Orientation

Rotorua sits in the curve of Lake Rotorua’s southwestern shore, spreading inland in a neat pattern. Fenton Street is the main drag and the home of the area’s souvenir shops. It runs from the lake for 3.5km (2 miles) south to Whakarewarewa Village (just call it “Whaka,” as the locals do), the area’s most accessible thermal reserve. The center of town is not large. Tutanekai Street is the main shopping street; City Focus, under the sail-like structure, is in the middle of it all.

Note: Don’t wander in Kuirau Park after dark. Make sure to remove all valuables from cars, and lock those cars, too.

Visitor Information

Rotorua i-SITE Visitor Centre & Travel Office, 1167 Fenton St. (tel. 0800/768-678 in NZ, or 07/348-5179; fax 07/348-6044; www.rotoruanz.com), is open daily from 8am to 5:30pm (closed Dec 25). It provides travel and sightseeing reservations, currency exchange, luggage storage, a cafe and restaurant, an excellent souvenir shop, and showers and toilets. The visitor center’s guide booklets are an excellent value.

Travel information is also available at AA Travel Centre, 1121 Eruera St. (tel. 07/348-3069; fax 07/346-2034). The Redwoods Visitor Centre, Whakarewarewa Forest, Long Mile Road (tel. 07/350-0110; www.redwoods.co.nz), provides information on the extensive walking tracks in Whakarewarewa Forest and Redwood Grove. It’s open weekdays 8:30am to 5:30pm (until 4:30pm in winter), and weekends 10am to 5pm (until 4pm in winter). For more information on the area, check www.rotoruanz.com and www.rdc.govt.nz. The Redwoods is located 5km (about 3 miles) southeast of the city and you can be there in 5 minutes by car.

Pick up a free copy of Thermal Air, an excellent little publication listing activities, attractions, eateries, and events. The local newspaper, the Daily Post, also has event listings.

Sore Feet? -- A sheltered seat and a free, hot, thermal footbath are right outside the main entrance to the visitor center and bus stop. Go ahead and take your shoes off and soak your weary feet for a few minutes.

Fast Facts

The post office, Hinemoa Street (tel. 07/347-7851), is open Monday through Friday from 7:30am to 5pm, Saturday 8am to 4pm, and Sunday 10am to 3pm. Thomas Cook, Fenton and Hinemoa streets (tel. 07/348-0640), is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm, Saturday 9:30am to 12:30pm. For Internet access, try the Cyber World, 1174 Haupapa St. (tel. 07/348-0088), or Cybershed, 1176 Pukuatua St. (tel. 07/349-4965).

Getting Around

Orientation

Rotorua sits in the curve of Lake Rotorua's southwestern shore, spreading inland in a neat pattern. Fenton Street is the main drag and the home of the area's souvenir shops. It runs from the lake for 3.5km (2 miles) south to Whakarewarewa Village (just call it "Whaka," as the locals do), the area's most accessible thermal reserve. The center of town is not large. Tutanekai Street is the main shopping street; City Focus, under the sail-like structure, is in the middle of it all.

City and suburban buses run approximately every hour on weekdays, less frequently on weekends. You'll find taxis at the visitor center and on Fenton Street, or you can call tel. 07/348-5079. If you need a car, call the Rental Car Centre, 14 Ti St. (tel. 07/349-3993).

To explore the outlying lakes and attractions, rental cars and shuttle buses are the best options. Most shuttle and coach services leave from the i-SITE Tourism Rotorua Visitor Information and Travel Centre in Fenton Street.

Note: Don't wander in Kuirau Park after dark. Make sure to remove all valuables from cars, and lock those cars, too.

Getting Around

By Bus -- The Cityride Rotorua bus service operates three routes which stop at most major tourist attractions, including the Skyline, Agrodome, Te Puia, and Rotorua Airport. Single tickets cost only a few dollars, and children 4 and under travel free. Hail the bus when you see it approaching. Buses do not run on public holidays.

Travel Passes -- The hop-on, hop-off CitySights Bus stops at 13 major attractions around Rotorua. The bus offers a 48-hour pass from the time you first get on. The bus runs four times a day, departing from the Rotorua i-SITE in Fenton Street. There is multilingual commentary, and children travel free (two per adult).

The Day Saver ticket gives you unlimited travel anywhere on the Cityride Rotorua bus network for 24 hours. Buy it on board.

More Information

http://www.baybus.co.nz

http://www.citysights.co.nz

Getting There

By Plane 

Air New Zealand National and Link (tel. 0800/767-767 in NZ; www.airnewzealand.co.nz) provides daily service to all other major centers. Super Shuttle (tel. 07/349-3444) provides daily transport to and from the airport, 15 minutes out of town, for NZ$25 to NZ$30.

By Coach (Bus) 

InterCity, Newmans, Magic Travellers, and Kiwi Experience all provide service to Rotorua. Contact the Bus Stop, 67 Fenton St. (tel. 07/348-179; fax 07/348-6044), for coach and ferry bookings throughout New Zealand.

By Car 

Centrally located Rotorua is only a 1-hour drive from the cities of Taupo, Hamilton, and Tauranga; a 3-hour drive from Auckland; and a 5-hour drive from Wellington. Roads in the area are excellent, but Rotorua is in the heart of the forestry industry, which means a heavy volume of large, fast-traveling logging trucks. Take care at all times.

When to Go

Climate

Rotorua has warm summers and crisp, clear days in winter. Rotorua averages more than 2,000 sunshine hours per year and just over 140cm (55 inches) of rain annually. Daytime temperatures in summer (December to February) range from 21°C–29°C (70°F–84°F) and in winter (June to August) drop to between 9°C–16°C (48°F–61°F).

Calendar of Events

In late January, Opera in the Pa (tel. 07/348-9047) presents New Zealand's best young Maori, European, and Polynesian opera voices in Ohinemutu on the Lakefront. It's held every second year (next in 2013; visit www.rotoruaNZ.com/events for information). The Rotorua Festival of Arts Te Ihi Te Wehi (tel. 07/348-9134; www.rotoruaartsfestival.co.nz), presents 16 days of creative events in early March. In April, fishermen compete in the Tagged Trout Tournament (tel. 07/348-5179; www.taggedtrout.co.nz), which presents 2 days of fishing with great prizes. The route of the Rotorua Marathon (tel./fax 07/348-8448; www.rotoruamarathon.co.nz) goes around Lake Rotorua. This very serious competition takes place in late April or early May.

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