We arrived in Rotorua at almost 11pm on Friday night, heading directly to our hostel. Upon finding ourselves in a 10-bedroom we chose our bunkmates and got a good night’s rest so we would have maximum energy for Saturday’s adventures.
The day began with chocolate chip pancakes, the perfect fuel for six young adults spending the day hiking. After picking up the car we chose to stop by a nearby park where we could get a sneak peak of the thermal pools. When we arrived, we were pleasantly surprised to find a pop-up market selling various foods and goods. After walking around for about an hour we decided to see the real sight of Rotorua -- the thermal pools at Wai-O-Tapu.
Wai-O-Tapu is the most prominent geothermal tourist spot in New Zealand, covering 18 square km (6.95 square miles). It rests on the volcanic dome of Maungakaramea (Rainbow Mountain) which has activity dating back 160,000 years. It features 25 pools along a 75 minute walk. The pools start out small, some even underground, framed by concave rocks stained with the minerals released by the pools. Others are vast, releasing steam that is a result of the combination of heat and chemicals. Each mineral leaves a different color in the water, some dull and other brighter that we knew colors could be.
Although beautiful, the park smelled horrendous. The primary mineral giving the pools their heat and color is sulfur. If you’ve ever smelled sulfur, you’re very familiar with the rotten egg smell that never seems to leave your nose and pores. There were points at which, no matter how aggressively I plugged my nose, the scent was so strong I could taste it.
Once we’d finished marveling at the colors and could tolerate the smell no longer, we took a break for lunch and aimed to arrive at Whakarewarewa Forest at sunset. Covering 5,600 hectares (13,838 acres) of land, the redwood forest is home to trails for horses, mountain biking and walking. This includes a walk along bridges between trees, about halfway up their trunks. However, we opted out as payment is required to access the raised path. Coming from Northern California, Paige and I have high standards for redwood trees. We giggled as our friend marveled at the size of the redwoods, telling them at home they were at least three times wider. Nonetheless, we felt right at home, deeply inhaling the scent of damp redwoods -- I scent I would bottle and carry around with me if I could.
That evening we relaxed at the hostel. With a bar on the first floor and a hot tub in the backyard, we each grabbed a beer and jumped in.
Sunday morning we began with tea and donuts at a local bakery before deciding to go to Kerosene Creek, a nearby river heated by a natural hot spring that lays beneath it, making it a popular place to go for a swim. At first I walked down to the creek fully dressed, not intending to go in. I didn’t feel like swimming or having to put leggings and sneakers on over wet skin for the rest of the day. We tramped through the mud along the creek to arrive at the short waterfall beneath which a few others were swimming. After snapping a few photos and watching my friends jump in, I returned to the car to change, deciding I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
The creek was lukewarm and its smell truly lived up to its name. We were accompanied by a group of young men climbing up the waterfall only to jump back down it and a large group of students visiting from another university.
From Kerosene Creek we drove down the road to the Rainbow Mountain viewpoint. Along the way we saw Green Lake, which we had been trying to find all weekend. Everywhere we’d tried to access it had been blocked by gates that required permits. But like many areas in New Zealand, often the best views are simply on the side of the street. We pulled over in the middle of the road and ran across the street to have our look and snap some pictures.
Rainbow Mountain was equally as beautiful, with an ice blue pool settled at its base. Minerals in the rocks created a marble of different colors in the side of the mountain, which looked as if someone had slowly chipped away at it. After a brief look we continued our journey.
Our final destination before heading to the bus that would take us back to Auckland was Okere Falls. These falls are the most common location for white water rafting in Rotorua, and by extension, the north island. We accessed the rushing river from several points, marveling at its speed and the lush greenery that framed it. Although there were no rafters due to the day’s predictions of rain, it was easy to picture lifejacket-clad tourists frantically fighting the rapids with their plastic paddles.
As we piled back into the car to return it and head to the bus we fell silent. Content with our choices of what to see and exhausted from the ventures we took to get there. For a small tourist town, we found plenty to do inside and around Rotorua and returned to Auckland satisfied with our weekend getaway.