Rotorua
Rotorua Museum
Rotorua is a charming town, a mix of old Colonial buildings and Maori culture with Thermal Geysers dotted round everywhere.
The Museum wouldn’t be out of place on any village green back home.
The Sulphur Springs. We were lucky; as we arrived in Rotorua there was a very heavy downpour. In fact we were trapped in our car for a few minutes as we did not want to get soaked dashing to our hotel. This must have dampened the infamous “bad eggs” smell associated with the town. We got used to the smell of the place quite quickly.
Prince of Wales Feathers Geysers
The place has lots of geysers. You don’t have to go to special parks to see them, smaller ones are by the side of the road. At night the thermal reserve took on a different, out-of-this-world atmosphere.
The greatest concentration of large geysers is in the Te Puia thermal reserve. There is a video of a geyser here.
Te Puia is the main Maori cultural centre. Think Disneyland & you get the idea. We did enjoy it though!
Hobbiton. It might be very indulgent visiting a film set when on holiday – but this was one of the most enjoyable excursions we took. If you are a fan of LoTR, then this trip is a must.