm.
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Taupo Museum and Art Gallery
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Cultural art and history!
Definitely worth a visit.
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Eats & Coffee..
The Cozy Corner
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A wholesome corner café for brunch ✨ They’re super sustainability conscious which I personally love. Recommend by me 🫶
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The Doughnut Box
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We walked past this place and it looked unreal!! I’d have gone if I hadn’t just eaten and had coffee 🥹✨
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McDonald's Taupo
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It’s no Cozy Corner, but the it’s definitely unique!! Have your maccas in a plane!! 🛩️
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The Coffee Club Taupo
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It’s a chain cafe, but it’s easy and the coffee is good!! The food is actually pretty good! ☺️🫶
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That’s the end of my recommendations.
I hope you have the best time!
Clarissa xox
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Clarissa Russell
Hey there! I’m Clarissa - a 26 year old paramedic from the U.K., who left her life behind to live out her travel dreams! And I couldn’t recommend it more!! 🤩
I’ve spent a year in Australia travelling by 4WD, living out of a roof tent or a van and I want to share all of the gold I’ve picked up along the way! From planning to what you should consider when you buy a vehicle or looking for jobs! And of course all of my most recommended spots, eats and dos!!
I’m now in Aotearoa New Zealand doing my next batch of field research 🧐🤝
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