We drove South along the thermal explorer highway to our first stop, Rotorua, lovingly nicknamed 'Rotovegas' (for reasons beyond my understanding). Upon arrival the first thing you notice is the smell. It's the kind of smell that makes you suspiciously eye up everyone in the car and say "okay guys, who did that?' Don't be alarmed because it is actually caused by the thermal activity and sulfuric gas being released. I don't think I'm being fair and giving Rotorua enough credit. It is an amazing city with over 10 lake's to explore and so many activities from zorbing to skydiving for the adrenaline junkies. We opted for the Skyline Luge, a favourite of mine since I was a kid. You take a gondola up to the top of a hill which gives you incredible views of Lake Rotorua. We then paid for 3 rides on the luge, a basic go-kart which takes you zooming down 3 different tracks depending on your confidence: beginner, intermediate and advanced. An absolute must-do and as their slogan says 'once is never enough'.
Skyline, Rotorua
Luge track at Skyline Rotorua
One of the main downsides of visiting Rotorua is that you have to pay to see all the really good geysers and thermal activity; as Liam said "it's like climbing a mountain and being charged to see the view". There are a few hot spots in parks around the city that are free to view, one being Kuirau Park which we visited. We saw some bubbling mud pools and steaming hot pools. They've even built some foot spas you can dip your feet in, which contain the natural hot spring water. I thought this was a nice touch. I just wish they made more of it free to the public as it's the main reason people visit Rotorua. Since the foot spa wasn't enough we decided instead to splash (literally) out and dive (okay last one I promise) into the Polynesian Pools. Last time I was in Rotorua we came here and I thought it was the spa with best value for money. For admission to the Adult Spas you get to hop between about 5-6 different pools of varying temperatures with no time limit, you can stay all day. It has views of the Lake and is overall a tranquil and relaxing experience. The only thing it lacks is privacy which might bother some people during busy periods, but you can pay for half an hour in a private spa.
Kuirau Park, Rotorua
Lake Tarawera, Rotorua
On our way out of Rotorua, heading towards Napier, we decided to make a pit stop in Taupo. We googled top free things to do in Taupo and saw Huka Falls on the list. It was not what I expected at all. The sheer force and noise of the running water was incredible. Watching the ice blue and snow white water wash out into the bottom of the falls was hypnotizing. Pictures cannot capture it's beauty but we tried our best.
Huka Falls, Taupo
Rotorua is a huge tourist spot, and it definitely takes advantage of all the money tourists bring, so be careful and pick and choose what you really think is worth doing. But nonetheless its a tourist spot for a reason, with plenty to do for everyone and some really beautiful sights to explore.
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