This is said to be the deepest natural spring on the north island. The spring flows from a deep…read morerocky hole at the head of the river which flows out into lake Rotorua. The spring is about 1km easy flat walk down a track from the carpark through a grove of redwoods and following the stream. The water is cold and refreshing (bring a bottle and fill it from the source!). This is a department of conservation parkland area so no there are no costs. There are signs around the site describing the history of the area and facts about the spring. Swimming is not permitted here, but you can swim where the stream enters Lake Rotorua - the water is pretty cold though! Well worth a look if you are passing by, and only a short drive out of town (15-20min) if you aren't passing by.

This is a beautiful place and a lovely walk. Take care if it is windy as the redwood trees are very…read moreimpressive but also drop dead branches occasionally. The two springs here are fascinating in different ways - I could have spent ages just watching the water rising out of the earth, and the dancing sands made me smile a lot. The views across Lake Rotorua on the other side of the road are good too. Definitely worth a visit in my opinion and I will be going back again when I am next in NZ.

Great park in the heart of the city with a huge playground for children and lots of room to run…read morearound. Big, beautiful trees, the lake nearby, and space for families to relax. Highly recommend.

We got the ticket for the full guided tour, dinner, and the show. It's pricy but we enjoyed it very…read moremuch and it's a unique experience. The tour starts with some quick stops at the traditional way the food is cooked and at a carved canoe to give a glimpse of Māori life. You get to see some kiwi birds, then cruise around the geyser area. Lots of lookouts and viewing sites. You finish the tour in the art center where the intricate carvings and weaving are done. Next is dinner. The buffet has a ton of meat (meat coma) along with vegetables, salads, desserts, etc. so many options. You are given a seating assignment so we conversed with folks from Denver and California. Funny we go all the way to New Zealand and end up hanging with folks from the US. Finally, you end with the show. It is well done. You get a good variety of battle, love, and storytelling songs. It was an educational and enjoyable experience.

Great place to learn about Maori culture. Highlights & Recommendations for Te Puia:…read more1) NZ Maori Arts & Crafts Institute (NZMACI) - A fascinating school that allows Maori adult students to study (tuition free) traditional crafts such as wood, stone, and bone carving and weaving, using tradtional methods. This allows the students to perpetuate Maori culture. Recommendation: NZMACI should offer classes (for a fee) for Pākehā (non-Maori people) who could also learn the techniques, and their fees would also help subsidize the school. The classes could range from the full course for NZ residents, to shorter courses for tourists. 2) Geyser- Spectacular! 3) Cultural Show - Interesting, Informative, Entertaining. Recommendation: Do a full Haka, and outside where everyone can see. Also, give a more full explanation of all the parts. 4) Maori Staff - All of the staff were superb! I was with Kia (sp?) and she very patiently answered all my many questions about the Maori language. Recommendations: I would like to have known a little about each Staff member- origin, tribe, etc. 5) Maori Culture- I cannot imagine a better place to learn about Maori culture! Recommendations: I would like to have known more about Maori tattoos - designs, placement, symbolism, etc. It's such a visible part od Maori culture that it should be featured. If it would be offensive to do so, I would withdraw this comment. Overall, and exceptional visit to a very entertaining place. Nga mihi!

I first heard of Agroventures from Michelle Phan. (the YouTube Make-up Queen) I knew it was going…read moreto be cool so I was super excited when we spent a few hours at Agroventures. New Zealand is the land for adrenaline pumping adventures. Agroventures doesn't disappoint. They have 5 different activities, The Agrojet, (a raceboat that goes super fast) Freefall Extreme, (feels like you're falling through the sky) Swoop, (super swing) Shweeb, (race around a track in a pedal operated pod) and Rotorua Bungy. (Bungee jump) I went with a large group of mostly boys. They offer group discounts and combos if you buy 1 or 5 activities. Most of us did the Shweeb, though some did the other crazy activities. The Shweeb is unique and the only one in the world as of now. You are placed into this pod-like contraption and race your opponent by pedaling the pod to race around a track. It's not as easy as it looks or sounds! I don't have the speed or stamina like teenage boys! I had a great time at Agroventures and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an adrenaline rush!

Came here while road tripping across North Island. There's plenty of free outdoor parking and there…read moreare no reservation required. We had our own swimsuits but paid to rent a towel and a locker. You will get refunded half of the amount you pay once you return the key to the locker and the towel back at the front desk (hold onto your receipt!!). There are 4 hot spring pools, each slightly different in temperature but I highly recommend both bringing over a pair of flip-flops as the walk from the lockers is quite a bit more than expected and then bring a water bottle if you are sensitive to hot temperatures because you will start to sweat especially if you lounge near or under a waterfall they have. You have to pay extra to tour the location but we just paid for hot spring access to swim and it was lovely. Customer service was very polite and they have a coffee shop located inside as well as a small gift shop carrying locally carved jade jewelry!

We stopped here after visiting the Thermal park and huka falls. It was a refreshing way to end the…read moreday. We had our own swim suits but rented a towel and locker. Lockers are in separate rooms by gender so we rented two but I did see people handing bags out to their spouses in the hall. The pools were lovely. There were three pools that get progressively warmer as you get closer to the spring source. The hottest one was about the temp of a hot tub back home. Nice and toasty. There were quite a few people in the pools. The pools have seating areas near the edges which is a nice way to hang and enjoy the warm water. The locker room were clean but sparse. Only one shower and two bathrooms which were not to be used for changing. Not a place to be modest. We were glad we did this. It felt so good. (No pics as I left my phone in the car).

This is the first Hostel I've ever stayed in. The first of Many, I hope!! The beds were comfortable…read moreand came with sheets, pillows, and blankets. This hostel had a kitchen with four sinks, three stoves, fridge and freezer, and various kitchen supplies. It was located in a very nice place, near the Government Gardens and Tamaki Maori Village.

This is the best free thing we did in New Zealand. Its a natural hot water river, creek, stream,…read moreor whatever you want to call it. Jump in and chill. Get a free massage from the waterfall or strong current. My only mistake was not bringing some beer and wine. Otherwise its wonderful! It sure beats paying $15-25NZ for one of the spas. It does require about a 20 minute drive south of Rotorua, a short drive on a gravel road(1km?), and a very short walk from the impromptu parking lot. Its so worth it!

An enchanting natural hot spring water fall. Short hike through beautiful wooded area next to the…read morestream and small water falls along the way. The waterfall is nestled in a cozy wooded open area. Sit and enjoy the water rushing around you at the top of the water fall area, or climb down into the warm/hot water below. It is hot at first, hotter than the reviews I read. You can walk up to the water fall at the bottom, but be careful it does dip down and the soft dirt below does not give you much grip to hold your balance. This is a magical beautiful place not to be missed. As you drive onto the dirt road you will see the green pool lake to your left and a small pull off to the right. Pull off and you will hear a rushing waterfall in the woods. You can hoist yourself up the trail not too bad of a climb and come to a small waterfall area with a plank. It is not hot, this is a cool one we did not swim in. Further down the road is Wai-O-Tapu hot spring, but decided not to wade in it because of the warning sign, see pic in review.

This park has a lot of variety, a beautifully landscaped blue lake, geothermal areas, flower…read moregardens, green space, many varieties of trees and scrubs, and a developed geothermal foot soaking station and wading pool. The water levels were low in several of the geothermal areas versus the last time we visited, but the park is still a great, free asset.

By far the best experience within Rotorua. If not on our entire trip, this place cannot be more…read moreunderrated. It's a huge park with cool geothermal activity. Lots of interesting wildlife and birds and just a nice park in general to be around. Plenty of parking. It was pretty empty when we went. Definitely stop by if you're in the area and walk by the hot pools.