Rebecca Malcolm: There's no place like home

There's something about home.

It's the appeal of being able to walk down the street and recognise familiar faces, knowing the old landmarks and the hidden pieces of paradise in a place.

Aside from my earliest years, I spent the bulk of my childhood growing up in Rotorua.

While it's probably fair to say that as a teen I was eager to get out and explore the world, I've never stayed away for long.

Now I've just returned back after five years away. Again, the lure of home was too strong and this time there's more to it than just me returning to my old stomping ground.

We've returned home to Rotorua with our two preschoolers and there's something pretty magical about watching them forge memories in the same places that hold special childhood memories for both hubby and I.

What makes Rotorua so special? For us at least, it's an amazing place to raise a family.

It's big enough to have everything to offer - good schooling, an array of activities, adequate shopping - while small enough to be able to walk down the street and bump into people we know.

There's none of the traffic issues that plague big cities. Instead of spending good chunks of our day commuting to and from work, we can spend that time enjoying the lifestyle.

The lakes are on our back doorstep and there's such a variety that there's no need to head to the same old spot time and time again.

Whether it's swimming in the summer, a spot of trout fishing or even a picnic in winter they are a huge drawcard.

The Redwoods are a magical place - both for the kids and us. In the kids' eyes they are this enchanting place to hunt for insects and bears, and for us adults they're a refreshing place of recreation.

Housing is affordable. We've been lucky enough to buy a home in the suburb we wanted - just a 10-minute walk from the local school once the kids reach that age.

Rotorua is a tourist mecca, but what us locals often don't appreciate is that we too can explore the attractions with many offering discounted passes to locals or bargain year-long passes. The spinoff of being a tourist town is we have a great selection of places to eat and drink.

While we moved from Taupo - dubbed the country's events capital - I've been well impressed with what's on offer in Rotorua at any given time.

The recent Lakeside concert is a prime example. Some of the country's top talent performing in a free concert for the community - I can't wait to take my children along when they're old enough.

While immediate family is a huge draw-card it's also that wider appeal of being part of a community, something that you can't help but feel in Rotorua.

It's great to be connecting with old school friends and people we knew prior to leaving - people who aren't here because they're stuck here, but like us have realised that it really is a special place.