Rotorua & the Bay of Plenty

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Includes  Why Go? Rotorua ...... 279 Captain Cook christened the Bay of Plenty when he cruised Around Rotorua. . . . 294 past in 1769, and plentiful it remains. Blessed with sunshine Tauranga ...... 298 and sand, the bay stretches from Waihi Beach in the west to Opotiki in the east, with the holiday hubs of Tauranga, Mt Mt Maunganui. . . . . 304 Maunganui and Whakatane in between. Katikati...... 308 Offshore from Whakatane is New Zealand’s most active Maketu...... 309 volcano, Whakaari (White Island). Volcanic activity defines Whakatane ...... 310 this region, and nowhere is this subterranean spectacle Ohope...... 315 more obvious than in Rotorua. Here the daily business of life goes on among steaming hot springs, explosive geysers, Opotiki...... 317 bubbling mud pools and the billows of sulphurous gas re- sponsible for the town’s ‘unique’ eggy smell. Rotorua and the Bay of Plenty are also strongholds of Best Places to Eat Māori tradition, presenting numerous opportunities to ¨¨Macau (p302) engage with NZ’s rich indigenous culture: check out a power-packed concert performance, chow down at a hangi ¨Ëlizabeth Cafe & Larder (Māori feast) or skill-up with some Māori arts-and-crafts (p302) techniques. ¨¨Post Bank (p307) ¨Äbracadabra Cafe Bar (p291) When to Go ¨¨Sabroso (p292) ¨¨The Bay of Plenty is one of NZ’s sunniest regions: Whakatane records a brilliant 2350 average hours of sunshine per year! In summer (December to February) Best Places to maximums hover between 20°C and 27°C. Everyone else is Sleep here, too, but the holiday vibe is heady. ¨¨Koura Lodge (p290) ¨¨Visit Rotorua any time: the geothermal activity never ¨¨Warm Earth Cottage sleeps, and there are enough beds in any season. (p309) ¨¨The mercury can slide below 5°C overnight here in winter, ¨¨Moanarua Beach Cottage although it’s usually warmer on the coast (and you’ll have the (p316) beach all to yourself). ¨Öpotiki Beach House (p317) ¨¨Tauranga on the Waterfront (p301) 279 Rotorua & the Bay of Plenty Rotorua

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DonStafford Wing Museum Rotorua With peace in the early 1870s, word The museum was originally an elegant ESSENTIAL ROTORUA THE& OF PLENTYBAY Eat (p301). Tauranga in along the Strand Rotorua’s beer from craft Local Drink (p292). Co Brewing Croucher Read observation, avian of tion on the joys schoolboy Mt Maunganui by written Braunias. Steve Kora, to Listen sons. soulful Whakatane’s album from in bilingual shows Excellent Watch TV. on Māori Māori and English bush- the verdant Negotiate Go green Redwoods Rotorua’s of clad experience (p285). Treewalk www.bay www.rotoruanz.com, Online ofplentynz.com %07 code Area .nz; spread of scenic wonders, miraculousspread of scenic wonders, land Thisoutstanding occupiesmuseum granda vered vered WWII 28th Māori Battalion. Also here are two 1 1 o (Map p284; co A 20-minute edifice. on the film Tudor-style historyTarawera the including Rotorua, of eruption, runs every 20 minutes from 9am. The woodcarving, people, features Arawa Te rua’s and the stories jade of the re weaving, flax scapes and watery cures for all manner of main attrac diseases. Rotorua boomed. Its tion was the fabulous Pink and White Ter silica deposits. formed by volcanic races, the time as the eighth natural at Touted they in destroyed of the world, were wonder eruption. the 1886 Mt Tarawera spa retreat called the Bath House (1908): spa retreat House called the Bath Feb, tours hourly 10am-4pm, plus 5pm Dec-Feb) 10am-4pm, hourly tours Feb, child $20/8; garden views the best (although view in town is from the ------. Twin Twin . . captained 0800 737 000; www % nz) has direct flights from from flights direct has nz) . . ( . Bay Hopper bus services run co . Getting There & Around & There Getting 8 Despite the pervasive eggy odour, ‘Sul Despite the pervasive eggy odour, During the Waikato Land War (1863–64) Land War Waikato the During In the next few subtribes hundred years, In InterCity and ManaBus services Tau connect ManaBus and InterCity ROTORUA POP 65,280 Tauranga and Rotorua to Auckland, Wellington Wellington Auckland, to Rotorua and Tauranga Christchurch and airnewzealand matic airs and you’ve already got a taste of got already airs and you’ve matic most area, home to dynamic thermal NZ’s spurting geysers, steaming springs and hot this revered Māori The pools. mud exploding mostplace, naming one of the spectacular Today Waters). (Sacred springs Wai-O-Tapu 35% of the population is Māori, with their cultural performances hangi and traditional landscape itself. as the as big an attraction Te Arawa threw in its lot with the govern Arawa Te ene Waikato ment against its traditional mies, gaining troop support and preventing throughEast Coast reinforcements getting to support the Kingitanga (King Movement). landers eventually withdrew. by Tamatekapua, arrived from Hawaiki at Hawaiki from arrived by Tamatekapua, Settlers Plenty. of Bay central the in Maketu commem to Arawa took the tribal name Te spread and divided through the area, with conflicts limited territory. breaking out over occurredflashpoint A Ar the when 1823 in by tribes from the invaded lands were awa Wars. Northland in the so-called Musket North losses on both sides, the Afterheavy orate the vessel that had brought them here. that the vessel orate History The in the 14th settled Rotorua area was first century when the canoe Te Arawa, thermal geyser! lion visitors annually. Some locals say this Some locals say lion visitors annually. has seduced the town into reststeady trade socially Rotoruaing on its laurels, and that towns such aslags behind more progressive And with more motels and Taupo. Tauranga the urban fabric than nights in November, isn’t particularly appealing… of ‘RotoVegas’ see a 30m geo but still, where else can you phur City’phur most is one of the touristedspots with nearly three mil on the North Island, Rotorua’s sulphur-rich, asth of Rotorua’s a whiff Catch City Express buses link Tauranga and Rotorua ranga, Rotorua and Whakatane with most other other most with Whakatane and Rotorua ranga, main cities in NZ Opotiki and Whakatane Tauranga, between Air New Zealand 8