Editorial: Our own tourist wonder

FILE

We already knew it was special and now the world does too.

Whakarewarewa was yesterday named one of the 500 best places in the world to visit, by esteemed guide book Lonely Planet.

Its "ultimate travel list" has been billed as "the 500 most thrilling, memorable and interesting places in the world - ranked in order of brilliance".

Whakarewarewa came in at 276 - seventh of the nine New Zealand sites to make the cut.

While many "proper" travellers turn up their noses at using books such as the Lonely Planet, preferring to venture off the beaten track and find their own highlights instead, it's undeniably a hugely influential publication.

Whatever corner of the world you go, whether it's in five-star hotels or backpacker hostels, travellers will be thumbing their way through a Lonely Planet publication looking for inspiration and guidance.

As a result of the ultimate list, thousands, maybe millions more people around the world will know about Rotorua and maybe even add it to their travel bucket list.

For those of us who have travelled, want to travel more, or simply like to dream, the list will also be inspiration.

And the New Zealand destinations give those with limited time and income a more achievable place to start. I have only ticked off six of the nine in my own country, despite having been lucky enough to experience four of the top 10 worldwide destinations on the list.

Which means it's time to plan a holiday to Fiordland National Park, Franz Josef and Stewart Island - and see what makes them a smidgen more brilliant than Whakarewarewa.