We had a GREAT experience working with Dianne and her firm GoWalkAbout Travel. (…) She has deep knowledge of the accommodations, sights and adventures, earned over many years of experience, but happily finds the new and innovative.
Rotorua, New Zealand
Rotorua-nui-a-Kahu Matamōmoe (Rotorua,) New Zealand is located in the central North Island of New Zealand, roughly between Auckland and Napier, just south of Tauranga and north of Taupo. This is the place to be for geothermal activity and Maori culture in New Zealand! It’s also within an easy drive of Hobbiton and the Waitomo glow worm caves.
Rotorua is great to visit year-round, from a weather perspective. Winters rarely reach freezing temperatures, while summers feel fresh and mild.
You can easily spend a week in Rotorua without getting bored, but we recommend at least 2 full days. That gives you time to spend one day touring the geothermal sites, with another day to venture out and explore on your own, experience Maori culture, or engage in any of the plentiful outdoor adventures in the area.
Things to do in Rotorua, New Zealand
One of our most recommended activities here is to enjoy a guided tour of Rotorua’s geothermal wonders. The earth’s crust is thin here, and New Zealand is right on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” so there are many parks and spas where you can enjoy natural hot springs, boiling mud, steaming fumaroles in cracks in the ground, vibrant pools with naturally colorful mineral deposits, and even spurting geysers. This whole region is a hotbed of volcanic activity — the town used to get its hot water directly from underground! Today, you can still smell the stink of sulfur from anywhere downtown. If you stay outside town, you’re less likely to smell the sulfur and still have great access to all the town has to offer.
Another great activity in Rotorua is to experience Maori culture. Rotorua offers more to the culturally interested traveler than anywhere else in New Zealand. One of our favorite experiences is to enjoy a traditional Maori feast called a hangi. These are cooked underground in an earth oven and include traditional, delicious dishes that the Maori have enjoyed for centuries. Spend time with a Maori guide, and hear the local legends and creation stories that ground their culture. You can cap off the evening with an authentic, traditional performance of songs and dances like the famous haka!
Pair your stay in Rotorua with a trip to Matamata, the location of the cinema’s famous Hobbiton, or head West for the glow worm caves of Waitomo.
More to See and Do in Rotorua, New Zealand
Go mountain biking in lush forests and valleys
Cruise Lake Rotorua or Lake Rotoiti
Try your hand at fly fishing
Soak in a private hot pool reserved just for you
Roll down a grassy hill inside a giant, bouncing ball
Scrub yourself with volcanic mud, or luxuriate with many other spa treatments
Enjoy a guided hike with an expert who can explain local flora, fauna, and history
Drive out to the locals’ favourite hot spring and thermal waterfall for a free soak
Dine on a traditional Maori feast, watch a traditional dance and song performance, and hear epic Maori legends
Spot the endangered kiwi bird at Rotorua’s wildlife park
Watch a sheep shearing demonstration, since the central North Island is prime farm country
Whether you are from Portland, St Louis, Kelowna, or in-between then this region is well worth a good two-day stopover to experience all it has to offer.
What Our Past Travelers Have to Say
G’day Dianne. Thank you! You listened well and organized our trip extremely well. Pick up and delivery times were spot on. The hotels were all good to great. (…) I just wanted to let you know that we appreciated everything you did to arrange a wonderful trip.
42 Days, 2 Countries, 6 States, 1 Territory, 15 Cities/Locations, 14 Flights and not a single mishap. On top of that, we had a GREAT TIME! A TRIP OF A LIFE-TIME! Our six week adventure to Australia and Singapore was our most memorable vacation to date. (…) Dianne is a wonderful find and without hesitation we recommend her to family and friends. Dianne will certainly be organizing our next adventure.
(…) Dianne put together an incredible New Zealand trip for us – we travelled from one tip to the other, East and West included. I would have thought Dianne knew me from childhood as every spot we visited or stayed at – was exactly what I would have chosen myself (had I known the country). (…)
Dianne planned a fantastic honeymoon for us. (…) We gave her an idea of the things and activities that we like to do and she just rolled with it! We didn’t really know much about either place, so didn’t have too much of a preference of where we wanted to go, but with her knowledge she was able to send us to some amazing places. (…) Thanks for planning us a wonderful honeymoon!
(…) Everything went very smoothly, thanks to you and your organizational skills! We really appreciate everything you did for us! (…) I want to thank you (Dianne) for all the work you & your colleagues did to ensure that we had an enjoyable holiday.
(…) Dianne, there are so many things you did for us that I cannot list them all in a letter. However, I can say that I have never worked with a travel agent before who took as much time to deal with all the details – big and small. It was like we were part of your extended family and you took full responsibility for our wellbeing. I would recommend you to anyone looking for a great travel agent, and I wish you the best of success in the future.
(…) From the beginning, Dianne really stood out. She spent a significant amount of time on the front end learning what we were interested in and what we did not like about previous tours. (…) I would definitely recommend GoWalkabout Travel to any of my friends and family. Thanks again for our trip! We had a fantastic time!
It was a trip of a lifetime!! (…) Every thing was working like clockwork. (…) Thanks Dianne and it was a pleasure meeting you and you taking the time to meet us in Sydney.
We really enjoyed working with Dianne in planning our trip to Australia. She was very efficient and gave us great recommendations. Prior to our departure, she ensured we had everything we needed including packing tips, in order to have a great trip. We would highly recommend using her services.
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