Rotorua is a popular tourist destination in New Zealand known for its geothermal wonders, Maori culture, and outdoor activities. When researching Rotorua a lot of the research spoke of the geothermal wonders: it is home to several geothermal parks, including Wai-O-Tapu, Te Puia, and Hell’s Gate. You can witness the geysers, hot springs, mud pools, and other natural wonders created by the region’s volcanic activity. Since I live fairly close to Yellowstone and have seen many geysers in my life, I didn’t feel the need to pay to visit one of these sites.
Rotorua is also a hub of Maori culture, and you can experience it through cultural performances, traditional meals, and visits to Maori villages, such as the Tamaki Maori Village. Since I’ve had the opportunity to live in Hawaii and visit multiple Polynesian experiences this didn’t really pull me in compared to the other activities offered in Rotorua.
We ended up landing on activities that were higher adrenaline type activities, we are talking about the highest commercially guided waterfall, Zorbing, luging, and then finish off the day doing a night tree walk in their Redwood Forest! This was an action packed day!
First we started the morning with an 8:00 am guided river trip with Rotorua Rafting. They are a popular adventure company that offers a trip down the Kaituna River and culminates with a thrilling descent down a 7-meter (23 foot) waterfall! Participants are provided with helmets, life jackets, and wetsuits to ensure their safety during the descent.
The Kaituna River is a Class V river, which means it is the highest level of white-water rafting difficulty, and it requires participants to have a moderate level of fitness and swimming ability. The rafting trip begins with a safety briefing and practice session, during which participants learn the necessary paddling and safety techniques. So even if you don’t have any whitewater experience you could still do this river trip. The trip then takes you through a series of rapids, including Tutea Falls, before arriving at the big waterfall. The descent down the Kaituna Waterfall is an exhilarating experience, as the raft drops down the waterfall and crashes into the pool below. Some rafts make it down successfully while others flip. We were an unlucky raft and ended up flipping. It was quite the experience!
The entire Kaituna Waterfall Rafting trip lasts around 3 hours, and Rotorua Rafting provides transportation to and from the river. The company also offers other white-water rafting trips of varying levels of difficulty, as well as other adventure activities such as zip lining and mountain biking. We didn’t participate in any of these, but the people that we saw returning for those activities looked like they had a great time.
Overall, rafting the Kaituna Waterfall with Rotorua Rafting is a must-try experience for thrill-seekers visiting Rotorua. Just be sure to book in advance and check the company’s age and weight restrictions before booking, as they do have certain requirements for participants.
At around 11:00 am we headed over to Skyline Park Rotorua for luging. This involves riding a specialized cart down a winding track on a mountainside. Skyline Park is located on Mt. Ngongotaha, just a short drive from the city center. The park offers several luge tracks of varying difficulty levels, including a scenic track for beginners and a more challenging track for experienced riders. The luge carts are designed to be easy to operate, with simple hand controls for steering and braking. The ride down the track can be a thrilling experience depending on your group and can feel like a real life game of Mario Kart with zigging and zagging around other racers. Or you can go slower and just enjoy a leisurely ride.
Once you reach the bottom of the track, you take a chairlift back to the top to do it all again. Skyline Park Rotorua also offers other activities such as a zip line and a sky swing, as well as several restaurants and souvenir shops. We ended up eating lunch at one of these restaurants so we could enjoy the view a bit longer.
Our next activity for the day was Zorbing. I’d always wanted to try Zorbing ever since I first saw it on the MTV show “Road Rules” back in the 90s, LOL! I was finally going to get a chance to live my dream. For those that don’t know, Zorbing was invented in New Zealand, and Rotorua is one of the best places to experience it.
Zorb Rotorua Adventure Park, is located very close to Skyline Park and was probably a 30 second drive. At the park, participants can choose from several different types of zorbing experiences. Zorbing involves rolling down a hill inside a large, water-filled ball. You can go solo, or with one other person inside the ball. Both times I went I had another person inside with me, and contrary to what we thought we never banged into each other. Another concern I had was motion sickness, but I was delighted that it didn’t bother me like I thought it might.
The experience included a safety briefing and are instructions on how to get inside the Zorb ball. Before entering the ball the employee fills the ball with a small amount of water, then you get to jump in. Once inside, the ball is sealed, and participants are given a push down the hill. The ride down the hill can fill a lot faster when you are inside then it appears when you are watching from the outside. Once you reach the bottom an employee opens the ball and you can step out and sit in a hot tub if you’d like to warm up.
Even after doing all those other activities we decided to walk around the town a bit and the city park that included a cool thermal pool where you could soak your feet. The park had many thermal pools that you could walk around and explore. It was a fun way to spend an hour or two. After that and a quick dinner we headed over to the Redwood Forest nighttime treewalk. The treewalk consists of a series of suspension bridges and elevated platforms that are attached to the trees, allowing you to walk among the treetops. The walkway is designed to be accessible to people of all ages and abilities, with wide paths and sturdy railings for safety.
The night walk involves walking among the trees at night while they are illuminated by a series of artistic and interactive light installations. The Nightlights experience is a magical and immersive way to experience the forest at night and is a must-try activity. In addition to the treewalk, the Redwood Forest offers a range of other activities, including hiking, mountain biking, and horse riding. There are also several cafes and restaurants in the forest where you can relax and enjoy the natural surroundings.
Overall Worthwhileness
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Rafting
Luge
Zorbing
Treewalk
