| Travel Rotorua
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| | numerous Hungi and Cultural Performances.
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| This article is a basic tour guide to
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| | The Buried village is what it sounds
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| traveling in Rotorua highlight and
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| | like, a half buried village. During the
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| evaluating the main sites in the
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| | 1886 eruption a number of local Maori
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| district.
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| | perished buried in mud. Some of the
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| | village has since been dig out and
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| If you had only one day in the North
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| | rebuilt to give tourists an idea of a
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| Island of New Zealand and you asked me
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| | Maori village.
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| where should one go for that day I would
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| | I haven't been to Tamaki Maori Village so
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| without hesitation say Rotorua.
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| | can't give a review.
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| This article is my personal guide to
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| | If you really want to get a good taste of
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| Rotorua from someone who has visited it
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| | Maori culture food and hospitality then
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| more times than I can remember and if
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| | book one of the many feasts and concerts
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| given the chance I would visit it again.
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| | put on by the local hotels. The food,
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| This article is non-commercial and is
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| | music and friendship are always top rate.
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| intended to be for general information.
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| | Other Attractions
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| Location:
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| | Rainbow Springs Park:
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| Rotorua is approximately 2.5 - 3 hours
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| | A nice park with trout fish as its
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| drive south of Auckland. Head south
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| | centerpiece, beautiful clear running
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| through Hamilton and Cambridge, or for a
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| | water and a top bushland. Lovely walking
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| quicker route via Mata Mata. Shortly
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| | tracks and you can feed the fish. Also
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| after Cambridge turn left and take the
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| | has a farm show attached.
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| number 5 which will lead you right to
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| | Skyline Skyrides:
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| Rotorua. Coming up from Wellington head
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| | The main reason to take this ride on a
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| to Lake Taupo and take the number 5 to
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| | gondola is not just to get to the top for
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| Rotorua. Train and Bus routes also
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| | the view, the main reason is to ride the
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| service Rotorua.
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| | luge. Massive fun, as long as you don't
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| Attractions:
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| | fall off. They have a small chairlift
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| Rotorua is a jewel in the North Island,
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| | operating so that you can ride the luge
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| with geothermal wonders, a center of
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| | for as long as your budget can afford.
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| Maori Culture, Parks, Lakes, Natural
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| | Agrodome:
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| History and numerous modern day
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| | Everything you wanted to know about
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| attractions. Most visitors comment on
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| | sheep. Surprising a show about sheep and
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| the smell when they arrive. It is
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| | farming in NZ is interesting and
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| Hydrogen Sulphide (rotten egg gas) and
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| | entertaining.
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| while distinct at first, if you stay for
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| | Rotorua Museum of Art:
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| any length of time you will adapt and
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| | One of the first buildings built in NZ
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| seldom notice it.
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| | solely with tourists in mind. Originally
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| Geothermal Parks
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| | built as a bath house and hot water
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| The main geothermal parks in Rotorua and
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| | treatment center it has now been
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| its surrounds include Whakarewarewa
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| | converted. Good museum but the highlight
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| thermal area, Waimangu Volcanic Valley,
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| | is the movie on local history, sit down
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| Waitapu Thermal wonderland, Orakei Korako
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| | and be sure to be holding on - a total
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| Geyserland and Hell's Gate. All these
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| | multimedia experience. Definite must do.
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| required payment.
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| | The building itself is one of the finest
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| Whakarewarewa:
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| | examples of Edwardian design and is an
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| Visiting this site used to be standard
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| | art piece in itself. The surrounding
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| fare in any visit to Rotorua.
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| | gardens are always nicely maintained.
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| Unfortunately the park has now divided
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| | Natures Wonders
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| into two parts, and I personally don't
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| | There are numerous things to do, totally
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| believe either site has enough to stand
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| | free for nature lovers.
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| alone. So what you used to get for one
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| | Huka Falls:
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| entry price now costs two (be warned).
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| | Just North from Lake Taupo on the M1 is
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| On the Hemo Road entrance is the NZ Maori
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| | Huka Falls and the world famous Huka
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| Arts and Crafts Institute with its master
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| | Falls Lodge (for the novu-rich of the
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| carvers. Also includes a weaving house,
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| | world). Huka Falls itself is free for
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| kiwi house, and Maori meeting house.
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| | all. Near the beginning of the mighty
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| Pohutu (big splash) and the Prince of
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| | Waikato river (NZ longest river) it's not
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| Wales geyser are also on this side.
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| | the height of the falls but the sheer
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| (Prince of Wales geyser so named because
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| | volume of water that is forced through
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| the 3 directions the geyser shoots out
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| | which is impressive, few people have gone
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| resembles the feathers on the Prince of
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| | over the falls and survived. Boat trips
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| Wales crest). On the Tyron street
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| | are now run up to the base of the falls
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| entrance you get another meeting house
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| | for those wanting a different
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| where a cultural show is put on, a
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| | perspective.
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| village, shops and some hot pools, etc.
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| | Whakarewarewa Forrest Park:
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| Also here outside school hours you may
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| | On the road to the blue and green lakes.
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| find the local Maori children willing to
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| | Contains beautiful stands of redwood
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| jump off the bridge into the stream below
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| | trees, walking and horse riding tracks.
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| in return for chasing your loose change
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| | The redwood trees are relatively young
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| thrown into the same.
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| | for trees, but they are already huge in
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| Waimangu Volcanic Valley:
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| | size.
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| A nice walk along a valley with numerous
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| | Government Gardens:
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| hot pools, lakes, and near the end of the
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| | Outside the Rotorua museum is well kept
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| track the Warbrick thermal terrace - a
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| | flower beds, rose gardens, bowling greens
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| multi coloured silica terrace, probably
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| | and more.
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| the most colourful terrace in Rotorua.
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| | Kuirau Park:
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| Worth a visit if you have already seen
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| | Opposite the main hospital on Kuirau road
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| some thermal parks and want more, or like
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| | is Kuirau Park with numerous boiling
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| a more expansive tour, you can link with
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| | pools and geothermal activities.
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| a boat tour. (see the gallery for some
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| | Contains some foot pools to ease your
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| photos courtesy Waimangu's website). The
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| | sore feet and a children's park with
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| pink and white terraces once existed in
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| | miniature railway. On my last visit
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| the area prior to the 1886 eruption.
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| | there was a huge hole in the ground and
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| Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland:
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| | several trees blown over or covered in
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| My personal favourite, about 20 min.
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| | mud due to a localized eruption. It is a
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| south of Rotorua towards Taupo. Be
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| | reminder the whole area is geothermally
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| prepared to walk abit. Numerous rainbow
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| | active and has the potential to be
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| pools, the huge champagne pool, artist
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| | dangerous.
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| palette, sulphur vents, boiling mud and a
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| | Blue and Green Lakes:
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| huge silica terrace. If you arrive early
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| | Past Whakarewarewa Forrest Park is the
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| in the morning, before 10am, a short
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| | blue lake, great for swimming or boating
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| drive leads you to the Lady Knox geyser
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| | activities, clear water with a pumice
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| that gets set off once a day by them
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| | bottom, those further out there is a
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| feeding it with soap, cost of this is
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| | problem with weeds. Keep going on the
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| included in your admission (was $25 an
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| | road to get a view of Mt. Tarawera. The
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| adult). Also on this road is a natural
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| | green lake is banned and tapu (Maori for
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| mud pool which is the best display of
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| | cursed, sacred, special) and no is
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| boiling mud I have seen and its free.
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| | supposed to enter it.
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| Orakei Korako Geyserland:
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| | Mt. Tarawera:
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| Closer to Lake Taupo than Rotorua on a
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| | For the true adventure fanatics. Take
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| side road connecting route 5 to the main
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| | the back road and climb Mount Tarawera.
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| route 1. You need to catch the ferry
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| | Enter the crater and run down to the
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| across the lake to begin exploring the
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| | bottom at full speed. The massive crater
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| park. Like most of the parks good tracks
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| | was caused by the 10 June 1886 eruption
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| requiring you to walk to see mud pools, a
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| | which destroyed the pink and white
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| large cave, the emerald terrace and the
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| | terraces and buried many villages.
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| largest silica feature in the country.
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| | Lakes:
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| Worth the visit if you are passing that
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| | The number of lakes is simply too many to
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| way.
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| | mention. Great for trout fishing,
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| Hell's Gate:
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| | boating or picnics. Some lakes even have
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| Another thermal park with numerous
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| | black volcanic glass and/or pumice stone
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| boiling things, including Adam's frying
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| | lying on their shores.
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| pan, a mud volcano, hot water falls and
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| | Hamurana Springs:
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| one of the few places I found I could buy
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| | If you want to see a beautiful spring
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| the multi-colour sand in a glass
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| | feed stream, this is worth a visit, pure
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| container (quite pretty). Once visited
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| | water with a hint of blue flowing over
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| by Mark Twain who stated he would have
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| | white pumice bed. There is also a nice
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| gladly paid not to have gone there. I'll
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| | stand of redwoods and I would be
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| have to disagree; I think it's worth the
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| | surprised if you didn't' see any trout in
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| visit.
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| | the stream (no fishing allowed, sorry).
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| Maori Culture
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| | This list is by no means exhaustive and
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| Rotorua has plenty of Maori based
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| | like any tourist destination new venues
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| attractions. These include Tamaki Maori
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| | are always opening up. I hope this
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| Village (I've yet to visit). The NZ
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| | provides you with a basic to do list when
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| Maori Arts and Crafts Institute (already
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| | visiting. To see pictures go to the
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| spoken about), the Buried Village and
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| | website in the resource box below.
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