I took part in a workstay just outside of Rotorua, so was able to enjoy the area one afternoon at a time. Rotorua is known for its geothermal spots, which means that the downtown area and paths along the lake can smell a little like boiled eggs; however, I found that away from the geothermal springs, Rotorua offered several waterfalls and lush landscapes. 

Rotorua is centered around Lake Rotorua, the oldest continuous lake in New Zealand. The lake’s geothermal properties and fresh water have made this an important area of the Maori. Ohinemutu Village is the original settlement of the Ngāti Whakaue tribe and has been their home for over 500 years.  Walking around the quiet village, I was surprised at the presence of geothermal vents within the community.  I was told that the locals actually use the hot water for cooking. The Te Papaiouru Marae and tudor style Saint Faith’s Church juxtapose each other at either end of the town’s main square. 

Nearby is the Sulfur Point and wildlife sanctuary.  Boardwalks and paved paths skirt the edge of Lake Rotorua providing views of the geothermal activity and local birdlife. It was surprising to see birds wading in the alien landscape of the mudpools and hot springs. Since I visited Yellowstone National Park before coming to Rotorua, I was ready to deal with the sulfuric smell. I will say of all the places I visited around Rotorua, Sulfur point had the strongest smell – and not in a good way. 

Located just outside the northern end of Rotorua, Kuirau Park is a recreational park built on the grounds of some thermal pools. The paths wind around bubbling mudpools, colorful pools, steaming vents, and a crater lake. There is also a small footbath for people to soak their feet in.  

Hell’s Gate Spa is built around the mud and waters of the Tikitere. I’ve never experienced a mud bath before; it felt a little odd to coat myself in the slimy substance, but it did force me to sit back and just enjoy the time in the exfoliant bath.  After the allotted 20 minutes of mud bathing, the spa offers a small spring fed cold plunge and two larger sulfur pools to relax in.  The nutrient rich waters of the sulfur pools can stain clothing, so I happily paid a little extra to rent a bathing suit and towel for the visit. 

The Secret Spot is another spa experience in the area. Geared more towards couples and small groups, the Secret Spot provides private hot tubs set within a forest setting.  While I didn’t take in the full hot tub experience, I did give my feet a little shinny dip in one of their cedar tubs as I sipped an afternoon drink. 

For those seeking adventure, the Kaituna river offers some of the best rafting in New Zealand. I came here for the short hike to the waterfalls, but I got to experience some of the rafting thrills vicariously.  Okere Falls was once part of Rotorua’s first hydro-electric power station; informational plaques along the trail to the overlook of the falls talk about this history.  Since Okere Falls is a series of cascading falls within the river, it doesn’t have the impact of taller waterfalls; however, watching the white water rafters take on the rapids is fun in itself.  

Further up the trail are Tutea Falls – this is where it gets really interesting.  At 11 meters tall, Tutea falls is the highest commercially raftable waterfall in the world. Watching the raft careen over the waterfall and disappear into the spray below was a little scary at first, but exciting when the boat popped back up and the guide confirmed that all rafters were still in the boat.  While I’ve gone white water rafting before, this adventure might be a little past my comfort level; however, it was fun to watch it in action.  

From here, I walked down Hinemoa’s steps. Carved into the rockface back in the early 1900s, these steps lead to a series of small caves. These were used by local Maori women and children as hiding places during the wars. 

The Te Auheke Track to Cascade Falls is an easy 1 mile walk through the forest to some waterfalls.   The small stream along the track let me know I was on the right track as I made my way further and further into the dense forest.  Moss covered rocks and large ferns painted the atmosphere green, and it wasn’t long until the sound of water cascading down rocks completed the picture.  Supposedly, this is also a great place to see glowworms, but to check those out, I visited the next location.

Lake Tikitapu (Blue Lake) is a small lake surrounded by hills.  It looks like a nice place to go swimming, but I was here just at sunset hoping to find some glowworms. Since I didn’t realize it would have to be darker than just after sunset, I decided to walk a little further around the lake. A well worn 5km (3mile) path circles the lake and would be a nice addition to an afternoon swim.  Once it got a little darker, I found some locals to point me in the right direction for glowworm hunting. My workstay hosts were surprised that this is something I wanted to do – considering glowworms are just the larvae of gnat, I understand their skepticism. However, glowworms are not something I’ve ever encountered before, so, like most tourists to New Zealand, I wanted to see them in person during my stay.  

Once my eyes adjusted to the dark and the local kids showed me where to look, the blue light started popping out everywhere. It was fun to spot new groups of them as we walked around the dell.  I think that they would be even easier to see if it was later in the night, but I had early mornings to contend with. 

The Whakarewarewa Forest also offers glowworms viewing in their manufactured cave.  This is just one of their built attractions within the redwood forest.  Since I was more interested in experiencing the redwoods themselves, I opted to just walk the forest paths below the raised platforms.  Planted in 1901, the California redwoods have already grown to over 75 meters tall – this is nothing compared to the Redwoods in California where they are over 600 years old and taller than 100 meters. Still, the towering trees and soft red glow of their trunks transported me from New Zealand.  After walking some of the 180km of hiking and biking trails, I decided to come back after dark to experience them again in the glow of the Nightlights. 

Walking through the redwood forest at night was a completely different experience.  The twinkle lights from the Tree Top Walkway created a magical atmosphere, and the large hanging art installations cast light far into the forest.  Because I only had a small window of time to visit at night, I opted not to pay for the full experience, but I do think it would be pretty special to experience the full magical world of the Nightlights. 

Based on my January 2026 visit.