Rotorua is the most visited city in the North Island of New Zealand. It is situated in the center of the North Island, about a 2 hour drive south of Auckland.
The main attraction of Rotorua is the fact that it is slap bang in the middle of New Zealands most active thermal belt.
As you walk around the streets of the city you notice wisps of steam here and there.There are numerous Thermal Parks to visit where you can see boiling, bubbling, mud pools and geysers.
Rotorua is totally geared towards tourism and there is a huge emphasis on Maori Culture. There are many places to visit to learn about the Culture and to attend Maori performances.
If you are an adventurous soul you can bungy, sky-dive, jet boat, white water raft, go caving, skiing, hike up a volcano or even helicopter out to the most active volcanoe in NZ and land on it.
Accomadation wont be a problem here, whole streets are lined with motels, there are plenty of 5 star hotels and for the budget visitor, there are many backpackers hostels and campgrounds to choose from.
This city is situated on the shore of Lake Rotorua, it is a very scenic location and you can hire kayaks and small boats and cruise the lake or you can do the cruise in style on the big paddle steamer cruise boat.
The only down side to Rotorua is the smell. As it is located in an active thermal area, the smell of rotten eggs from all the sulphur in the air is quite unpleasant. You will notice it as you arrive in the city but you do get used to it after a while.
Website.. http://www.rotoruaNZ.com