Things to do in Rotorua

Rotorua sits on the southern shore of its own lake, inside an active caldera, so steam rises from drains and lawns across the centre and the air carries a sulphur edge from the hydrogen sulphide underground.

The compact grid downtown, Eat Streat and the lakefront Government Gardens are walkable in fifteen to twenty minutes end to end, and Kuirau Park, a free geothermal reserve with mud pools and steaming craters, is a similar stroll from most central accommodation.

Everything beyond the centre needs a car or a tour: Whakarewarewa and Te Puia, home to the Pōhutu geyser, are about a 10-minute drive southeast, while Wai-O-Tapu is roughly 27 kilometres south on the SH5, close to an hour's return trip. Expect maxima around 12-13°C in the Southern Hemisphere winter (June-August) and 23-24°C in summer (December-February), with rain likely at any time of year.