When you ask people the one word that comes to mind when they think of Rotorua, New Zealand, chances are that word will be “smelly” or “stinky.”
Because, yes, Rotorua is an assault on the senses — most notably the sense of smell.
These kids got a whiff of Rotorua.
This olfactory assault is due to the high level of geothermal activity present in this North Island city — activity that has been drawing thousands of tourists each year since the 1800s.
And 200+ years worth of tourists can’t possibly be wrong!
But what is it exactly that makes Rotorua such a great destination today, despite the strong smell of sulphur that blankets the town?
Well, these reasons are a start:
Geothermal Activity
Centuries ago, tourists came to Rotorua to witness the awesome power of nature in the form of the region’s geothermal activity. New Zealand itself is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, and therefore is very “active” geothermally. Back in the 1800s, tourists came to Rotorua to see geysers, boiling mud, and an area known as the Pink and White Terraces. It was suggested that these were so impressive that they could have given the 7 Wonders of the World a run for their money. Sadly, they were destroyed in a volcanic eruption in 1886.
But don’t worry — there are plenty of geothermal wonders left to see in Rotorua, from boiling mud in the middle of downtown, to the Lady Knox Geyser, to geothermal wonderlands like Wai-O-Tapu.
Boiling mud!
Lady Knox Geyser, Rotorua's most famous
The Champagne Pool at Wai-O-Tapu
Champagne Pool
Wai-O-Tapu
Sulphur "waterfall"
Artists Palette
Artists Palette
The colored pools sometimes move around
Devil's Pool
Native Maori Culture
While you can get a taste of New Zealand’s native Maori culture all over the country, Rotorua has perhaps the most offerings. Not only are native hakas performed multiple times per day outside the Rotorua iSite (information center), but there are also a number of Maori replica-villages you can visit here. Places like Te Puia, Tamaki Village, and Mitai Village offer nightly dinner-concert packages, which include a traditional hangi dinner (food cooked in an earthen oven) along with a concert/show that includes traditional Maori songs and dances. Yes, these are touristy experiences, but they are absolutely worth it.
Haka outside the iSite
Women singing and performing a poi dance at Tamaki Village
Scenery
Since Rotorua is in New Zealand, it means there’s no shortage of pretty scenery here. The city itself contains many beautiful buildings (like the Rotorua Museum), a large lake, as well as some sweeping views.
Rotorua iSite
Lake Rotorua
Heading up the Rotorua Skyline Gondola
Looking out over Lake Rotorua from the top of the Gondola
Rotorua Museum and Government Gardens
Rotorua Museum and Government Gardens
Adventure Activities
Seeing as how New Zealanders are obsessed with adrenaline sports, it should come as no surprise that Rotorua has some of its own to offer. The must-do activity here is zorbing, where you dive into what looks like a giant hamster ball and are rolled down a hill. Go with either ZORB Rotorua or OGO, and have a blast. You can also head over to Agroventures for everything from bungy jumping to the giant Swoop swing, or luge down the hill from the Skyline Gondola.
Zorbing!
More Zorbing
The Swoop Swing
Terrifying, but fun
Agriculture
If you’re not into adventure sports, have no fear. Maybe a sheep-shearing or wrangling show at the Agrodome is more your style.
Near the Agrodome, where they do sheep-shearing shows
When it comes down to it, there’s really no mystery why Rotorua has become such a popular destination in New Zealand. With everything from geothermal wonders to Maori culture to adventure sports, it really does offer enough of a variety of activities that you can almost overlook the smell.
… Well, almost.
——
Is Rotorua the type of town you’d add to your New Zealand itinerary?
Rotorua is an excellent place to visit! Though my clothes all smelled funky after I left – ahh well, it washes out. Another cool adventure activity that I did there was raft the world’s highest commercially rafted waterfall on the Kaituna River nearby. Definitely recommended!
Rachel recently posted..Delicious Inspiration for Today
Ooo, rafting would be fun! It’s amazing the variety of things to do in such a small city. A testament to the awesome-ness of New Zealand, for sure!
It reminds me of Yellowstone but with Maori culture! Is the smell pretty persistant across the entire city or just near the geothermal sites?
John recently posted..How to Unlock the Elite Levels of Hotel Loyalty Programs for Minimal Dough
That’s a very good description! I think the cultural aspect makes me like it even more, though
And yes, the smell is pretty persistent, no matter where you are in town. Definitely takes some getting used to.
Loved Rotorua! Really you get used to the smell pretty fast. And I think it’s like Yellowstone must have been long, long ago. Definitely take the trip up to the Waimangu Volcanic Valley, which was formed just about 100 years ago!
NLM recently posted..One Down, Eleven to Go
I agree that you get used to the smell once you’re there for a little while. The stink certainly wouldn’t keep me from going back! There’s so much to see there in a relatively small area.
I liked Rotorua. And yes I remember the smell!
Juno recently posted..Yuanyang Rice Terrace in Photos – Xinjie, Yunnan, China
I think it would be hard to forget the smell.
Glad to hear you enjoyed it anyway, though!
We lived in New Zealand 9 years ago, so this brought back memories. Rotorua is heaps of fun!
Sophie recently posted..High Tea at the Old Cataract in Aswan
Glad I could help bring back some memories for you.
The Swoop Swing and Zorbing look like so much fun! I bet it took a lot of courage to strap into that swing. The landscape is absolutely breathtaking and is worth the visit to Rotorua alone. I think I could get past the smell…I hope.
Rachael Sena recently posted..A Real-life Hollywood Scene in New York: Race to the Empire Building
They WERE both really fun! Zorbing was so random, and yet so fun — I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard! And the Swoop was actually terrifying!
And I’m sure you could get past the smell. Most people do!
I lived in Rotorua for a couple of months, and must say, it’s a brilliant place. Awesome scenery, great (and cheap for NZ) adventure activities, and so much on the cultural side. Great photos here!
Laurence recently posted..Face off: five European cities duel to the death
Agreed that the adventure sports here are cheap! And all the cultural offerings are well worth the time and money. How long did it take you to get used to living with that smell 24/7 for months?
I love RotoVegas! If you go with it being super touristy in mind, you’ll have a great time. I saw the sheep show at the Agrodome and liked it so much, when my family came to visit, I made my mom and sister go to it as I knew they would love it to. And my (teacher) mother LOVED it! Kitch and touristy, but always so much fun.
It’s the city I ended up in the most (outside of AKL) for so many various reasons. A must visit!
Rebecca recently posted..The land outside of Machu Picchu – Cusco, Peru
Though, it’s worth pointing out that “super touristy” in New Zealand is NOTHING like “super touristy” in other places around the world! Plus, all the kitsch and touristy stuff in Rotorua is well worth experiencing, in my mind! It’s such a unique part of the country.
Love the photos. Looks like there’s a lot to do in Rotorua.
Alouise recently posted..I Think I’m Going To Colorado
Thanks, Alouise! And yes, there’s really a lot to do in Rotorua, considering that it’s not very big at all!
Is this the best place to see a Maori cultural show? Most of the reading I’ve done so far says yes. I know I need to see it while I’m there, I was just hoping to find the least-touristy, most authentic experience I can find.
Erik recently posted..Video: Yosemite’s Glacier Point
Definitely the best place to see a Maori cultural show! You can see them elsewhere, but the ones in Rotorua are great. I’m pretty sure I went to Tamaki Village for the show I saw.
The thing worth mentioning here, though, is that most of these ARE going to be pretty kitschy. You’ll nominate a “chief” for your tribe, and they’ll make a few of the men in the group attempt a haka, among other “touristy” things. But I promise that the experience will still be worth it! And the food? Very authentic and delicious!
Looks pretty cool! I think I could deal with the smell for all of that
Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..Foto of the Week from … El Chalten – A Pretty Farewell
Yeah, you get over the smell pretty quickly once you realize all there is to see and do in Rotorua!
Quite smelly, but I definitely want to go back. The bubbling mud pools were wild, and reminded me of the Bog of eternal stench from Labyrinth! I had a packed itinerary that day and couldn’t give Rotorua the attention it deserves so I’ll have to go back soon! Good to show everyone that there is much more to do in Rotorua then stopping to smell the…sulfer.
Ryan Brown recently posted..TAGGED! My ABC’s of Travel!
Yes, you really should go back! I myself really want to spend more time there one of these visits, too. Despite Rotorua being quite small, 2 days isn’t even enough!
I wonder how long it takes to get used to the smell. Although it sounds like there is quite a bit to distract you from the smell of sulfur!
Suzy recently posted..Szeged, Hungary Wishes You Were Here
I’m not sure how long it would take you to *totally* get used to the smell… but I think after the first few hours you start to forget about it a little bit.
Love the photos, especially the adventures ones. Remember passing ZORB Rotorua, but it was closed. Got to zorb sometime! Didn’t even notice the smell after a little bit.
Aaron recently posted..How I Roll – The ABCs of Travel
You definitely have to zorb sometime! It’s SO much fun!
This brings back memories from New Zealand. I spent a couple weeks in the North Island with friends and did Rotorua and zorbing in one day – so much fun.
Ayngelina recently posted..Reader’s choice – where should I go?
The North Island often gets overshadowed by the raw, amazing beauty of the South Island. But the North Island is pretty damn cool, too!
I know the same people who run ZORB Rotorua have opened a zorbing operation in Tennessee, too. I really want to get down there to try it out on home soil!
[...] Champagne Pool (photo courtesy of Amanda Williams of A Dangerous Business) I’ve set aside almost a week to drive from Wellington to Auckland. I’m sure I will stop in Rotorua to see the geothermal features, and also a Maori cultural show, as I have heard that this is the best place to do that. I also hope to try some ‘zorbing’, another one of this ‘uniquely-Kiwi’ experiences. (See Amanda’s Rotorua post here.) [...]