Top Rotorua scenic highlights
Lake Rotorua
This beautifully peaceful lake has a violent history. One of several large volcanoes in the Rotorua region, its underlying magma chamber collapsed after a massive eruption around 200,000 years ago. The collapse created a circular caldera about 16 kilometres wide, which filled with water to form the North Island's second largest lake.Geothermal activity continues below and around Lake Rotorua. Clouds of steam drift around the shore and the water has a high sulphur content, resulting in a magical green-blue colouration. Mokoia Island, in the centre of the lake, is a rhyolite dome formed by slowly oozing lava. This island was the setting for one of New Zealand's greatest love stories - the tale of Hinemoa and Tutanekai. The beautiful maiden Hinemoa was the daughter of an influential chief. She lived on the eastern shores of Lake Rotorua and was regarded puhi (sacred), which meant that her tribe would choose her husband. Many suitors came seeking her hand, but none met the approval of her tribe. On Mokoia Island lived a family of several brothers including Tutanekai, the youngest. At a tribal gathering, where young warriors practiced their fighting skills, Tutanekai saw Hinemoa and fell in love. Tutanekai's weaponry prowess and good looks caught Hinemoa's eye, and she too was smitten. However, neither could see a future together - Tutanekai was considered too lowly born to wed Hinemoa. Poor, sad Tutanekai would sit on the shores of the island playing sorrowful music on his flute. The music would waft across the lake to where Hinemoa waited forlornly. Aware of what was going on, Hinemoa's people made a practice of pulling the tribe's heavy canoes all the way up the beach. But they didn't count on Hinemoa's ingenuity.One night Hinemoa fashioned a life-belt from empty gourds and swam towards the sound of Tutanekai's flute. She finally made it to Mokoia Island and headed straight for the island's hot pool, Waikimihia, to recover from her cold swim. While she was warming herself, Tutanekai's slave came down to the pool to fetch water. In a gruff voice, Hinemoa called ‘Mo wai te wai?’ (For whom is the water?). The slave answered ‘Mo Tutanekai’ (For Tutanekai). Hinemoa grabbed the calabash he was carrying and smashed it on the side of the pool. When the slave returned to Tutanekai and told him what had happened, Tutanekai went to investigate. The two lovers were at last united, and Hinemoa's tribe accepted Tutanekai as her husband. A very happy ending. Today the history and natural beauty of Mokoia Island can be explored on a guided tour. Visitors can also enjoy a soak in Waikimihia (now known as Hinemoa's Pool), on the south eastern side of the island.
Whakarewarewa Forest
Just five minutes south from downtown Rotorua, a beautiful forest awaits your exploration. It was established in 1901 as an experiment to test the suitability of different native and exotic forest species for commercial planting. The management of this forest has included deliberate strategies to welcome recreational users.In an area of the forest known as The Triangle, there is a mountain bike park with two circuits, a BMX track and a labyrinth of custom-made single tracks ranging from easy to terrifying. Created in partnership with experienced mountain bikers, the trails have names like Check It Out, Gunna Gotta, North Face, The Tickler and Be Rude Not To. Bikes can be hired in town and guided tours of the trails are also available.With tracks this good, the bikers are not tempted to stray onto the many hiking and running trails, so everyone gets space to enjoy this magnificent forest in their own favourite way. Perhaps the most famous area is the grove of giant coastal Californian redwoods. This is such an impressive feature that the park is often referred to simply as 'the Redwood Forest'.
Government Gardens
Originally known as Paepaekumana, the Government Gardens are situated on the lake's edge in downtown Rotorua. This site is of legendary and historical importance to local Maori people, for here many significant battles have taken place.In the late 1800s, the Maori people gifted 50 acres of this land to the crown "for the benefit of the people of the world". The land was a scrub-covered geothermal area with several therapeutic pools. The scrub was cleared and formal gardens planted. Several large trees remain from those early days, including multi-trunked Japanese firs and an unusual Californian weeping redwood.Realising the opportunity to create a South Pacific spa attraction, in 1908 the New Zealand government opened a large and elaborate bath house, built in the Elizabethan Tudor style of architecture. Today this magnificent building houses a museum and an award-winning exhibition on the days when people came from all over the world to 'take the waters'.In the early 1930s a second building, the Blue Baths, was constructed in an ornate Mediterranean style. These were among the first baths in the world to allow both males and females in the same pool. Rather than medicinal, the purpose of the Blue Baths was fun - a chance to socialise in the style of Hollywood movie stars. Fully restored to their original glory, the Blue Baths offer you the chance to relax in heated waters in an architecturally stunning setting.
Ohinemutu
Ohinemutu was the region's original Ngati Whakaue settlement. The location was chosen for its lakeside setting and abundant geothermal energy for cooking, bathing and heating. In pre-European times, Ohinemutu was the main centre for the Lake Rotorua region - visitors and food arrived at this bustling settlement before going on to the surrounding villages.Today Ohinemutu is a suburb of Rotorua city, but the village retains a sense of importance. Standing on the forecourt of the marae, as steam rises through the pavers from the earth below, you can feel the spirit of this significant place. The carving on the large meeting house is exquisite and highlighted by hundreds of inlaid shiny paua shells. Towards the lake's edge is the magnificently decorated Saint Faiths church. Inside the church, Maori carvings and woven panels add a unique dimension to the European Tudor-style architecture. The quality of this century-old artistry leaves you in no doubt of the importance of this building to Maori people. A memorable feature is a window etched with the image of Jesus clad in a Maori cloak - he appears to walk towards you across the surface of the lake.At Ohinemutu you can see how the Maori and European cultures have collaborated. Visitors are welcome to explore the area on foot, taking care to treat sacred places with respect.
Geothermal activity
New Zealand straddles an active fault line where two giant pieces of the earth's suface are in a constant state of collision. In the South Island they meet and push upwards, creating the towering Southern Alps; around the central North Island, one piece is creeping slowly under the other, generating enormous amounts of subterranean heat and volcanic activity.All around Rotorua, sneaky threads of steam drift upward from parks, river banks and drains. The unmistakeable scent of sulphur wafts through the air. Minutes from the city centre, geysers of boiling water roar from the ground and pools of bubbling mud gurgle and belch.Geothermal and volcanic activity have sculpted the landscape in every direction. The many beautiful lakes are water-filled craters from violently explosive eruptions. Giant sleeping volcanoes rise all around and gently oozing lava has created conical hills and islands. Silica terraces and the edges of ponds have been beautifully coloured by minerals extracted from deep inside the earth by the rising superheated water and steam.Since the arrival of the first Maori settlers, people have harnessed this vast renewable energy source for cooking, heating and, more recently, electric power production. You'll discover that a relaxing soak in naturally heated water is the perfect end to a day of geothermal exploration.
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