OMFG THIS PLACE IS HEAVEN. Seriously I think it's my new happy place. I am a big fan of the…read moreoutdoors, nature, and especially waterfalls, so finding this place was a dream come true. I came here with my partner on a road trip from Auckland, and we spent wayyy longer here than we imagined we would. We climbed rocks and swam in the cold water and took loads of photos (this place is seriously 'gram worthy) and stretched out on the boulders like a couple of lizards. My fingers and forearms were actually sore later from all of the climbing I did. I don't think this place would be ideal for anyone who is handicapped, as you do have to walk over rocks to get anywhere. Though if you do want to check it out, you could just look from the bridge. McLaren Falls Park is one of the most magical places I've been in New Zealand, I would highly HIGHLY recommend coming here - even if you have to go out of your way, it's that worth it. Make sure you go to the actual park (a lot of people seem to just stop by the bridge, where a couple of the falls are) and do the hike to the real waterfall - that's where the really big one is!

This park has a lot of variety, a beautifully landscaped blue lake, geothermal areas, flower…read moregardens, green space, many varieties of trees and scrubs, and a developed geothermal foot soaking station and wading pool. The water levels were low in several of the geothermal areas versus the last time we visited, but the park is still a great, free asset.

By far the best experience within Rotorua. If not on our entire trip, this place cannot be more…read moreunderrated. It's a huge park with cool geothermal activity. Lots of interesting wildlife and birds and just a nice park in general to be around. Plenty of parking. It was pretty empty when we went. Definitely stop by if you're in the area and walk by the hot pools.

OMG! We stopped her after seeing the "photo interest" road sign while driving from Taupo to…read moreWaitomo. It was a spur of the moment decision. What a spectacular spot! I'm not sure I've ever been somewhere this unique. We ended up walking quite a ways on the Te Waihou Walkway along the beautiful Blue Spring. It was otherworldly in how crystal clear the waters were. Underwater vegetation was plentiful and swaying with the current. This is absolutely worth your stop. The hike is longer than you think it is, but completely worth it. We also encountered lots of interesting birds. This is easily one of the most naturally beautiful places I've ever been on Earth -- solely rivaled perhaps in my travels only by some alpine springs I've hiked along in Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks in the USA. I have never seen water this clear and underwater colors this vibrant from the surface.

This place was beautiful! I ran across it while researching places to go in New Zealand. By the…read moretime we got here, I forgot what this place was. We decided to spend 30 minutes here. As it turns out, this was not enough time. This is worth spending at least an hour here if not more. It will take you 10 minutes to walk from the parking lot to the main viewpoint. As you walk down the path, you'll catch glimpses of a stream. But this is no ordinary stream - it has crystal clear water and beautiful plants growing in the stream. The blue of the water combined with the green of the plants create a beautiful combination that looks like something out of a Monet painting. From the main viewing stand, if you look across the stream, there's a nook, and the water there is a beautiful azure color, darker than the rest of the water. Beyond the viewing stand, the path continues, but this is as far as we got. I think the trail goes another 4-5 kilometers. If you are in the area, definitely check this out. It's a great detour when driving between Rotorua and the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves, or to Hobbiton. Just plan to spend more time here than we did.

This is a great place to hike with trails of all types and levels. We parked at the main…read moreinformation center where the elevated Redwoods walk is located and hiked the Pohaturoa Track which initially runs through the redwoods, then along Tarawera road for a short distance then steadily goes up to viewpoints of the City and also Te Puia Dan the Pōhutu Geyser basin with lake views. We added on the joint use mountain bike track Mud pool loop which had one active mud pool. Loved that the plant life was so diverse with many different pine, fur and even eucalyptus which smelled wonderful.

Beautiful forest! The questions you need to answer is whether to visit during the day or at night?…read more And if you visit as night, do you do the (expensive) tree walk? I would highly recommend visiting at night. It is truly special. I can't speak to walking through the trees at night on the ground, as we paid the US$20 to walk through the tree tops. The view at night is like fairy lights; easy to imagine this as the setting for every elf story I have ever read.  BF liked the engineering aspects; it is cool how the tree walk has been hung without damage or drilling into the trees. Would definitely recommend this as an unusual way to spend an evening.

We were looking for an easy and inexpensive way to enjoy Rotorua's geothermal activity and this…read moreplace popped up in our search. We were so happy we stopped by for a brief viewing because it's a nice little walk along the lake and was another fantastic and free NZ tourist spot. There are several places to park along the road and then you can walk along the lake and enjoy the geothermal steam, little bubbling holes, and the fantastic aromas! Be warned if you are particularly sensitive to sulfur and eggy smells you may want to skip the geothermal adventures in NZ. The steam rises from the scenic lake and beautiful birds are positioned everywhere you look. There is one spot along the road with little rocky craters with bubbling water and a touch of the beautiful colors that is classic to geothermal Rotorua attractions. It's a great stopping point and doesn't take too long to enjoy and snap a few photos before you continue on your way.

It's a good spot for some striking photos in various directions. There's water and spits of land…read moreand city skyline and various fairly photogenic birds around. The black swans with red bills are great. You drive all the way through the garden to the end of the road to get here, and there's a parking lot with plenty of parking (unlike the rest of the park, at least when we were there--we actually ended up at the point as we looked for parking to crack out the gardens but couldn't find any). Itdoesn't smell any more sulphury than anywhere else, and less than in some places in the region. There's not anything to do other than take pictures, including hiking or even much walking, so it's more of a place to drive out to, hop out of the car, and hang out for 15 minutes or so. But the views are nice so it's not a bad place to do that.

Steam holes, and one bubbling mud steam pool... Yes and a very nice nature stop…read more Visitor will encounter other similar locations, and we recommend a visit here

Get back in your car and go to Wai-O-Tapo Thermal Park near Rotorua instead. Seriously, this place…read morewas such a disappointment. There's a gravel path, sometimes a wooden path, and some steam vents. A "mud pool" that is as dry as a bone. There is absolutely no shade, and it takes about 45 minutes to walk around the short loop. I wish we'd turned back after 10 minutes cos it didn't get any better. Wai-O-Tapu has spectacular vents, mud pools, incredibly colored water. Just so much better than this. It's only $8 to get in this place, but in my opinion it's just not even worth that. Don't say I didn't warn you!

This is said to be the deepest natural spring on the north island. The spring flows from a deep…read morerocky hole at the head of the river which flows out into lake Rotorua. The spring is about 1km easy flat walk down a track from the carpark through a grove of redwoods and following the stream. The water is cold and refreshing (bring a bottle and fill it from the source!). This is a department of conservation parkland area so no there are no costs. There are signs around the site describing the history of the area and facts about the spring. Swimming is not permitted here, but you can swim where the stream enters Lake Rotorua - the water is pretty cold though! Well worth a look if you are passing by, and only a short drive out of town (15-20min) if you aren't passing by.

This is a beautiful place and a lovely walk. Take care if it is windy as the redwood trees are very…read moreimpressive but also drop dead branches occasionally. The two springs here are fascinating in different ways - I could have spent ages just watching the water rising out of the earth, and the dancing sands made me smile a lot. The views across Lake Rotorua on the other side of the road are good too. Definitely worth a visit in my opinion and I will be going back again when I am next in NZ.

Cathedral Cove was an amazing experience. To be walking in farmland amongst a bunch of sheep one…read moreminute and then be in a tropical jungle next to a beach the next is amazing. The scenery was like something out of a movie. This is a must see on any New Zealand trip.

35 years ago this place was da bomb. Now, it's over-crowded beyond belief. In the late 1980s and…read moreearly 1990s it was a pristine place where you could have this gorgeous beach all to yourself that only locals knew how to get. Now there's a water taxi, a 1-way 5 minute boat ride from Hahei Beach to Cathedral Cove for $80NZ, there's kayak tours and other signs of commercialization that make this beautiful place swarming with people. It's about an hour walk, up and down hills that are steep, yet paved, with a few steep stairways as well. The amount of tourists overwhelms the beauty, in my humble opinion. Super beautiful spot, but waaaaay too crowded to enjoy the true beauty.