Rotorua
Destination
Rotorua is one of the North Island's most visited spots. It is known for being a hot-spot of steaming hot springs with spurting geysers, bubbling mud pools and fantastic thermal springs.
Rotorua's sulphur-rich air will almost take your breath away - or at least, you'll want to hold your breath if the breeze blows in your direction! Rotorua is a heavily Maori populated area and offers many traditional Maori cultural performances.
An excellent side trip is to the buried Maori village of Te Wairoa which was buried by the eruption of nearby Mount Tarawera in 1886. The thermal wonderlands or nearby Hells Gate and Whakrewarewa are also definitely worth the half day visit.
Thanks to all the visitors, Rotorua is a bustling resort town during any time of the year. There are great accommodation options, a varied food and nightlife scene, and plenty of activities to keep you busy during your stay.
In terms of riding Rotorua sits on the world map for it's nearby mountain biking regions in the Whakrewarewa Forest and slightly further afield the equally awesome Whirinaki Forest. These areas rival almost any other mountain biking and single track riding anywhere on the planet.
