Facts - About 105 kilometres from Hamilton, Rotorua has a population of around 53,000, about half of whom are Maori. The city of Rotorua sits on the shore of Lake Rotorua, one of sixteen lakes in the area formed by hundreds of thousands of years of eruptions from the Taupo Volcanic Zone. The area is renowned for its geothermal activity (and strong sulphurous smell!) but Rotorua has more than just geysers and bubbling mud pools to offer holidaymakers.
The lakes are used for a variety of recreational activities including fishing, sailing, swimming and white river rafting. . The Buried Village offers a first hand insight into the devastation caused by the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera. Encounter a Kiwi at the Rainbow Springs Nature Park or discover Rotorua by duck – an amphibious vehicle which will take you on land and water too!. A visit to a Maori cultural show will entertain and educate and you can try a hangi where food is cooked the traditional Maori way underground. Explore the area on horseback or try mountain biking along one of the great forest trails. For those less energetic, there are lakesides to relax by and easy walks of varying distances. Located 10 kilometres northwest of Rotorua City is Ngongotaha, a town with a population of around 4000. Nogongotaha gets its name from the nearby 757 metre high mountain which overlooks Rotorua. The gondola cableway will take you up the mountain where the Skyline complex offers fun and thrills. If you prefer your entertainment on the ground, the Agrodome has animals and the New Zealand invention, the Zorb. Rotorua and the surrounding area offers culture and history, as well as adventure and thrills for the whole family.