Rotorua, New Zealand is the place to be for geothermal activity. There are more hot springs, thermal pools, sulphur spas, mud pools, and volcanic valleys than you can count.
We managed to squeeze trips to four of Rotorua’s most well known geothermal parks into our three day stop in the city. (Thanks, in part, to our press pass that allowed us free entry into each.) Most people won’t have the time or money to see more than one or two geothermal parks.
So how do you choose which to visit? Here’s a break-down of what we liked best about each park:
Te Puia
Te Puia is the closest park to Rotorua. It’s only about 5 minutes outside of the city-center (compared to 20-30 minutes for the other parks). The geysers are a main attraction and erupt every 30 minutes or so. There is also a good mix of boiling mud pools and thermal pools. All of them are interesting, but none spectacular. I would say that Te Puia has the best mix of Maori culture and geothermal activities. While it has good breadth in activities it lacks some of the more magnificent beauty of the other parks. To be honest, it feels a little touristy. But if you’re looking for the one stop highlights of Rotorua in an easy to get to location, Te Puia is the geothermal park you should visit.
Wai-O-Tapu
Wai-O-Tapu is the best Rotorua geothermal park for natural beauty. The colors and textures were stunning. There are a few touristy feeling parts of the park – namely the geyser. The Lady Knox geyser erupts at 10:15 every morning. How can a natural geyser be so precise? With a little help from the park guides. The story of how it was discovered that laundry soap helps the geyser erupt is slightly far-fetched, but the rest of the park is worth a trip.
Waimangu Volcanic Valley
Waimangu is the least touristy of all the Rotorua geothermal parks we visited. I enjoyed the longer hiking trails filled with fewer people. The full walk would be a 6 mile round trip hike (with a steeper, intense, optional trail) or 3 miles to the lake where a bus would will take you back to the park entrance. If you’re looking for a combination of hiking and thermal pool activity, check out Waimangu.
Hells Gate
We wrote a full post about Hells Gate, so check that out for greater detail. But I found Hells Gate to be best for a combination of thermal pools, hot springs, and mud baths. Hells Gate not only has a walkable geothermal park area but also a spa where you can take a mud bath and sulphur spa. I also liked that their park’s paths were not overly constructed. There weren’t railings or paved paths – so you had to watch your step to keep from falling in.
If you get a chance to visit Rotura, New Zealand, make sure you visit at least one of the geothermal parks.
Full Disclaimer: We received free entry to all of the geothermal parks listed above as part of the New Zealand Tourism press pack.
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This area is fantastic as it is the only place in the world where a tectonic plate is going under an area which is also rifting. Thats what makes the thermal area so interesting
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