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New Zealand
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This guide is the big picture, the overall view, but if you want detailed information on what to see, where to go, where to eat, where to stay go to my (Not quite) Complete Guide to New Zealand Travel Where to stay, where to eat, what to see. Yes, all that. But much more. It is aimed primarily at self-drive travellers and they need to know much more. The problem is how to deliver this information in a logical way - and I have decided to serve it up as the road rolls under you. That is, the information is given kilometre by kilometre for each of the state highways. It is a work in progress. And so far it has been seven years in the making. It is far from complete, but if you are touring NZ you may find it useful. Click here to visit the (Not quite) Complete Guide To New Zealand Travel. |
Rotorua New Zealand"a world famous resort and an insight into Maori culture"
Rotorua is one of NZ's most popular and longest established tourist areas. Allow at least one full day in the city and surrounding areas, but to take in the best of all the things offering would be at least two full days. Getting There By CoachThere's the usual gaggle of one day grab-and-go coach tours from Auckland. You can even pack in the Waitomo Caves and Rotorua on a single day if you want. Better take a video camera so that later you can actually take time to see what you saw. Two or three day options are easier on the soul. For more details go to Great Sights or Scenic Pacific. Driving
Give the place its proper due and stay at least one night. There are four routes you can take to get there:
Must
See Sights NZ Maori Arts and Crafts Institute - If you want to take home some genuine Maori art you can't go past this place. For 38 years, students from tribes across New Zealand have come here to learn traditions - carving and weaving - in danger of being lost forever. You can watch the artisans at work. Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley.
According
to tribal history, this was the place where the goddesses of fire, Te Pupu
and Te Hoata, emerged from the earth’s core, inhaling and exhaling,
creating the geysers, hot springs and mud pools. Some 500 pools and at least 65
geyser vents, each with their own name, are found on this site. Seven geysers
are active, the most famous, Pohutu, meaning big splash or explosion
which can erupt up to 30 metres high, depending on its mood.
Take the tour unguided - or take a guided walk. Your
guide will be a direct descendant of the original inhabitants of the area, back
through 25 generations to the 14th century. Whakarewarewa is pronounced
far-car-ree-wah-ree-wah. Or you could be like most Kiwis and just call it
"wokker". Not culturally sensitive - but certainly shorter and easier. The Agrodome is a live sheep show which will give you an insight into this vital NZ industry. You can also pump up the adrenalin levels by taking some of their other attractions: The Agrojet, - 450 hp of zero-to-the-ton-in-4.5sec. action - Freefall Xtreme Bodyflying, and Zorbing At Rainbow Springs huge trout loll lazily in a stream watching the tourists go by. These are not captives in any way - they can return to Lake Rotorua any time they like but they're not that stupid. They are not going to leave a steady supply of tourist tidbits. You'll also get to see the native Kiwi, a national icon. And a tuatara the last of the living dinosaurs. St Faith's Church and the Tamatekapua Meeting House at Ohinemutu. Superb examples of Maori architecture and ornamentation. On the lake's edge A Maori hangi (feast) and concert. Several of the hotels in the city have a concert and feast - try The Grand Tiara, or the Novotel Lakeside Rotorua Ph (07) 346-3888. For a visit to a marae as part of the hangi and feast try tourism award winner, Tamaki Maori Village - highly recommended. Should
Sees Get lost in a maze - the 3D maze at Te Ngae Park, Te Ngae Rd, 07-345-5275. Adults $6, kids $3 - good fun and cheap too. Take a Skyline Skyride, a gondola which lifts you 900m up Mt Ngongotaha for a panoramic view of the region. If you want to come down the adrenalin way, ride the luge a gravity slide ride on a specially designed cart (luge). Guaranteed fun for kids of all ages. Whaka is OK as far as it goes, but some of the many other thermal areas in the region present different forms of thermal activity and it's worth taking the time to see something different. Hell's Gate at Tikitere, Waimangu and Wai-o-tapu. Which to choose? Any. They are all different. If your next destination is Tauranga, choose Hells Gate - it's on the way. If you are heading for Taupo choose either of the other two or take a complete diversion and go to Orakei Korako on the banks of the Waikato River. Adventure Activities Rotorua also has it's share of adrenalin-buzz activities. How about aerobatic flying in a WW2 Boeing Stearman open-cockpit biplane. Call Lakeside Aviation Centre, 07-345-4242. Or in the Red Cat, a Grumman Ag-cat which can take two passengers in an open cock-pit. Get out on the lake with Hamill Adventures. They have things like kayaks, pedal boats, power boats, and bicycles for hire. They're on the lakefront. A little less hot-pumpin' action, but no less fun is a tour on four-wheel farm bikes through a working sheep and beef farm and into native bush. Mountain Action, 07-348-8400. Its on the high side of the road as you come in to the city from the west. Go paddle your own canoe - or have someone paddle in tandem with you - with Kaituna Kayaks. The Kaituna River is ideal for both beginners and experienced paddlers, depending on which stretch you choose. Run by Kenny Mutton who has a lifetime of kayaking experience. World Freestyle Bronze medallist, European Cup Champion 2000 & NZ's No. 1 freestyle paddler for many years. Or with Kaituna Cascades, raft and kayak expeditions, the original Kaituna rafting-kayaking company. Ph 07-345-4199. Fancy some horse riding: The Farmhouse, Central Rd, Ngongotaha. Ph 07-332-377. The largest horse trekking facility in the country. Ride over farm land and through native bush. Ph 07-332 3771. Or with Mountain Action, 07-348-8400 for a ride to the top of Mt Ngongotaha to get views over the region. Fishing
Sightseeing Tours One easy way of seeing it all with minimum fuss is to hail a sightseeing tour company. Huntaway Tours Ph 349-1581 have a half day tour of key attractions.
A New Zealand Travel Guide is written by David Morris and published by 148 Hillsborough Rd, Hillsborough,
Auckland 1042,
New Zealand. [Return to the top of A New Zealand Travel Guide] |
