Rotorua Activities

Rotorua has a large amount of different Tours and activities to occupy your day and experience. We have listed a few below which can be booked directly at our Reception desk.
 

Te Puia

Te Pō Combo - Indigenous Evening Experience
Start time 4:30pm

Te Pō Combo is an Indigenous Evening Experience plus the Te Puia Daytime Experience - a feast of storytelling, entertainment and Māori Cuisine, with a daytime guided tour included.

Enjoy an exclusive guided tour starting at 4:30pm with one of Te Puia's world renowned guides. It includes a visit to the New Zealand national carving and weaving schools where you can watch these disciplines in practice under the guidance of our master carvers and weavers. The tour will include a visit to our award winning interactive galleries and our Kiwi House, where you can see New Zealand's flightless bird up-close, followed by a visit to our mud pools and geysers. Explore our Taōnga gallery (treasure gallery) before your Te Pō evening experience begins.

Te Pō evening tour begins at Te Keketanga-a-Rangi (Heavenly Origins), a space comprising twelve monumental carvings reaching skyward. Hear stories of our past prior to assembling at the waharoa (gateway) of our marae. Experience an authentic Māori welcome ceremony, warrior's challenge and kapa haka (performing arts) concert.

The Māori Feast is a culinary opportunity like no other. The range of traditional and indigenous inspired dishes have been designed to create a memorable cultural experience. View the Menu here . Watch the Te Po Video here.

Te Puia

Enjoy our illuminated thermal valley - Our evening concludes with a visit to the illuminated Te Whakarewarewa Valley and awe inspiring Pohutu geyser where you can enjoy more Māori delicacies and a hot drink.

Kaituna Cascades

With possibly the world's highest commercially rafted waterfall, 6/7 metres [21 ft], the Kaituna River is a white-water enthusiasts dream come true. Flowing through an extremely steep and narrow canyon, in 50 minutes you will paddle 14 awesome drops, including two waterfalls and some great rapids. Only 15 minutes from Rotorua.

Mitai

An evening at Mitai will give you an authentic introduction to Maori culture leaving you amazed and in awe. Enter the world of Mitai. Be enthralled by the natural bush setting, see warriors in traditional dress paddle an ancient warrior canoe (waka) down the Wai-o-whiro stream, and don’t miss your only opportunity in the Rotorua area to see glow worms in their natural habitat.

Marvel at the crystal clear water full of eels and trout, flowing directly from the earth at the sacred Fairy Spring. See your traditionally cooked hangi meal being lifted from the ground. During our cultural performance, you’ll learn about our past, carvings and ta moko (tattoo art).

Be captivated by the displays of weaponry and combat, coupled with the grace and beauty of the poi dance. You’ll be amazed by the spine tingling haka finale. The Mitai family is proud to have created a sacred and spiritual place that offers you an indigenous cultural experience like no other.

Agrodome
 

The Agrodome offers visitors an experience like no other – seeing through the eyes of a true New Zealand farmer. Situated just north of Rotorua city on a scenic 160-hectare sheep and beef farm, this exciting, educational and hands-on experience is one not to be missed.

Hells Gate - Wai Ora Spa
 

The unique geothermal muds and waters of Rotorua are renown for their curative and invigorating properties—and this is particularly so at “Hells Gate” - Rotorua’s most active thermal park. For more than 700 years “Hells Gate” or Tikitere as it is known to the Maori has been a special place of wellness from the medicinal Sulphur Lake to the curative waters and muds of "Hurutini" (name of a geothermal pool). With the arrival of the Europeans to New Zealand (Aotearoa) some 150 years ago, the special qualities of the muds and waters of Hells Gate Tikitere, have been sought after with many documented and medically certified cures being effected.

The special muds and sulphurous waters have been guarded for centuries by the Kaitiaki - ’Wai Ora’ (guardian warrior) after whom the spa is named.

Additional properties of “Hells Gate” muds include:

• Very strong affinity to moisture in the skin making it an excellent product for promoting regenerating skin cells
• Detoxifying and purifying action of the mud on the skin when drying
• Highly active clay surfaces of the mud that easily absorbs excess oils and fatty secretions from within the skin’s pores
• Bacteriacidal properties of the mud through it’s sulphur content which kill bacteria and assists in the prevention and elimination of acne

There are special qualities retained in “Hells Gate” mud which is a very fine suspension in the mineral enriched geothermal waters of the "Hurutini" pool. This mineral enriched geothermal mud provides an excellent source of minerals including silica, alumina, magnesium, calcium, iron, titanium, sulphur, phosphorous, sodium and potassium as well as trace elements such as copper, zinc, selenium, cobalt, manganese and molylodeman.

Tamaki

This lively Maori cultural performance is based on a true story, real characters and actual events, each coming together to create a state-of-the-art indigenous re-enactment. The nightly Rotorua Maori cultural event features arts, craft, song, performing arts and traditional Maori feast.

Kiwi Encounter/Rainbow Springs

Rainbow Springs Kiwi Wildlife Park has been a favourite destination since 1932. A natural spring of fresh water has given us the ability to conserve a special part of New Zealand.

Spread over 22 acres of parkland, Rainbow Springs offers a truly unique experience and is a must-see for anyone wanting to get to know New Zealand’s wonderful environment and animals, both during the day and at night.

Waiotapu

Wai-O-Tapu (Sacred Waters) is New Zealand's most colourful and diverse volcanic area. The walks take visitors on a journey through stunning geothermal activity and unforgettable vistas.'

You will find innumerable colours of every tint and hue displayed in pools, lakes, craters, steam vents, mineral terraces and even the tracks you walk on.

Polynesian Spa

Just for adults, this popular area offers seven hot mineral pools, six with views of Lake Rotorua.  Three cascading, marble-lined pools (36˚C to 39˚C), feature alkaline water. The smooth terraced walls provide a popular resting spot for bathers!

The large deeper alkaline pool (38˚C) is an excellent place to stretch out for some light activity.  While the three Priest Spa pools (39˚C to 42˚C), offer special thermal bathing in acidic water from the Radium hot spring, long renowned for its therapeutic properties. Also historic, the Priest Spa was named after a catholic priest, who in the late 1800’s gained great relief from arthritis when bathing in the hot spring waters.

Spacious changing rooms are provided and lockers are available. The Adult Pools and Priest Spa is a great area for socializing!

Rotorua Museum

The museum is housed in the historic Bath House building, located in the Government Gardens. Rotorua Museum opened in the South Wing of the Bath House in 1969 and Rotorua Art Gallery opened in the North wing in 1977. In 1988 the two operations combined to become Rotorua Museum of Art and History.

Rotorua Museum is the guardian of a building holding the highest classification under the New Zealand Historic Places Act. As a storehouse of the community’s treasures, the museum is administered by Rotorua District Council and is responsible for several important collections:

Rotorua Museum of Art and History is a department of Rotorua District Council.

Taonga Maori Collection
Significant treasures of the Arawa people, original inhabitants of the Rotorua region.

Fine Arts Collection
Important images of New Zealand, historic and contemporary artworks, sculpture, ceramics and craft.

Photographic Collection
Over 70,000 images depicting Rotorua’s rich past.

Social History Collection
Items relating to the Rotorua area since European settlement, including a unique collection of souvenir ware.
 

Skyline Skyrides

Set high on the side of Mount Ngongotaha with extensive views of Rotorua city, Lake Rotorua, geothermal areas and surrounding hinterlands, Skyline Rotorua provides the ideal venue for a day of family fun, a romantic evening for two or a event with that all important wow factor.

Also Recommended

• Kaitiaki
• Agroventures
• Wet n Wild
• Kawarau Jet