Rotorua with Te Puia & Hells Gate Geothermal Areas
A shore excursion offering you a unique experience to visit Rotorua – New Zealand’s cultural and geothermal heartland. The tour includes sightseeing through Rotorua and admission to two of the main geothermal attractions in New Zealand, Te Puia, Rotorua’s premium geothermal and cultural center and The Hell's Gate, the most active geothermal area in New Zealand, and ominously named to represent the striking geothermal features.We take the inland route over the harbor bridge and through Tauranga to join the old drovers road to Rotorua. This historic route, carved by the first Maori settlers many hundreds of years ago, passes through stunning scenery, forests, and deep gorges.Arriving in Rotorua, we begin by visiting the highlights of this famous tourist town. You will see Government Gardens, the Historic Bath House, Rotorua Museum, the Blue Baths, Rachel’s Pool, and then along the Lake front to drive past the Te Arawa Waka [canoe] and take a little time to stroll along the lake front. Firstly, we go to Te Puia and then to Hell's Gate.Te Puia：– See geysers explode high into the air. You will only get those iconic photos at Te Puia where you are up close and personal with many of the geothermal features.– Experience an awe-inspiring cultural performance from the local Maori. The 45-minute concert includes a powhiri (welcome) onto the Marae (meeting house), as well as traditional songs and dances. You will see the famous Haka (war dance), guaranteed to send a shiver down your spine!– Spot the elusive kiwi in the nocturnal enclosure. The Kiwis are our national icon and are endangered.– Watch craftsmen and women learn their trade in the carving and weaving schools.Hell's Gate：Named by George Bernard Shaw, this geothermal park will show you a variety of steaming fumaroles and bubbling mud pools.– The Hell's Gate features boiling hot pools and erupting waters with temperatures in excess of 100 degrees Celsius, steaming fumaroles, hot water lakes, sulphur crystals, and deposits, New Zealand’s largest active mud volcano, Southern Hemisphere’s largest hot water falls, and even examples of land coral.-Explore the interactive opportunities with a guided tour of the geothermal park and get hands on with the geothermal mud or get your feet dirty in the Hell's Gate Mud Foot Pool. Try your hand at Maori carving at our Interactive Carving House to make your own souvenir to take home.Our route back to the ship follows the coastal road, passing by Lake Rotorua and Lake Rotoiti, through plantation forests and kiwi fruit with a stop to see how the Kiwi fruit is grown and for which the Bay of Plenty is famous for. Get ready for lots photo opportunities en route.
