Rotorua is a 5-hour drive to the north from Wellington. It is famous for volcanoes and Maori culture. There is a lot of tourism activities on this part of the North Island and understandably so, because there’s lots of things to see and do in this city.
We visited Rotorua this past Labor Day weekend, and were lucky that the weather was on our side for our entire stay. Our last visit to Rotorua two years ago was quite rainy, so we had limited options of things to do with the kids. This time around, we did a few of the major things that most tourists do when in Rotorua. Most of them are kid-friendly too, so the girls had a good time.
Here are some things to do in Rotorua, if you have a long weekend to spare.
Day 1: Redwoods Walk
We got to Rotorua at around 3 PM, and after stopping by the hotel quickly to check-in, went straight to the Redwoods Forest. One of my bucket list items is to see and touch a Redwood tree, and I finally ticked it off this year.
The Redwoods here in New Zealand came from the USA, and these were planted in 1901, so they are still quite “young”. These trees can live up to 200 years, so I’m pretty sure these will outlive us all.
While Patty and I did the 40-minute treetop walk over the hanging bridges, John and Katie did their walk on the ground. Everyone got to stretch their legs after that long road trip from Wellington.
The other people we met on the hanging bridges commented how Patty was so brave to go with me. So proud of her!
We left the Redwoods forest around 5PM, and then had the girls run around and play at the lakefront. I was quite hard to get the girls away from the playground, but we managed to do so by telling them we were going swimming!
Polynesian Spa
We went to the family spa area, where the girls went down the mini water slide for about a hundred times. Unfortunately, we were not able to take any pictures, as both John and I were too busy handling the girls.
The good thing about the spa is that it’s open until 9pm, so you can do this at the end of a long day of sightseeing. Definitely a nice way to wind down.
Day 2: Paradise Valley Springs
This was a great way to start the morning. We were able to see the lion awake and walking around. Patty had a lot of fun feeding the ducks, fish and other animals.
It takes an hour or two (or more, depending on your pace), to get through the entire zoo. Don’t expect a lot of wild animals, just regular farm ones, native birds, and of course, the awesome lions!
I suggest going early in the morning, when it opens, as it can get crowded, with tour buses also stopping here.
Te Puia
I’ve always wanted to go and see the Pohutu Geyser, which goes off once or twice an hour, and also experience some Maori culture. It’s amazing that this place was built around the mudpools and geysers so that people can see them from a safe distance.
Bring a hat, good walking shoes and slather sunscreen. It can get hot walking around the area. It was also lovely to hear Maori traditional songs and dance. We were able to watch the “haka”.
Blue Lake
While Katie was taking a nap in the car, Patty and I spent about half an hour walking and playing near the Blue Lake. There were a couple of people swimming already, but I’m sure the water is still cold this time of the year.
Skyline Rotorua
The girls already had their cable car experience in Queenstown last March, and were not afraid at all when we got on the cable car here in Rotorua. It was quite crowded at the top, lots of people were riding the Luge and lounging at the restaurant.
We just stayed for about 45 minutes, contemplating if we should do the Luge with the girls. We decided they were too young and might get spooked by the ride back on the gondolas. So that will be for another visit when they are older.
Day 3: Government Gardens
Just before we headed home, we spent an hour at the Government Gardens for photos. This sprawling gardens has a museum, as well as a geyser and lovely lovely flowers, that are Instagram-worthy.
There’s also a small playground that the girls enjoyed before we had to drag them back to the car to head home. We bribed them with Dunkin’ Donuts (which is not available in Wellington)
Over all, I liked our trip to Rotorua this time. We were able to see a lot of the city, and the girls had fun too. Although I did plan a lot of places to see, we were not so pressed for time that we felt we had to rush anything. It was just a chill, relaxing weekend.
I definitely recommend anyone visiting New Zealand to go and see Rotorua. It’s a good place with plenty of things to do for everyone at any age.
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Rotorua Travel Tips:
Redwood Forest — there is an option to do the Tree top walk at night, when the hanging lights are turned on. I was told it’s quite an experience.
Polynesian Spa –there are different types of spas and massages that you can avail here, visit the website for rates.
Te Puia — there are different packages you can get for both day and night. We only chose the day tour and Haka experience.
Skyline Rotorua — we only bought tickets to the cable car, but if we wanted to, there’s a ticket booth for Luge rides at the top of the mountain.
For all these experiences, children below 5 years old get in FREE!
