Rotorua

Rotorua, located 230km south east of Auckland, is a major tourist destination in New Zealand. It is known for 3 things: hot springs, Maori culture and extreme sports.


Rotorua is located next to a large lake, known simply as Lake Rotorua. While Lake Rotorua looks like a normal lake today, it is actually a volcano caldera, a giant crater formed by a volcanic explosion 220,000 years ago. That explosion was so large that it created a giant crater, which eventually filled with water and became Lake Rotorua.

Rotorua and its lake

One feature of Rotorua that all visitors immediately notice is the smell. It's a stinking sulphur smell similar to Yellowstone Park in US, or White Island in NZ. This is caused by sulphur in the air reacting with water, forming hydrogen sulphide. Even in the city, you can see active geothermal vents.

Kuirau Park near Rotorua city center

Geothermal activity in Rotorua

If this reminds you of White Island, this is because Rotorua, White Island and Taupo collectively forms what is known as the Taupo Volcanic Zone. This is the most active volcano zone in NZ, and possibly the world.

Taupo Volcanic Zone (www.sciencelearn.org.nz)

The nearest volcano to Rotorua is called Mount Tarawera, and is 24km from the city. Its last eruption was about 130 years ago, in 1886, and killed about 120 people. Given the rather large distance from Rotorua, most of the people killed were not from the city, but from small villages closer to the mountain. If there was an explosion today, I don't think there will be much damage to the city from the volcano itself, although there could be damage from the accompanying earthquake and tremors.

Artist depiction of Mt Tarawera explosion (www.clearwater.co.nz)

Mt Tarawera today

Can you spot Mt Tarawera?

Rotorua was a major Maori settlement before Europeans arrived. Why would they live in such a dangerous area? The answer is there are many benefits to living in a hot geothermal area. Maori had free heating in winter, and free hot water for bathing and cooking. This was before there was electricity and gas, which we take for granted today.

Even today, we get many benefits. Geothermal power produces about 10% of NZ total energy. And the hot springs is a major tourist attraction.

Ohinemutu, a Maori village in Rotorua

Maori cultural performance (www.tepuia.com)

That explained 2 of the 3 attractions in Rotorua. What about extreme sports? I'm not sure, but I guess that came from some creative and enterprising Kiwis taking advantage of the large number of tourists visiting the city.