Rotorua New Zealand

The city of Rotorua is located in the North Island of New Zealand on Lake Rotorua’s (in Maori: Te Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe) southern shores and offers many great local shops, restaurants, cafes and bars to visit during your stay in the Bay of Plenty region.

Sequoia Motel is conveniently located near some of the great attractions and the central city. To find out how to get to Sequoia Motel visit our How to Get There page.
Below we provide some brief information on Rotorua:

HISTORY

Rotorua in Maori means “second lake’ and is home to many Maori legends and stories. Rotorua is the place to truly experience New Zealand’s Maori culture and spirit.

One of the most memorable historical events in the Rotorua area was the 1886 Mount Tarawera eruption, which destroyed the famous Pink and White Terraces and buried Te Wairoa, the Maori village.

Rotorua is also full of buildings, sites and structures full of history and amazing architecture - all available to the public to explore.

Well worth a visit and a photo opportunity is The Bath House on Queens Drive which is now home to the Rotorua Museum of Art & History, but was once a spa offering therapeutic treatments. The Tourism Information Centre which you will likely stop by at some stage is housed within the Old Post Office on Arawa & Fenton Streets and incorporates a memorial town clock which was erected in honour of Premier Richard Seddon.

During your time here in Rotorua, take the time to explore the area’s history. 

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CLIMATE

Because Rotorua is inland, it is largely sheltered by high country to the south and east and has less wind than many places in New Zealand. Summer in Rotorua means plenty of sun whilst winter generally offers clear but crisp temperatures.

The summer months are December through February and provide temperatures of around 21°C to 29°C,  Autumn is in March through April with temperatures of around 15°C to 26°C, Winter is June through August offering temperatures of around 9°C to 16°C and spring falls in September through November with 13°C to 21°C temperatures.

GEOTHERMAL INFORMATION

Mention Rotorua to anyone in New Zealand and they will likely associate geothermal activity with this city. The many Geysers, bubbling mud pools and hot thermal springs are all available to you from nature itself.

‘Sulphur City’ as it has been aptly named due to the hydrogen sulphide emissions, has a distinct smell, which lets you know that you have arrived in Rotorua!

To the west of the city is Kuirau Park, which is open to the public and offers hot bubbling mud pools & steaming land.

For a historic experience, you can even visit the Buried Village (Te Wairoa) which was buried by the 1886 Mount Tarawera volcanic eruption.

In the Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley there is Pohutu Geyser which erupts several times a day and is a must see attraction in Rotorua.  

LAKES

Also associated with the famous thermal activity of Rotorua was the formation of Lake Rotorua itself. After a massive eruption many, many years ago, its underlying magma chamber collapsed creating a circular caldera approximately 16 kilometres wide, this filled with water and has now become the North Island’s second largest lake.

Lake Rotorua along with the region’s other 15 lakes are all connected with the Rotorua caldera and Mt Tarawera.

Nowadays, the lakes in the Rotorua region provide an aquatic paradise, with water lovers using it for fishing, waterskiing, swimming and much, much more during the year. Lake Rotorua is also used for a landing point for float planes in the area.

Many great events have been hosted on Lake Rotorua too such as the 2007 World Waterski Championships and the 2009 World Blind Sailing Championships.

To really experience Rotorua book one of our accommodation & activity packages.

PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO ROTORUA

If you are driving around New Zealand, you may find the following driving distance & time information useful. Please note that actual times may vary due to weather/road conditions and breaks along the way:

Auckland – 3 hr 20 min (234 km)
Hamilton – 1 hr 35 min (108 km)
Tauranga – 1 hr 15 min (86 km)
Taupo – 1 hr 10 min (80 km)
Wellington – 6 hr 35 min (460 km)

You can also drive to Rotorua from places in the South Island, however you will need to allow for an approximate 3 hr interisland ferry ride to get between the South & North Islands. 

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