Relaxing in Rotorua

Whenever people talk about Rotorua, I’m used to hearing about what an amazing place it is for adventure – you can go zorbing, rafting, mountain biking, you name it. However, when I’m on holiday relaxation is the name of the game, so when we went down to Rotorua last month I was on a mission to find some things to do that were more my speed.

1. Take a ride in the gondola

I’m sure we can all appreciate a good view, right? Well to get the best views in Rotorua, you need to take the Skyline Rotorua Gondola up Mount Ngongotaha. You’ll have a view over the city and the lake, plus you can take your picture with the Rotovegas sign! We didn’t get a chance to go up at night but will definitely be heading to Stratosfare Restaurant when we return later in the year to celebrate our anniversary because we had a peek and the food looks ah-mazing (and there are lots of vegetarian, gluten free and dairy free options). They’ve also just opened up stargazing tours which I am super keen to check out!

PRO TIP: If you’re wanting to go on some of the adventure attractions, bear in mind that some do have a weight limit. I know the luge is 125kg maximum, but you would need to check for other attractions.

Soak your troubles away at the Polynesian Spa

I visit Polynesian Spa every time I go to Rotorua and it’s one of my favourite spots to unwind. There are a few different pools to choose from including the family pools if you want to take your kids along, adult pools, private pools (where bathing suits are optional) and my favourite, the Lake Spa. The pools in the Lake Spa look out over Lake Rotorua and have the most picturesque view you could imagine! My favourite is the Priest Spa which has acidic water from the Radium hot spring, which is well known for its therapeutic properties (it’s good for relieving arthritis). Make sure you book an appointment at the Lake Spa, I recommend a Purifying Mud Body Wrap or an Aix Massage, both are absolutely divine!

PRO TIP: Robes and disposable underwear are provided if you’re having a treatment done at the Lake Spa. If you’re over a size 20 then you will need to ask for a larger size robe (sometimes this has been available and sometimes it hasn’t), and be aware that the disposable underwear is small and doesn’t cover much! I take my own bikini briefs to wear instead so that I’m comfortable and feel covered.

Learn about some local history at the Rotorua Museum

This might be an insight as to how much of a nerd I am, but I’ve spent more time at Rotorua Museum Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa than I have anywhere else in Rotorua (except for Polynesian Spa) and I still want to go back and experience more. It’s the most interesting museum I’ve ever been to, with one wing dedicated to the local history, including how Maori came to the area and one wing that tells the story of the Rotorua Bath House, which is where the museum is housed. They also host a number of changing exhibitions – when I was there, they had a collection of tea towels on display which brought back a number of memories from growing up here in New Zealand.

PRO TIP: Join one of the hourly guided tours (it’s free) and make sure you check out the two cinemas – one tells the story of the Maori Battalion and the other stories of Rotorua.

Go sightseeing

I had never been on a guided tour before because I usually prefer to explore at my own pace, however we went out with Rotorua Duck Tours and had a great time. Our driver and guide were funny, entertaining and told us little bits of information that we otherwise wouldn’t have known if we’d gone to see the sights under our own steam including lots of local stories about the areas that we were exploring. Another bonus, of course, was that we were in a vehicle that turned into a boat and took us out onto a couple of the lakes – what a neat experience! This was the most fun activity that we did in Rotorua because it was so different to any of my previous holiday experiences. It certainly opened my eyes to how great guided tours can be and the benefits of having a local guide.

PRO TIP: Make sure you take a sweater as the sides of the duck are open and it can get a bit chilly (especially when you’re out on the lakes).

Bubble bubble toil and trouble

I’ve always wanted to go to Hells Gate and despite having a knee injury I was determined to explore. There are three different walks you can do, one that is a few hundred metres and takes you around a few mud pools, and two that take you on a short hike a bit further up a hill. Once you’re up there you have the option of two different loop tracks taking you around mud pools and geysers. We opted for the longer walk which is about 4km, and while there is a path it’s not particularly even in some parts so you will need to be reasonably fit and able if you want to go on those walks. It’s not just hills, hiking and boiling hot mud though – once we’d finished our walk we got to do something that I have been wanting to do for my whole life!

I have always wanted to have a mud bath, so there was no way that I was leaving until I had soaked in that mud! It’s got a bunch of great benefits for your body and we noticed (yep, Doug slathered on some mud as well!) that our skin was super soft and smooth afterwards. I’m really glad I got to tick this one off my bucket list and I’d love to have another mud bath in the future.

PRO TIP: The mud smells like sulphur so make sure you take an older bathing suit to wear in the mud pools and old clothes to change in to afterwards, plus a plastic bag to bring your bathing suit home in.

Go exploring

There are a lot of great places to explore in Rotorua that won’t cost you a dime. It’s no secret that my favourite spot is amongst the great Redwoods in Whakarewarewa Forest – there are some beautiful tracks to walk in there and despite heading out there many times I always find a new trail to explore. We also went for a drive to check out a few of the local lakes, including Lake Tarawera which is an important part of Rotorua’s history.

Check out Rainbow Springs

If you’re wanting to see some neat animals, Rainbow Springs is the place to go. This is perfect for families as well – they’ve got lots of interesting creatures to see, including a live bird show featuring some very clever feathered friends! I’m super sad to report that I filmed some of the bird show to share with you but there was a tech-misadventure and I lost all the footage, but that just means you’re going to have to head along and check it out for yourself! They do a few animal encounters where you can get up close with some of the animals, which I would totally recommend.

PRO TIP: Take your drink bottle and fill it up at the fresh spring, the water is delicious!

Visit QE Health Spa & Beauty

It’s always the quiet unassuming buildings that hide the most treasures. QE Health Spa & Beauty is home to not only a world class rehabilitation centre but they also offer spa and beauty services. If I lived near Rotorua I would be visiting them for my knee rehab no questions asked – I enjoyed an Aix Massage while I was there (basic gist of it is that while you’re lying on the table being massaged, you are under jets of warm thermal water from the Rachel Spring, it’s bliss) and it was the best massage of my life and made an enormous difference to the pain I had in my body from my knee injury. They offer all kinds of beauty treatments, including facials, waxing, massages and mud treatments.

PRO TIP: If you’ve never had an Aix Massage before, give it a go. I find this much more enjoyable and relaxing than any other kind of massage I’ve experienced.

How would you like to relax in Rotorua?
Have you been there before?

We explored Rotorua with the help of Destination Rotorua who helped us to organise a relaxing itinerary.