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Activities
©Skyline Rotorua, The Luge
World-class visitor attractions, vibrant Mãori heritage and spectacular thermal areas guarantee plenty of entertainment in Rotorua Just minutes from Rotorua’s city centre, you’ll find magnificent examples of hissing geysers, bubbling mud pools and steaming fumaroles. Rotorua is a great place to experience New Zealand’s Mãori culture. You can visit a Mãori village, learn about the world famous haka and sample a succulent hangi (Mãori feast). The Rotorua Museum of Art and History is the place to uncover the region’s history, including the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera. Watch the Lady Knox geyser erupt at Wai-o-tapu; see the bubbling mud pools and geysers of Whakarewarewa and Hells Gate; walk through Waimangu Volcanic Valley and enjoy a cruise on Lake Rotomahana, and visit the Buried Village. For the best views in town, catch the gondola up Mount Ngongotaha – then luge back down at high-speed. There are cruises on the lake, and guided tours of the city sights and the wildlife sanctuary of Mokoia Island. The adventurous can try their hand at a smorgasbord of activities including horse riding, guided treks and volcano hikes, trout fishing, whitewater rafting, sledging, jetboating, kayaking, parasailing, tandem skydiving, scenic flights, four wheel drive safaris, quad, dirt and mountainbiking, raceline karting, or tackle the uniquely Kiwi adventures of bungy jumping, shweebing and zorbing. You’ll find plenty of family attractions to enjoy as well, including native wildlife and tranquil bushwalks at Rainbow Springs and Paradise Valley Springs, the famous Agrodome farm shows, mini golf, and relaxing hot pools and spas. For those who want to get out on the water, you can paddle a kayak or Mãori waka, sail the pristine waters of Lake Rotoiti with Pure Cruise or board a luxury cat to explore majestic Lake Tarawera with Clearwater Cruises.