Recommended Places to Visit in Northern Island of New Zealand,
6 Days, Full Activities in Ruapehu -Taupo -Rotorua,
New Zealand is a country that many people dream to visit once in a lifetime because it has such a beautiful and abundant nature like the forest, mountain, sea, lakes, and good weather. The population is about over 4 million people, which is less than those living in Bangkok. 😮
Photo from: Rotorua fan page
New Zealand is full of nature, we get to enjoy mountains, forests, and green fields all along the way. 🌲🌳🌿 It's beautiful everywhere we go. I guess this is the charm of New Zealand that everyone dreams of.
Preparation before going to New Zealand:
1. For visa application, it is suggested that we should submit it at least 15 days in advance, but 1 month or 30 days is better. And if many people are applying at the same time, you can make a Group Visa (the cost will be cheaper, for more details, please click >New Zealand Visa Application)
2. Prepare the right clothes with the right weather, there are 4 seasons in New Zealand >Seasons of New Zealand
- The summer starts from December - February, the temperature is around 20 - 25°C (68 - 77°F)
- The autumn starts from March - May, the temperature is around 17 - 21°C (62 - 70°F)
- The winter starts from June - August, the temperature is around 12 - 16°C (53 - 61°F)
- The spring starts from September - November, the temperature is around 16 - 19°C (61 - 66°F)
3. Universal adapters is highly recommend to prepare.
4. SIM card or pocket WiFi, or if you are staying in a hotel, use their WiFi is better.
5. Choose the right date to travel as you can get a really cheap air ticket. If you are living in Bangkok like us, a direct flight from Bangkok is recommended as the flying time is about 10-12 hours. You can check out the direct flight from Bangkok to Auckland of Thai Airways, which offers quite reasonable deal starting from 1x,xxx to 2x,xxx THB (depends on travel time). Thai Airways offers full services, more comfortable seat, a mini screen to entertain, beverages throughout the flight, and 30 kg. luggage included. This is worthy, check out the airfare here Check flights and prices
Where to Go When Visiting Northern Island of New Zealand?
We believe that many people may have seen great photos of Southern New Zealand already because it is very popular, especially renting a van and driving around the island. Then in this blog, we will introduce another highlight of New Zealand in the north island, which are Ruapehu, Taupo, and Rotorua. Each city offers lots of activities for us to enjoy such as forests, volcanoes, lakes, hot springs, waterfalls, and snow. There are so many outdoor activities to have fun. North Island of New Zealand is absolutely beautiful and not any less than South Island.
View of Lake Rotorua with fog from the geothermal hot spring
Mountains, forests, and geothermal hot springs.
Huka Falls, fast and strong current waterfall that can fill the Olympic pool within 11 seconds.
Mt. Ruapehu, where we can ski on the active volcano. It is so beautiful and great for beginners as well as professionals.
Beautiful nature with nice weather.
Close up visit to the geysers and experience the real natural hot springs.
Outdoor adventure activities that can make your holiday worth and memorable.
Go on a boat trip to enjoy the Taupo Lake, created by the volcano eruption and its size as large as Singapore.
✈️ Start the journey from Bangkok to New Zealand.
This trip, we took a direct flight with Thai Airways (Bangkok - Auckland). The flying time was around 11 hours from 6.30 p.m. and reached Auckland at 10.45 a.m. the following day.
If you are planning to visit New Zealand, you can check out the direct flight from Bangkok to Auckland by Thai Airways. The price starts from 1x,xxx to 2x,xxx THB (depends on travel time). Thai Airways offers full services with comfortable seats, a mini screen to entertain, drinks and foods throughout the flight, and 30 kg. luggage included, for the airfare information, please checkout here Thai Airways Ticket Deals
We got to experience the check-in service of Thai Royal Silk, but we booked the economy seats. Thanks to Thai Airways for this offer.
After check-in, we stopped for the Thai Airways lounge service and had some food before boarding.
Overall, the foods and desserts were very delicious. My favorite dish was pork knuckle and Thai desserts.
Overall, in-flight service of Thai Airways was good, convenient, and worth the price.
The food was delicious and big portion. It's appetizing and enough.
During the flight, If you do not feel like sleeping you can entertain yourself with movies, musics, TV programs, both in Thai and foreign languages with lots of choices.
Day 1: Huka Falls, Taupō, New Zealand
To get to Huka Falls, it takes about 3 and a half hours from the Auckland airport. After got everything set, we reached the Huka Falls, Taupō at around 4 p.m.
Destination 1: Huka Falls, Taupō, The fun begins here.
Huka Falls is just 5 minutes away from the Taupo town center. It is another well-known tourist destination in New Zealand from its strong and fast current that the water can fill the Olympic pool in just 11 seconds. It is caused by the Waikato River that is over 100 meters wide but it is resized to flow through the narrow canyon caused by an eruption of a volcano which is only 15 meters wide. This causes a great compression and strong current.
Photo credit: LoveTaupo.com
To see Huka Falls up close, we took Hukafalls Jet which was so fun and thrilling with the drifting skill of the staff that all passengers had to scream out loud. Hukafalls Jet is the only private company approved by the government of New Zealand to run the jet tour to Haka Falls. The tour is approximately 30 minutes per round.
Photo credit: LoveTaupo.com
End of this jet tour, we all got both cold and wet but fun, luckily the jacket is provided, so we were not all wet but only partially. After an hour here, we moved to our hotel in Ruapehu which is about 1.30 hour drive.
Haka Falls Jet Information:
Location: https://g.page/HukafallsJetTaupo?share
Opening hours: 8.30 a.m. - 5.00 p.m.
Ticket:
- Adult is 135 NZD
- Child is 89 NZD (age not over 15 years old and must be above 100 cm tall)
For more information and reservation, please click Hukafalls Jet
Destination 2: The Park Hotel Ruapehu, Tongariro National Park
We arrived our hotel, the Park Hotel Ruapehu at around 7 p.m. We stayed here for 2 nights because we wanted to go up to learn skiing at Whakapapa Ski Field Mt. Ruapehu.
The Park Hotel Ruapehu is the only 3-star hotel here that have a view of 3 volcanoes. It is located in Tongariro National Park and near the Whakapapa Ski Field Mt. Ruapehu. It takes only 30 minutes to reach the Whakapapa Ski Field.
The room is not very large, but overall is ok because we didn't spend much time at the room. It is solely for sleeping.
The room price per night is about 2,xxx THB including breakfast. The location is great and they also provide hot tubs in the middle of the hotel for us to enjoy.
There are restaurant and bar serving guests here. The average price per menu is not too expensive. We dined here, the portion was big for us, we ordered 1 main dish for 2 people.
If anyone plans to visit, please check out more information:
The Park Hotel Ruapehu, Tongariro National Park
2/6 Millar Street, Ruapehu, National Park 3948
Ph:+64 7-892 2748
https://the-park.co.nz/
Day 2: Whakapapa Ski Field, Mount Ruapehu
The second day we woke up early. After breakfast, we took the bus from the hotel about 9 a.m. to Whakapapa Ski Field, Mount Ruapehu and reached there at 9.30 a.m.
Skiing on Mount Ruapehu, the largest active volcano on the Northern Island. It is a popular skiing destination for ski players and it is also the perfect location for movie shooting such as The Lord of The Ring.
This's our 1st ski lesson with Whakapapa Ski Field. Here, they offer courses for beginners to learn with experienced ski instructors. To get started, we have to prepare the outfit and at Whakapapa Ski Field you can rent ski clothing, hats, shoes, skis and snowboard. But there're no gloves and goggles, so please do prepare these.
The prices are stated below.
When you got all outfits and the equipment ready, it's time to enjoy.
Here is the photo before starting....
And once we started.....Of course, we were on the ground, because this's our first time, haha, but it's so fun.
We practiced for about an hour before going for the actual skiing. Still, we were skiing only in the training zone and yet go up to a high place.
Yes, we fell several times which were both fun and cold. If you like this kind of sport, you simply cannot miss it!
We skied until noon and then we went for lunch at this restaurant, the Happy Valley Bistro.
In the afternoon, we got back to our hotel because the snow started to fall very strongly and we were unable to continue skiing. But nonetheless that was a great fun skiing. The staff was very attentive, nice, and understood that we were not good at it yet and they didn't rush us or anything. They tried their best to teach us until we started to get the feeling and were able to ski a bit.
Whakapapa Ski Area
For the adults, if you come in groups, you can take the Adult full day group lesson, which costs 119 NZD/person.
What is included?:
- All day lessons (2 x 1 hr 50 min lessons)
- Equipment rental (skis, boots & poles OR snowboard & boots - helmet/clothing not included).
- Package lesson times: 10.30 a.m. & 2 p.m.
- Not include all mountain lift pass (if included, the fee is 169 NZD/person)
If you are interested, click here for more information Whakapapa Ski Area
After skiing, we took the shower at the hotel first before going for dinner at Chateau Tongariro Hotel which is only about 10-15 minutes drive from our hotel.
Chateau Tongariro Hotel is an old hotel established in 1887, and has been renovated and beautifully decorated. Now it is a beautiful and well-known hotel here.
We also got to see the rooms at Chateau Tongariro Hotel. Overall was so cozy and luxurious. For the price inquiry, please click Hotel Room Rates
If you are interested in this hotel, please click here for more details Chateau Tongariro Hotel
Location: State Highway 48 Whakapapa Village, 3951 Mt. Ruapehu New Zealand
Phone: +64 7 892 3809 / Toll-Free: 0800 242 832
Day 3: Cruising around Lake Taupō and roaming around Rotorua
After check-out from the Park Hotel, we continued to Taupō in order to cruise and enjoy the Lake Taupō which is about 1 hour and 20 minutes drive.
Destination 1: Lake Taupō
It is the largest lake in New Zealand, located in Taupō city and about 3.30 hours away from Auckland Airport. Lake Taupō is almost the same size as Singapore. The lake was caused by a volcanic eruption around two thousand years ago. The blast was so intense that the skies of China and European countries were gloomy on the day of the incident. And that explosion caused the largest freshwater lake in New Zealand, making Lake Taupō a tourist destination that is considered a highlight of New Zealand.
Recommended activities include water skiing, kayaking, sightseeing, or yacht trip to Lake Taupō to see volcanoes and Maori rock carvings at Mine Bay, the traditional stone carvings in the lake or going for a famous activity; the trout fishing.
We chose to take the charter boat with Chris Jolly Outdoors Lake Taupō. It is about 1 and a half hour tour going around Lake Taupō, volcanoes and Mari rock carvings at Mine bay.
The trout fishing lesson was also given. The too small fish would be released back to the sea and only the big ones were kept.
Maori rock carvings at Mine Bay are traditional carvings of the Maori tribe, reaching 10 meters in height and taking up to 4 summers to complete the carving. Since it can be accessed via water only, it is a tourist spot that tourists must visit.
Enjoying the Chris Jolly Outdoors Lake Taupo Scenic Cruises
Opening hours:
- Monday - Friday, 8.30 a.m. - 5.00 p.m.
Ticket:
- Adult 40-46 NZD
- Child (16 years old and below) 0-18 NZD
For more information and reservation, please click Chris Jolly Outdoors Lake Taupo Scenic Cruises
We finished the cruising trip at around 2 p.m. and then we went to Waimangu Volcanic Valley, Rotorua which is not so far away.
When talking about the city of Rotorua, New Zealand, it is known as “the city of sulfur spa from hot springs and outdoor activities". Because the city is rich in sources of hot springs, green forests, meadows and lakes. It is also an ancient city that accumulates the culture of the Maori people. All of these making this city such a fun place for tourists to visit. If you visit Rotorua, it is suggested to stay at least 3 days 2 nights, which is the right amount of time to fully enjoy this city.
Destination 2: Waimangu Volcanic Valley, Rotorua, New Zealand
It is not far from downtown Rotorua, about 20 minutes drive. The Waimangu Volcanic Valley occurred in 1886 when the Mt. Tarawera volcano exploded and split into two parts and caused Lake Rotomahana to expand by 20 times and formed various hot springs.
Recommended activities include 🌳walking along the track to see hot springs at Waimangu Volcanic Valley, cruising to sightseeing Lake Rotomahana 🌋, or sightseeing geysers or hot springs released periodically due to the active volcano and can be found only a few places in the world. It is indeed a rare natural phenomenon.
We started by walking on foot to see various hot springs.
That you see afar in white was the smoke from the hot springs that are smoldering underground. While walking, the smell was quite strong but it was not dangerous because it's the smell from the underground minerals caused by hot springs.
This area is a highlight called Inferno Crater. It is a hot spring with beautiful turquoise color with the shade of color being varied from day to day.
Lake Rotomahana Boat Cruise to sightseeing Lake Rotomahana 🌋and geysers, the hot spring with smoke that coming out periodically. We also got to have a close up look of the hot spring when the boat stopped.
The day we visited, the water went up really high. I'm not sure how high it was as I didn't bring any tape measure :)
If you want to also enjoy this experience, please take a look at details below.
Waimangu Volcanic Valley tour price:
Opening hours: 8.30 a.m. - 5.00 p.m.
Phone: +64-7-366 6137
For more information, please click https://www.waimangu.co.nz
Destination 3: The Redwoods Nightlights
After finished at Waimangu Volcanic Valley, it was around 5 p.m. And before going for dinner, we went to visit the Redwoods Nightlights. This is the world's longest wooden bridge hanging over 700 meters of trees. There are 28 bridges connecting each other and up to 20 meters high from the floor. Most importantly, not a single nail is used because they wanted to preserve redwood that is already 118 years old. To walk around this bridge, it takes about 40 minutes.
Photo credit: Rotorua Facebook page
Redwoods Nightlights
Location: 1 Long Mile Road, Whakarewarewa, Rotorua,
3010, New Zealand
Opening hours: 9.00 a.m. - 10.30 p.m.
Ticket: Adult is 29 NZD, child aged 5-15 years old is 19 NZD.
For more information, please visit https://treewalk.co.nz
Destination 4 : Dinner at Wild Rice Thai Cuisine
After a day of adventurous activities, it's time for dinner at Thai restaurant. Wild Rice Thai Cuisine is located at "Eat Street". This is the zone for restaurants, cafes, and bars.
The food at Wild Rice Thai Cuisine was delicious although it's not as strong a taste as in Thailand (you can ask for more spicy if you want because the shop owner is Thai). So, if you are tired of western food, it is recommended to visit here which is the only Thai restaurant on Eat Street.
Wild Rice Thai Cuisine
Location: "Eat Streat" 1114 Tutanekai St Rotorua 3010
Opening hours: Monday - Saturday, 11.00 a.m. - 2.30 p.m. | 5.00 p.m. - late night, for Sunday, it only opens from 5.00 p.m. - late night
For more information, please visit http://www.wildricethairotorua.co.nz/
Destination 5 : Check in at Sudima Lake Rotorua Hotel
Sudima Lake Rotorua is a 4-star hotel. We stayed here for 2 nights. Sudima Lake Rotorua is located in the city. It is convenient and more importantly, it is right next to Lake Rotorua. Just a few steps away from the hotel and we will see the lake right in front of the hotel already. If you wish to get a beautiful lake view, it is recommended to take pictures in the evening and in the morning. Taking pictures of the fog and the sun is so heart fulfilling. The fog you see in the pictures was from the hot spring it's just so relaxing.
The room is also pretty good, spacious, comfortable, with full amenities. The room rate is 199 NZD/night.
Sudima Lake Rotorua
Location: 1000 Eruera Street, Rotorua 3010, New Zealand
For more information and reservation, please click Sudima Lake Rotorua
Day 4: Enjoying Outdoor Adventure at Rotorua City
Destination 1: Agrodome Farm, Rotorua, New Zealand
Agrodome Farm is just 10 minutes from the city center. The area is so large with 350 acres of land, it is another highlight of Rotorua. It is an agricultural tourist attraction and is the largest farm here. It opens for tourists to see the farming of people here. In fact, there are small shows of goats, sheep and dogs. There is also a farm tour program to take a closer look around the farm to see goats, sheep, alpaca, cows, wild pigs and many more.
Inside is a souvenir shop and coffee to sit and chill. It is recommended to come in the morning at 9.30 a.m. to see the first show. The show lasts about 1 hour and speak in English, but earphones are available in many languages. After that, we took a tram to see the farm tour which also lasted for about an hour.
This place is perfect for bringing the family to visit and enjoy the nice weather while learning about farming and raising animals. I think the kids would love it so much.
Agrodome Farm, Rotorua, New Zealand
Location: https://www.agrodome.co.nz/visitor-info/location-map/
Opening hours: Daily, 8.30 a.m. - 5.00 p.m.
Ticket: Adult starts at 36.50 NZD, child aged 5-15 years old starts at 19.50 NZD, for a package price, please click Ticket Prices
Destination 2. Velocity Valley, Rotorua, New Zealand
Velocity Valley is another must-visit destination. It is an adventure park that has all fun and adventurous activities. It is neighboring to Agrodome but just have to enter different door. It is recommended to visit Agrodome in the morning and come here afterward.
Velocity Valley at 10.30 -12.00 p.m. The activities include:
- SHWEEB RACER
- FREEFALL XTREME
- AGROJET
- SWOOP
- ROTORUA BUNGY
- FREESTYLE AIRBAG
If I have to recommend a must try activity, I say go for the SHWEEB RACER. It is a bicycle riding race. It felt like we were racing on a bicycle but cycling in a circle. We could go for 3 rounds in each time and there's a timer to see who will win. It's quite fun. It was harder than it appeared. If you want to know, you must try it yourself.
SHWEEB RACER requires the minimum height to be 1.30 meters, the price is 49 NZD/person/time.
Do not bring any valuable things inside as it could fall. Camera was also forbidden but they would take photos for us with GoPro.
When cycling in circle, we moved around 3 rounds with a sloping road from high and low, of 600 meters long.
This section is a SWOOP that can play up to 3 people at the same time. It gave me a bungee jumping mood but not as high. Although it was only 40 meters, the thrilling feeling was not different from the bungee jump. The price is the same as 49 NZD/person/time.
FREEFALL XTREME felt like a parachute jump from the plane. Strong wind hit my face and I was flying up and down accordingly. If you injects Botox, you must be extra careful, haha. It is 49 NZD/person/time.
If you are looking for a fun bicycle riding, I would recommend the FREESTYLE AIRBAG for 30 NZD/person/2 hrs.
If you don't want to riding everything, you could also choose a 2 Ride Combo package which you can take 2 rides for 76.50 NZD/person/1 hr (except FREESTYLE AIRBAG). For the price check, please click here เช็คราคาที่นี่
Velocity Valley, Rotorua Adventure Park
Location: 1335 Paradise Valley Road, Ngongotaha, Rotorua 3040, New Zealand
Opening hours: Daily, 9.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m.
For more details: https://velocityvalley.co.nz/
Destination 3 : Skyline Rotorua, New Zealand
Skyline Rotorua is not far from Velocity Valley. It is less than 10 minutes drive to get to the ticket in order to get onto the Gondola to Mt. Ngongotaha. It's another spot that shouldn't be missed because we can see a panoramic view of the city and Lake Rotorua.
But unfortunately, the Gondola was closed for maintenance when we visited. So we didn't get to enjoy the beautiful view, we instead took the shuttle bus up.
Photo credit: Skyline Rotorua
After getting up, we needed to recharge energy before enjoying all the adventurous activities again. So we had our lunch along beautiful view at a famous restaurant here, Stratosfare Restaurant & Bar.
The view was magnificent, the food was served in buffet with so many choices as it's international food.
Price of Gondola + Lunch: Adult: 39 NZD Child: 26 NZD
After food, it's time to take photos with beautiful view of the city and Lake Rotorua.
Skyline Rotorua offers several activities, for more details, please click > Skyline Rotorua
A must-do activity is to ride Luge Ride down the hill. New Zealand is a birthplace for Luge riding which started in 1986. It also has the longest track in the world. The beginning track, Scenic Luge Track is 2 km long. The package of Gondola + 1 Luge Rides for adult is 47 NZD and a child is 31 NZD (effective October 2019, the price of adult will be 50 NZD and a child will be 33 NZD).
Photo credit: Skyline Rotorua
Please be careful when going in for any curve as the accident could happen and please be aware of friend passing over too.
This is how the track looks like. A round is about 2 km. long. It's so fun. Yes, you don't want to miss it!!!!!!
Photo credit: Skyline Rotorua
After riding down the hill, on the way up, we took the chairlift to enjoy the beautiful view.
Skyline Rotorua:
Location: 178 Fairy Springs Road, Rotorua, New Zealand
Opening hours: Daily, 9.00 a.m. - 10.00 p.m.
For more details and prices, please click Skyline Rotorua
Destination 4: Rainbow Springs Nature Park, Rotorua, New Zealand
Then we continued to Rainbow Springs Nature Park which is not so far from Skyline Rotorua, it is within walking distance.
Rainbow Springs Nature Park is a wildlife conservative park and tourist attraction that is open for people to get up close and personal with the wildlife of New Zealand, especially the Kiwi bird that is a national bird. Kiwi bird is also a conservation animal here because it is endangered. The theme of activities here are to emphasize on conservation and sustainability. We walked around to see the forest and animals. The entire area is 22 acres.
We firstly visited the hatching, breeding and nursery farm of the endangered Kiwi bird. It is close to extinction because of being hit by other animals, attacked and captured as food. Rainbow Springs has cultured and nursed kiwi birds the most in the world and by far has over 1,900. When we got inside, sounds and camera's flashlight were not allowed because it would disturb the kiwi bird. Incubating an egg will help reduce the chance of death of the baby bird because the kiwi bird will leave the eggs alone once they have been laid out. It gives a high chance for various animals to attack or eat it as food. Therefore, the staff will enter the forest to bring the eggs out to hatch and nurture. When the birds are fully grown, the staff will release them back into the forest again.
In addition to walking and bird watching, there is also the Big Splash ride to give you a bit of excitement.
Rainbow Springs Nature Park
Location: https://www.google.co.nz/maps/place/Rainbow+Spring...
Opening hours: Daily 8.30 a.m. - 5.30 p.m. (the last round is 5.00 p.m.)
Ticket: Adult starts at 36 NZD, child 18 NZD, for price check, please click เช็คราคาที่นี่
For more details, please visit rainbowsprings.co.nz
Destination 5: Local food at Mitai Maori Village
After walking around the Rainbow Springs, it's about 5.30 p.m. We then went to Mitai Maori Village to enjoy local food and watched a traditional Maori performance.
The local food is called Hangi food. The process of cooking was to dig a hole deep about the knee and then burned the stone to heat. Then brought the food to bake and covered the hole with white cloth and soil. When the right time came, the food was taken up and we could immediately eat it after that.
Photo credit: https://mitai.co.nz
Before eating, there was a local performance of the Maori tribe starting from canoeing out of the forest to tell the story of the migration of Maori people.
Then, we went to see the live performance of the Maori tribe, which was very good, both costumes and equipment. Here, they tried to make everything the most original possible. The performance was approximately 30 minutes. After the show, it's time for food.
If you want to try local food and Maori performance, you must come here.
Mitai Maori Village
Location: 196 Fairy Springs Rd Rotorua, New Zealand
Opening hours: Daily, 8.00 a.m. - 7.00 p.m.
Ticket: Food + performance, adult 188 NZD, child aged 10-15 years old 58.65 NZD, child aged 5-9 years old 23.65 NZD, child below 5 years old is free
For more details, please visit https://mitai.co.nz/prices
Day 5: Fun & Adventurous time at Rotorua (continue)
Destination 1: Off Road NZ, a place for people who love thrilling and challenge
After breakfast, we left the hotel at 8.30 a.m. and reached here after 20-30 minutes.
Off Road NZ is another very fun outdoor adventure that has 4WD Bush Safari's (self-drive), Monster 4X4 Thrill Rides (driven by staff), Raceline Karting, and Claybird Shooting.
For the 4WD Bush Safari's, you must have a driver license.
We chose 2 rides: Monster 4X4 Thrill Rides (driven by staff) and the racing car, Raceline Karting which is 1.2 km long, the longest track in New Zealand.
We started with Monster 4X4 Thrill Rides.
It's like we were riding a roller coaster + driving up hill. The staff drove really fast, swinging and drifting. It was so super thrilling. More importantly, do not open your mouth so widely, otherwise, the dirt could fly in :)
Each round is about 10 minutes. After that, we changed our clothes to drive a car race.
Raceline Karting is 1.2 km long. This longest track in New Zealand is 8 meters wide and 150 meters straight.
If you love adventure, you have to come to the Off Road NZ.
Off Road NZ
Location: Off Road NZ, 193 Amoore Rd, Mamaku 3072, New Zealand
Opening hours: Daily, 9.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m.
Ticket: Monster 4X4 Thrill Ride is 55.00 NZD/adult, and 35.00 NZD/Child (5-16 years)
For more details and price, please click เช็คราคาที่นี่
Destination 2: Polynesian Spa
After the car race, we went to Polynesian Spa. It is New Zealand's famous and well-known spa because it's awarded the Top 10 spa from the world's best hot springs by Conde Nast Traveler magazine. This spa has 28 hot springs and 14 baths that can oversee the view of Lake Rotorua, so spectacular.
Note: We didn't get to enjoy the spa due to limited time. We could only take some photos for your references.
Photo credit: https://www.polynesianspa.co.nz
This is a private VIP room where you can bath in the hot spring spa and enjoy the view of Lake Rotorua.
Polynesian Spa
Location: 1000 Hinemoa Street, Rotorua, New Zealand
Opening hours: Daily, 8.00 a.m. - 11.00 p.m.
For more details and price, please visit https://www.polynesianspa.co.nz
Destination 3: The Ultimate - Rotorua Canopy Tours
In the afternoon, we continued with the Ultimate - Rotorua Canopy Tours for the zip line, which is only 10 minutes away from the city. This is another highlight of the activities that must be tried when visiting Rotorua because it is the zip line along the native forest of New Zealand. There's a zip line that is 1.2 kilometers long and without a single nail on the trees because they wanted to conserve forests. This place is also received the award and is the origin of the Canopy Tour.
We took the Original Canopy Tour which lasted for 3 hours. Ticket for a child is 129 NZD, adult is 159 NZD. You must not weight over 120 kg and must be at least 6 years old to take the zip line.
When the dress and equipment was ready, we needed to take a shuttle bus for about 5 minutes from the office. After that, the staff took us into the forest and looked at the old trees there.
Then, we went for zip line in each station and the height was gradually raising up too.
This is the longest line of about 200 meters and the highest too, but I didn't remember how tall it was. It was so thrilling as I couldn't even see the ground.
And the final station was very challenging because we had to hang our head down, it's so thrilling.
The safety here is excellent with staff taking care of us at all time. Their standard is great, fun, thrilling, and safe.
The Ultimate - Rotorua Canopy Tours
Location: 147 Fairy Springs Road, Rotorua 3015, New Zealand
Opening hours: Daily, 8.00 a.m. - 6.00 p.m.
For more information and prices, please click The Ultimate - Rotorua Canopy Tours
Destination 4: ZORB Rotorua
ZORB is only available in Rotorua, the only place in Zew Zealand. This place was also the first to open to the world, in 1990. It is a must-try activity if you visit Rotorua. ZORB is to get into a giant ball which can be either filled with or without water. Then, we will roll down the hills of Mt. Ngongotaha. ZORB Rotorua has the longest track of Sidewinder Track, which is 350 meters long.
It is so easy to get here, only 5 minutes drive from downtown. It is also close to Skyline Rotorua, Rainbow Springs,and Mitai Maori Village.
We took the dry one as we didn't want to get wet because it's cold. But playing with water is much more fun as experienced by my friend. We can play up to 2 people at the same time.
For the Straight Track 250 meters, the price starts at 45 NZD/person/time. For the Zigzag SIDEWINDER 350 meters, the starting price is 65 NZD/person/time. Different field size comes with different price. To check for the prices, please click ZORB Tickets
Photo credit: ZORB
This is a GoPro shot when rolling down. Some people may be afraid that it will spin like a washing machine. No, it actually didn't spin like that! It's just bouncing. Don't be scared. It's quite fun. Each round is about 5 minutes.
Upon reaching the ground, the staff took us out of the ball because it would bounce a bit. We didn't feel dizzy at all, it's quite comfortable but a little excited as we couldn't see the outside at all.
If you are visiting Rotorua, you should try it out as it's the only place to enjoy in New Zealand.
ZORB Rotorua
Location: 525 Ngongotaha Rd, Fairy Springs, Rotorua 3015, New Zealand
Opening hours: Daily, 9.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m.
Destination 5: TePo - Te Puia
After the ball bouncing activity, we went to TePo - Te Puia. It is another interesting tourist attraction in the Whakarewarewa geothermal valley area. The highlight here is the Pōhutu geyser, the largest active hot spring in the southern hemisphere. It erupts once or twice every hour and sometimes it goes up to 30 meters (100 feet) high.
We reached here around 6 p.m. We booked the program of Te Pō (Indigenous Evening Experience). This program included dinner and the Pōhutu geyser sightseeing tour.
Starting price is 115.20 NZD/adult, 57.60 NZD/child (aged 5-15 years old), for other programs, please click Ticket Prices
After the hot spring tour, we came to watch the traditional performance of the Maori tribe, which was similar to the Maitai, but would be more modern and focused on entertainment.
The restaurant was large and beautifully decorated. The food here had both Hāngi and international cuisine for tourists to choose. The menu is quite diverse. I think it's quite worth the money paid.
After dinner, it's already 9 p.m. We then went back to our hotel at Sudima Lake Rotorua which takes only 10 minutes. After that, we packed our bag in order to fly back to Bangkok the next morning.
TePo - Te Puia is another highlight of Rotorua. Since there're many tourists here, it is recommended to reserve in advance.
TePo - Te Puia
Location: Te Puia | Hemo Rd PO Box 334, Rotorua 3040, New Zealand
Opening hours: Daily, winter 8.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m. (April - September) summer 8.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m. (September – April)
Ticket: TePo Experience Evening Tour starts at 115.20 NZD/adult, 57.60 NZD/child (aged 5-15 years old)
For more information and programs, please click TePo - Te Puia
That's it, our trip to Northern Island New Zealand, 6 days, full activities at Ruapehu -Tuapo -Rotorua, a beautiful, fun, and adventurous journey.
If you are still planning to visit New Zealand, please choose the right date as the airfare can get really cheap. More importantly, a direct flight from Bangkok is recommended as the flying time is about 10-12 hours. You may check out the direct flight from Bangkok to Auckland of Thai Airways. The price depends on travel time but it comes with full services, more comfortable seats, a mini screen to watch movies or play games, drinks throughout the flight, and 30 kg. luggage. It is worthy and more comfortable. For the airfare, please click Thai Airways Flight Search
Thank you so much and see you again in our next trip :)
Readme Team
Wednesday, October 30, 2019 10:55 AM
