Rotorua
The next stop on the summer trip itinerary was Rotorua. We were anxious to visit Rotorua since it was the North Island option for our time here in New Zealand. Rotorua is a bit of a tourist destination and there is no shortage of interesting attractions to occupy your time. First on the kid's list was Zorb. They had been watching videos of people Zorbing shortly after we shared that we would be moving there. Now it was time for them to get rolling.
It was all pretty simple! Your ride in the back of a truck to the top of the Zorb track where you are then placed inside a Zorb ball with a bit of warm water. Once released down the track, gravity does all the work! The hot tub in the waiting area was a nice touch and a necessity for those zorbing in the winter.
In order to keep the kid's adrenaline at the optimal level, we headed over to the Skyline Luge next. A nice Gondola ride takes you up to the top of the mountain and to the starting point of the luge tracks. The luge carts have steering and brakes, acceleration is once again all gravity.
Time to play Ewok in the Whakarewarewa Redwoods Forest. The aerial walkway connects 22 majestic 100+-year-old Redwood trees. The 553-meter-long walkway is located 12-meters above the forest floor. At each tree along the journey, information is presented highlighting the history of the Redwood Forest, the local people and the land. There is also an evening option that allows one to see the forest and nocturnal animals under artfully designed subdued light.
Rotorua is found in the center of New Zealand most geothermically active region. It is not uncommon to get a strong whiff of sulfur dioxide as you walk around town. It also makes Rotorua home to a number of geothermal marvels and parks. We decided to visit Wai-O-Tapu!
A network of self-guided trails winds you through the park and to observe a number of interesting features. As you hike along the trail each unique geologic feature increasingly boggles the mind and overloads the senses.
Upon completion of the trail, a short drive will take you to another geologic wonder, the bubbling mud pots of Wai-O-Tapu. We could watch these for hours!
We loved our time in Rotorua and became quite desensitized to the sulfur smell in our short time there. Although we would have loved the close proximity to Tauranga and the many activities Rotorua has to offer, we still feel like we made the right choice to reside on the South Island in Blenheim. This coupled with the fact Zorb and Luge would have bankrupted us makes us feel like we chose wisely.
