Must-see attractions in Rotorua & the Bay of Plenty

  • Pohutu Geyser in Te Puia, Rotorua, New Zealand.

    Te Puia

    Rotorua

    Te Puia dials up the heat on Māoritanga (things Māori) with explosive performances from both its cultural troupe and Pōhutu (Big Splash), its famous…

  • Frying Pan Lake in Waimangu Volcanic Valley.

    Waimangu Volcanic Valley

    Rotorua & the Bay of Plenty

    The most visible wound from Mt Tarawera's 1886 eruption, the Waimangu geothermal area spreads down a valley to Lake Rotomahana (Warm Lake). The experience…

  • The Champagne Pool at Wai-O-Tapu or Sacred Waters – Thermal Wonderland, Rotorua, New Zealand.

    Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland

    Rotorua & the Bay of Plenty

    The most colourful of the region's geothermal attractions, Wai-O-Tapu (Sacred Waters) has a variety of features packed into a relatively compact, heavily…

  • Redwoods Whakarewarewa Forest.

    Redwoods Whakarewarewa Forest

    Rotorua

    This magical park of forest giants is 5km southeast of town. From 1899, 170 tree species were planted here to see which could be grown successfully for…

  • Maori thermal village Whakarewarewa, Rotorua, New Zealand.

    Whakarewarewa

    Rotorua

    Wander the streets of this living village, where the local Tūhourangi/Ngāti Wāhiao people have resided for centuries, with its homes, stores, cafes and…

  • Hot spring in Kuirau Park

    Kuirau Park

    Rotorua

    Thermal activity comes no cheaper than at this free public park that runs along the western edge of the town centre. It's a wonderful juxtaposition of…

  • Hell's Gate

    Rotorua & the Bay of Plenty

    Known as Tikitere to the Ngāti Rangiteaorere people, this highly active geothermal reserve lies 16km northeast of Rotorua on the Whakatāne road (SH30). It…

  • Museum of Rotorua

    Rotorua Museum

    Rotorua

    Constructed in a striking faux-Tudor style, this museum, which began life in 1908 as an elegant spa retreat called the Bath House, has been closed since…

  • Tauranga Art Gallery

    Tauranga

    The city's pre-eminent gallery stages challenging exhibitions of thought-provoking contemporary work. The building itself is a former bank, though you’d…

  • Te Wairoa, the Buried Village

    Rotorua & the Bay of Plenty

    The village of Te Wairoa was once the main staging post for Victorian-era tourists coming to visit the famous Pink and White Terraces. When Mt Tarawera…

  • The Elms

    Tauranga

    Surrounded by mature trees and lovely gardens, Tauranga's original mission station incorporates the Bay of Plenty's earliest buildings, along with one of…

  • Rainbow Springs Nature Park

    Rotorua

    The natural springs here are home to wild trout and eels, which you can peer at through an underwater viewer, and plenty of animals, including tuatara (a…

  • Ohinemutu

    Rotorua

    Ohinemutu is a lakeside Māori village that is home to around 260 people. Highlights include the 1905 Tama-te-Kapua Meeting House (not open to visitors),…

  • Lake Rotorua

    Rotorua

    Lake Rotorua is the largest of the district’s 18 lakes and is − underneath all that water − a spent volcano. Near the centre of the lake is Mokoia Island,…

  • St Faith’s Anglican Church

    Rotorua

    Consecrated in 1918, Ōhinemutu's historic timber church is intricately decorated with Māori carvings, tukutuku (woven panels), painted scrollwork and…

  • Hūria Marae

    Tauranga

    Located on a nondescript suburban street, this marae (traditional meeting place) has a sensationally carved wharenui (meeting house). This is the private…

  • Agrodome

    Rotorua

    Learn everything you need to know about farming at this 140-hectare model farm. Shows (9.30am, 11am and 2.30pm) include a parade of champion rams, lamb…

  • Lake Tarawera

    Rotorua & the Bay of Plenty

    Providing a mirror for the raw slopes of Mt Tarawera (1110m), this pretty lake is a popular destination for swimming, fishing, boating and walks. It may…

  • Government Gardens

    Rotorua

    The manicured Government Gardens surrounding the Rotorua Museum are a wonderful example of the blending of English (rose gardens, ponds, croquet lawns and…

  • Hairy Maclary & Friends

    Tauranga

    Hairy Maclary author Lynley Dodd lived in Tauranga for years, and NZ’s favourite literary animals were immortalised in bronze on Tauranga’s wharf in 2015…

  • Mission Cemetery

    Tauranga

    This shady little cemetery, overlooking the bridge, has some interesting memorials relating to battles fought between local Māori and government forces in…

  • Monmouth Redoubt

    Tauranga

    Shaded by huge pohutukawa trees, spooky Monmouth Redoubt was originally a Māori pā (fortified village), then taken over and adapted by British soldiers…

  • Volcanic Hills Winery

    Rotorua

    Drink in the view from the top of the Skyline gondola at this winery tasting room. The wine is made at the bottom of the hill from grapes sourced from NZ…

  • Wingspan

    Rotorua

    The Wingspan National Bird of Prey Centre is dedicated to conserving threatened NZ raptors, particularly the karearea (NZ falcon). Learn about the birds…

  • Minden Lookout

    Tauranga

    On clear days this lofty wooden viewing platform, located about 13km west of the city centre, provides a panorama of nearly the entire Bay of Plenty – see…

  • Mills Reef Winery

    Tauranga

    Country-club-like Mills Reef, 7km southwest of the city centre at Bethlehem, has tastings of its award-winning wines. This isn't grape-growing country, so…

  • Paradise Valley Springs

    Rotorua

    Tucked in behind Mt Ngongotaha, 10km from Rotorua, this 6-hectare park has trout springs, native longfin eels, native birds and various land-dwelling…

  • Hamurana Springs

    Rotorua & the Bay of Plenty

    Located near the northern shore of Lake Rotorua, these springs are a sacred place for the local Ngāti Rangiwewehi people. A pretty 1.5km walk leads…

  • Robbins Park

    Tauranga

    At its best in late spring and summer, this verdant pocket of roses sits behind an ivy-covered colonnade on a cliff overlooking the harbour, and is like a…

  • Brain Watkins House

    Tauranga

    A fairly ordinary-looking Victorian villa stranded on a hill as the roads around it grew, Brain Watkins House (no, not Brian) was built in 1881 from kauri…

  • Kerosene Creek

    Rotorua & the Bay of Plenty

    Pouring below Rainbow Mountain, this naturally heated stream offers a warm swimming hole beneath a cascade.