Pōhutu Geyser
The largest active geyser in the Whakarewarewa thermal valley, which erupts frequently with a high jet of steam and water. The surrounding valley also has bubbling mud pools and Māori cultural sites.
Rotorua
Hot springs, geysers and bubbling mud pools share the town with traditional hangi feasts and shows of Maori culture.
Attractive locations
Waimangu Volcanic Rift Valley
A valley created by the 1886 Tarawera eruption, now a landscape of steaming lakes, hot streams and recovering native bush. Walking tracks lead through the geothermal features.
Redwoods Forest (Whakarewarewa)
A forest of tall coast redwoods on the edge of town, with walking, running and cycling tracks. A treetop walkway lifts visitors into the canopy for a different view.
Government Gardens
Historic gardens beside the lake with a grand Tudor-style bathhouse building, rose gardens and lawns. The park mixes colonial-era architecture with geothermal springs and views of Lake Rotorua.
Mount Tarawera
A volcano whose 1886 eruption buried villages and destroyed the famed Pink and White Terraces. Guided trips lead to the crater rim, with views over the lakes and craters below.
Wai-O-Tapu
A geothermal area south of Rotorua with colourful hot pools, steaming vents and silica terraces. The bright Champagne Pool and the yellow Devil's Bath are linked by boardwalk paths.
Lake Rotorua
The large crater lake beside the town, with Mokoia Island at its centre and a lakefront for strolls. Boat cruises, birdlife and drifting thermal steam give the shoreline its character.
Airports
Rotorua Regional Airport ROT
It is about 7 km in a straight line from Rotorua.
Tauranga Airport TRG
It is about 52 km in a straight line from Rotorua.
Whakatāne Airport WHK
It is about 63 km in a straight line from Rotorua.
Scams and safe taxis
Taxi and scam advice for this country is on the New Zealand page
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan18.5 °C72 mm
- Feb18.8 °C73 mm
- Mar17.0 °C80 mm
- Apr14.3 °C104 mm
- May11.7 °C103 mm
- Jun9.4 °C113 mm
- Jul8.3 °C113 mm
- Aug9.0 °C98 mm
- Sep10.5 °C82 mm
- Oct12.2 °C81 mm
- Nov14.3 °C57 mm
- Dec16.7 °C96 mm
Driest months: Jan, Feb, Nov. Wettest months: Apr, Jun, Jul.
Costs
Prices here are about 86% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Festivals and events
culture
Matariki (Maori New Year)
A public holiday marked by Maori light shows, food and cultural events.
Who can help
Emergency
111 for police, fire and ambulance.
local government
New Zealand Police (111 and 105)
Helps with: National police. Call 111 when you need an emergency response from Police, Fire or Ambulance. Call 105 to report things that do not need urgent police help.
Who qualifies: Anyone in New Zealand, including visitors.
Phone: 111
ngo
New Zealand Red Cross
Helps with: New Zealand's national Red Cross society. Contact its national office in Wellington by phone or post for its humanitarian services.
Who qualifies: People in New Zealand who need its services.
Phone: 0800 733 27677
Address: 69 Molesworth Street, Thorndon, Wellington
embassy
Diplomatic missions in New Zealand (MFAT order of precedence)
Helps with: For a lost passport or serious trouble, contact your own country's embassy. The foreign ministry page lists heads of mission in New Zealand and the city each is based in.
Who qualifies: Citizens of each country, through their own embassy or high commission.