Content > Rotorua Car Rental > Grandpas Guide to Driving in Rotorua

Your old man is back in his typewriter. I want to sit back and relax and put my thoughts in words. A truth crossed my mind a while ago; these joints and muscles aren’t getting any younger. *chuckling*

 

While sitting in the front porch, I saw an inflated pool in our neighbor’s lawn. Yep. Inflated pools.  And suddenly I felt that I want to visit a place with many pools. Not just pools but hot pools.

 

 To tell you frankly, a few years ago, I visited a place with many hot pools and lakes. And it was gorgeous.

 

Hmm. I think I’d like to share with you my experiences when I visited the city of Rotorua in North Island, New Zealand.

 

Rotorua or the “Sulfur City” is a city located on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua, in the Bay of Plenty region of North Island, New Zealand. It is the seat of the Rotorua District. The city has an estimated population of approximately 55, 900, while the Rotorua District has a total population of about 68,600.

 

The city is in the heart of the North Island and the major destination of both domestic and international tourists. It has the largest tourism industry in the whole Rotorua District.

 

The active thermal activity in the area is at the heart of Rotorua’s tourist appeal. 

 

Its tourism industry features Rotorua’s many notable geysers — an example is the Pohutu Geyser located at Whakarewarewa— and hot mud pools. The city lies in the Rotorua caldera —a large volcano in North Island— and it is believed that this location is the source of the active thermal activities around the area of the city.

 

Parks, gardens and historical architecture are also an attraction in Rotorua. Since 1800’s, Rotorua has been known as a spa town and a major tourist resort. Its buildings also depict the history of the city thus, showing proof that the city is a major tourist destination.

 

Well, let’s grab a car and take a look around the city. Just go to VroomVroomVroom.co.nz to look for cheap car rental in Rotorua for your scenic drive around Rotorua.

 

1. Lakes, Lakes and more Lakes

Rotorua has many fishing lakes that vary in sizes and depths. I visited some of the lakes of Rotorua.

 

Rotorua has 5 major fishing lakes. These are Lakes Rotorua, Rotoiti, Tarawera, Okataina, and Rotoma.

 

Lake Rotorua is fed by many streams and rivers. Many fishes such as rainbow and brown trout, and some brook trout, can be found in the lake.

 

Lake Rotorua’s northern shore is easily accessed by the Hamurana Road —which runs from Ngongotaha around the top of the lake and joins up with SH30 leading to Tauranga. This road provides a wonderful scenic drive, with many lake and stream access points.

 

Lake Rotoiti is a large lake located in the eastern area of Rotorua and is connected to Lake Rotorua by the Ohau Channel. This lake is popular for people who like boating.

 

Lake Tarawera is a deep clear lake known for its size, condition, and the rapid growth of rainbow trout breeding in the area.

 

Tarawera is reached by turning right off the Rotorua-Tauranga Highway and taking the road to the Blue Lake. Drive about 15km along this attractive route past the Blue and Green Lakes and the Buried Village. But here’s a reminder:  the Blue Lake is open for fishing but the Green Lake is not. It is only accessible to the members of the Maori tribe who owns the lake.

 

Lake Okataina is a lake that has limited spawning grounds. And the balance of the trout population is maintained by an annual liberation. The trout found in the area are amazingly trophy-size.

 

In order to go to Lake Okataina, follow the Rotorua-Whakatane highway for 24km from Rotorua to Ruato Bay on Lake Rotoiti, then turn right and drive through the beautiful Okataina Scenic Drive. This 6km sealed road passes through heavy virgin forest, which is part of a scenic reserve.

 

And the last but not the least is the Lake Rotoma.

 

Lake Rotoma is a crystal-clear lake where some special skill is required to consistently catch fish. Lead and wire lines are permitted. But the secret is to use a minimum of 5O metres of mono tied to the lure. 

 

The trout in the Lake are practically all rainbow. But Eastern Fish and Game have release a hybrid into the Lake which they call a tiger trout —a brown and brook cross that has distinctive tiger stripes along its body.

 

2. The Buried Village

After visiting lakes and seeing different colored trout, I went to a place they call as the Buried Village

 

The Village is only a 15-minute drive from Rotorua on Tarawera Road, past the Blue and Green Lakes.

 

The Buried Village or the village of Te Wairoa is a living museum. It is a place where visitors can experience a one-of-a-kind New Zealand history. The Museum takes its visitors on a heart-moving journey about the story of the village, the voyages to the Pink and White Terraces, and the eruption of Mount Tarawera. The site shows a picture into the wreckage, chaos, and mayhem that the village had experiences on the night that Mount Tarawera erupted.

 

Aside from the heart-melting history, you can also walk at the scenic pathways that links the different sites, view the marvelous wilderness above the Wairere Falls that looks out over remote volcanic scenery, and many more.

 

3. Hell’s Gate

My last stop was at Hell’s Gate

 

Only a 20-minute drive from Rotorua past the airport 4-kilometer towards Whakatane.

 

Hell’s Gate is also known as Tikitere. It is Rotorua’s most active geothermal area on State Highway 30, between Lake Rotorua and Lake Rotoiti. It has many geothermal features which include steaming lakes, mudpools, fumaroles, a mud volcano, and Kakahi —the largest hot waterfall in the Southern Hemisphere.

 

 

My trip was really fun and really worth my time. I’ve seen many and have done different activities in the one and only place —Rotorua.

 

-Gramps Ben