A short break in Rotorua
Written: Jul 28 '02 (Updated Jan 22 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Pros: This is a great place to visit.
Cons: Cons: The smell.
The Bottom Line: The only place in NZ with steam coming out of peoples front lawns...
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| hollynz's Full Review: Rotorua |
I have republished this review in this new category
Just back from a weekend away in Rotorua. We drove the 4 1/2 hour journey from the east coast of the North Island. Highway 30 between Whakatane and Rotorua is gorgeous.It takes approx. 1 1/2 hours and takes you through some gorgeous scenery. Starting at the Pacific Ocean you head inland passing farmland, after about an hour the road winds its way through thick native bush before winding along the shores of three lakes.
You will know when you are getting close to Rotorua by the unpleasant smell; the air is drenched with the sulphuric smell of rotten eggs as a result of all the thermal activity in the area. It beats me how people can live here but you do get used to the smell and it becomes barely noticeable most of the time.
Rotorua is a wonderful place to visit, there’s tons to do in the area from visiting the ‘thermal’ parks to adrenalin pumping jet boat rides, fly over the volcanoes or rent a kayak and spend the day on the lake.
WEBSITES www.rotoruaNZ.com
www.agrodome.co.nz
www.buriedvillage.co.nz
www.rainbownz.co.nz
www.geyserland.co.nz
www.whakarewarewa.com
The city sits on the shore of Lake Rotorua, this scenic lake has a small island in the middle of it and there are walking tracks on the island if you make it that far in your kayak. There are numerous lake cruise options if you want to take the easy way to the island. You can rent kayaks and little self-propelled paddleboats for around $10 (NZ) an hour from the waterfront downtown. This is also where you catch the cruises, hire bikes, sea planes etc. If you are keen to fly over the volcanoes there are scenic flights at the airport, either helicopter or fixed wing planes.
There are numerous companies doing scenic flights, it doesn’t come cheap with prices starting at approx. $150 (NZ) up to $600 (NZ). If you are a real volcano freak you can actually land on White Island, New Zealands most active volcano which is constantly steaming away just off-shore from Whakatane. Prices start at $375 per person for this once in a lifetime experience.
WEBSITES ... www.volcanicair.co.nz
www.vulcanheli.co.nz
http://webwings.co.nz/volcanic
I always intend to do one of those flights but haven’t yet, maybe next time!
The reason for our visit was to attend my husband’s cousins wedding so we didn’t have much time to sightsee this time. We went into the city to do last minute Christmas shopping along with the whole 65,000 residents of Rotorua. The streets and shops were packed with shoppers as it was the last weekend before Christmas. We spent an afternoon down at the Craft Market along the waterfront. It was a shame I had already done most of my Christmas shopping as there was some great stuff for sale here, all reasonably priced as well, you could even say cheap.
The weather was beautiful, the crowds were bustling, the lake was full of kayakers having fun and it looked like a really pleasant place. There were lots of huge black swans floating around being hand fed by children; these birds are exceptionally large when you get up close and personal with them.
When we left Rotorua we stopped for an hour at HELLS GATE. This is one of the many ‘THERMAL PARKS’ in the area and as it was on the highway we were on (highway 30) it was the one we chose to visit. I was a bit disappointed not to see any big bubbling mud pools. This place is mainly boiling, steaming hot water pools with the odd mud pool here and there. The paths wind there way amongst the steaming pools, it’s a bit like taking a sauna in some places. The place is certainly well named as it is extremely stark and ugly. It is like looking into the bowels of the earth and hearing the bubbling , popping sounds underfoot is slightly unnerving.I was quite taken with the peacocks, these are tame enough to take bread out of your hand and will even allow you close enough to get photo’s.
ADMISSION
(NZ) $12 adult, $6 child, $30 family pass.
There is also a spa and mud bath available here at an additional cost to the general admission.
SPA
$10 adult, $6 child
MUD BATH
$25 per person.
WEBSITE
www.hellsgaterotorua.co.nz
This weekend away has tempted me to go back sometime soon and enjoy more of what Rotorua has to offer. I’m looking forward to my next visit!
UPDATE ~ july 2002
Skyline skyrides
We had another short break here back in March, this time we decided to go and check out this hugely popular tourist attraction.
We timed our visit for a weekday morning, it’s a sure way to beat the crowds if you have the luxury of having time on your hands. The late summer weather was gorgeous, still hot but not oppressive.
The amusement park is situated on top of Mount Ngongoataha which provides panoramic views of the city, the lake and the environs. The only access to the park is via the Gondola, with my slight fear of heights I was a bit worried about this one but once we were underway, and my horrible hubby had stopped threatening to rock the gondola (some people are just downright mean) I relaxed and managed to enjoy the view.
We bought a combo ticket which entitled us to the gondola ride plus 2 Luge rides each. The Luge was fantastic, even though I only managed to do one ride as my hands were aching too much (shades of arthritis). I opted for the beginner’s track, which I thought was actually quite scary. You can make the ride as hair-raising as you want; it’s your choice. I tootled along at an extremely slow speed, everyone was whizzing passed me but, hey,I didn’t care.
The luge carts are easy to control by pulling the handle towards you to slow down, away from you to speed up. You can certainly get your speed up if you are a speed demon. The beginners track had enough tight corners and sweeping downhills to make it exciting enough but not too difficult to maintain control of the luge.
At 1.5 kilometres, it’s plenty long enough to give you a great ride.
When you reach the bottom you just jump on the chairlift for a ride back to the top.
I gave my other ride to my hubby who took off on the advanced track. He loved this track and enjoyed getting airborne on the humps. He reckoned it was quite dangerous in places but had good warning signs to let you know where to slow down.
The 3rd track is the scenic track. This one is easy going and has plenty of rest stops where you can take in the views. At 2 kilometres long it is the longest of the tracks.
Children under 6 are allowed to ride tandem with an adult so they don’t have to miss out on the adventure.
Other attractions up here include the simulated ride, the sky swing, mountain biking and helicopter flights. Each incurring extra costs though.
amenities
There is a popular food court and restaurant at the top, the restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Served as a buffet, the lunch and dinner has an extensive menu to choose from. It is a popular venue for dinner because of the great night views of the city.
The food court sells cakes, pastries, fries, sandwiches, salads etc, hot and cold drinks.
There are plenty of restrooms as well.
~ website www.skylineskyrides.co.nz
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Recommended:
Yes
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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hollynz
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