ROTORUA, NEW ZEALAND
Rotorua, New Zealand - Luxury Travel Magazine
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Hot Springs Eternal | |||||
| By: Megan Cuthbert, Issue 40 – Spring 2009 | |||||
| (Rotorua, New Zealand) | |||||
| STARTING THIS DECEMBER, AIR NEW ZEALAND WILL FLY DIRECT FROM SYDNEY TO ROTORUA. FOR AUSTRALIANS IT WILL BE EVEN EASIER TO REACH THE WORLD-CLASS ATTRACTIONS AND LUXURY LODGES OF THIS DISTINCTIVE NORTH ISLAND REGION. | |||||
| Rotorua has been welcoming tourists since the 1800s so the residents have had plenty of time to perfect the art of hospitality. The region has long been a popular destination due to its pristine reflective lakes, dense forests, verdant rolling hills, bubbling mud pools, rich Maori culture and more recently, extreme adventure sports and luxury lodges. | |||||
| WHAT TO DO | |||||
| Settled by the Te Arawa people 500 years ago, now one third of Rotorua’s population is Maori, cementing the region as the heartland of Maoridom in New Zealand. For travellers there are ample opportunities to learn about this living culture. Visitors would be hard pressed to miss the geothermal attractions. A trip around the city reveals front lawns dotted with rocks and steaming mud pools. Near the city centre, Kuirau Park has hot bubbling mud pools, crater lakes, and sulphur vents. Only a short distance away the famous Pohutu geyser erupts several times daily. Nearby Mt Tarawera looms over the region. The now dormant volcano is popular with visitors who can fly or 4WD to the summit. Whararewarewa Forest is a haven for biking enthusiasts. It comprises thousands of hectares of Californian Redwoods planted in 1901 that now guard the best cycle trails in New Zealand for every skill level. Many of the 16 lakes in the region are fishable and are also popular for water-based activities such as water-skiing. In the centre of Lake Rotorua, Mokoia Island is a sanctuary for many of New Zealand’s endangered wildlife. The island is a bird-watchers paradise, home to several of New Zealand’s rare bird life. Besides the staple jet-boating and zorbing, Rotorua’s more adventurous visitors can try scree sliding into the crater of Mt Tarawera, or luge-ing down Mt Ngongotaha and rafting on the Kaituna, which includes the seven-metre Tutea Falls, the world’s highest commercially rafted waterfall. | |||||
| WHERE TO STAY | |||||
| Peppers On The Point | |||||
| Located on Mokoia Island and surrounded by Lake Rotorua, the views don’t get much better then at Peppers on the Point. This 1930s mansion was a family home up until 2004 but now offers guests a choice of nine suites with lake views, as well as two private lake cottage suites, and the owners’ residence. peppers.co.nz/on-the-point/ | |||||
| Lake Okareka Lodge | |||||
| One of the 16 lakes in the region, Lake Okareka is the site of the Lake Okareka Lodge. The unique position of this lodge ensures all the rooms have commanding lake views. The three spacious suites and inviting décor ensure that guests feel at home, which is cemented by the Lodge’s exclusive use policy. The lodge has an on-site spa and massage room as well as 24-hour butler and chef. lebua.com/okareka/ | |||||
| Solitaire Lodge | |||||
| Lake Tarawera is the largest of the lakes that surround the volcano Mount Tarawera. A privatelyowned peninsula on the shore of the lake is the setting for Solitaire Lodge which makes full use of its spectacular scenery with a range of activities for guests. | |||||
| Treetops Luxury Lodge And Estate | |||||
| Amid 2,500 acres of secluded native forests and valleys, Treetops Lodge & Estate takes advantage of its surrounds in the best possible way. The lodge’s architecture is inspired by New Zealand’s pioneering past; the timber and stone finishes complement the beauty and simplicity of the surrounds. Seven trout streams, four lakes and over 70 kilometres of hiking trails, mountain bike riding and horse riding make Treetops a great destination for nature lovers. treetops.co.nz | |||||
| Kawaha Point Lodge | |||||
| Kawaha Point Lodge is right on the edge of Lake Rotorua and provides guests with a hosted luxury lodge experience. It aims to make guests feel at home, although home rarely comes with a resident Michelin-trained chef. kawahalodge.co.nz | |||||
| Hamurana Lodge | |||||
| Hamurana Lodge is a country-style luxury lodge with 12 ensuite rooms with lake views. The grand manor house has extensive gardens and a lifestyle farm for guests to enjoy, while the restaurant serves fresh country cuisine. hamuranalodge.com | |||||
| Air New Zealand commences direct flights between Sydney and Rotorua from December 12, 2009, airnewzealand.com.au Rotorua Tourism, rotoruanz.com | |||||
| “Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble” – MacBeth | |||||
| The Te Arawa Story of Geothermal Activity in Rotorua | |||||
| Ngatoroirangi was among the first of the Te Arawa people who landed in New Zealand. Heading inland, he came to a majestic mountain that was so beautiful he decided he must reach the summit. The perilous and freezing cold journey left him near death. He prayed to his sisters in Hawaiki (the ancestral home of all Maori) to send fire to warm him. His sisters heard his cry and called upon fire demons to go to his brother’s aid. The fire demons plunged into the sea and swam across the Pacific Ocean until they came to Whakaari where they lifted their heads into the air, creating New Zealand’s only active marine volcano. They saw they still had many miles to go to reach Ngatoroirangi, so they went back down under the Earth’s crust. Each time the fire demons surfaced, they left a steaming, bubbling trail of thermal activity in their wake. The demons finally burst through the enormous cone of the mountain, arriving to find Ngatorirangi nearly dead. The heat brought by the fire demons slowly revived Ngatorirangi. He named the mountain Tongariro, and so it is that volcanic and thermal activity came to the region and Rotorua’s Te Arawa tribe became its guardian. | |||||
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