Warm up and chill out this winter in Rotorua. Photo / Destination Rotorua
Warm up and chill out this winter in Rotorua. Photo / Destination Rotorua
Home to New Zealand’sgeothermal activities, amazing cultural retreats, and adrenaline-inducing activities, Rotorua is a great place to visit this winter.
Winter can be quite cold and sad, with grey, gloomy skies, but don’t let that stop you from exploring the best of Rotorua with your family. Indulge in your kids’ curiosity, excitement, and adrenaline with the city’s indoor and outdoor activities, and treat yourselves to a cultural and thrilling adventure.
Gather your whole family and visit Te Puia, a wonderland where nature, art, and culture seamlessly interact with one another. Its website perfectly summarises the experience: what you see here forever changes how you see things out there.
During the day, enjoy a guided tour to learn more about New Zealand’s art and culture by watching skilled carvers and weavers demonstrate their expertise at the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute, watching a cultural performance of the haka, and by simply listening to expert guides discuss Te Puia’s history and lineage.
The adventure park has loads of activities with varying thrill-factor levels, but the stars that you don’t want to miss are the Agrojet, Freefall Xtreme ride, the superhuman swing Swoop, and the newest addition: a 43m vertical drop with no strings attached, the Vertigo. Let your kids face their fears (or partake in their dream adrenaline activities) by buying passes for the whole family at a discounted price.
Try Vertical Valley's newest attraction, the Vertigo. Photo / Supplied
Warm up at New Zealand’s only geothermal mud spa at Hell’s Gate
You’d think places like this only exist in fiction, in our imagination, or in history books, where our ancestors would bathe in mud to pamper themselves. But this magical place is not just a myth - you can also experience its healing benefits during your next Rotorua trip.
Pamper yourself at New Zealand’s only mud spa complex at Hell’s Gate Geothermal Park and Mud Spa. The geothermal mud spa is about 10,000 years old and provides a deep cleanse and gentle exfoliation to your skin, rejuvenating your entire body. If you want an extra special experience, book their Twilight Spa Experience, so you can relax in the mud baths under a twinkling night’s sky while listening to the sound of water.
Lather yourself in skin-soothing mud at Hell’s Gate. Photo / Miles Holden
Relax at a luxurious hot tub and spa
If the mud spa is too extreme for you, don’t fret because we have another winter staple for you. Unwind at Secret Spot Hot Tubs Rotorua to recharge your energy.
Secret Spot is not really a secret, since it has received an award for the luxury forest bathing spa category in the World Luxury Spa Awards for two years running. Find harmony in the deep, luxurious hot tubs and beautiful landscaped garden. Secret Spot brings tranquillity to its guests. Don’t forget to stop by the cafe and bar with your family to wrap up your experience.
Warm up at the Secret Spot Hot Tubs, Rotorua. Photo / Supplied
Enjoy thrilling indoor activities
It’s not a winter trip to Rotorua without an indoor adventure, and what better way to do so than spend a day inside New Zealand’s largest all-weather indoor entertainment centre, Motion Entertainment.
Let your kids run free at this one-stop shop for all things fun, with activities ranging from indoor golf, unlimited bowling, extreme indoor tram park, arcades, and VR experiences. Don’t worry about getting hungry because they also have their own food and drink spot, the Motion Cafe, which offers coffee, cakes, cold drinks, pizza, and more.
Play mini golf and more with your kids at Motion Entertainment. Photo / Stephen Parker
Watch a glow show outside
Badjelly the Witch from the Spike Milligan classic is touring New Zealand, and on June 12, will be bewitching the kids of Rotorua in a magical glow-in-the-dark puppet show. The show is a one-hour spectacle, with big-scale, colourful puppetry perfect for your 7-year-old dreamers. This year, children will also get to meet the creator and the puppets up close, indulging curious young minds.
If you need time to relax and spend time away from your kids, Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa offers an amazing pamper experience to help you relax and regain energy through their luxurious spa treatments, rejuvenating pools, and stunning surroundings. Located in Te Ao Māori, the spa follows traditional healing practices and uses natural resources to improve spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical well-being.
Pick from their multiple offerings, like The Restorative Journey, a two-hour healing process purposely curated by local iwi Ngāti Whakaue, to relax, and rejuvenate the mind, body, and soul.
With a passion and focus on sustainability and cultural values, you can rest assured that your visit to Wai Ariki is not only indulgent but also respectful of the environment and the local Māori culture.
