The best way I can describe this place is the "Pompeii of New Zealand". I have to be honest to say…read moreI was not expecting more than another tourist trap, but it far exceeded my expectations! Firstly, the gift shop you enter the ladies are dressed in era appropriate garb and you automatically feel like you have kinda gone back in time a bit. So that was comforting. One of the nice ladies behind the register even gave me a bit of a "rainy day discount" since it was raining pretty hard at that point and she took pity on me. She also provided an umbrella upon request, which was very nice. You get an informative little laminated map card that tells you your route and all the things you are looking at. You start in the museum, which was one of my favorite parts! The Maori art they had in the museum were just incredible! Seriously, some of the woodworks were jaw-dropping in the grandeur of the piece and the ornate details. There is a piece below the story of the day the volcano erupted about the ghost war canoe that had me mesmerized for what felt like hours! It was just so beautiful and intricate! They did an excellent job explaining what happened, why the village was such a tourist hotspot prior to the eruption, and the aftermath. They even had handwritten excerpts from a journal of a family member who lost his family in the eruption that day. It was extremely poignant and I highly recommend taking your time to really appreciate the museum portion. There were a group of people who came in after me that literally just walked through it w/o even stopping once before going outside. The grounds are pretty spread out and you basically just see the excavation sites of the different features that existed in the village. Some have artifacts that were recovered on display, which are pretty neat, especially the bottles, tea cups, and welding tools. It is a bit somber. As you come to one of the last excavation sites, you start to walk along a stream and it is simply gorgeous! Because of the rain, I basically had the place to myself as the group that ran through the museum was long gone, and it was just very tranquil standing by the little waterfalls of the babbling brook with the sound of the rain on my umbrella. It was a great experience to have in a place like this. When you end the grounds tour you have a choice to hike down to a waterfall. This is a must! The waterfall is just wow and you can get right up to it! You hike down steps and dirt and then hike back up a different way, but the boardwalks by the waterfalls are just awesome! I had it to myself and it a pretty spiritual experience. I could have stood there in front of the initial thundering falls all day! The hike back to the visitor center is about 5mins and they have some great Maori inspired pieces and art work to purchase for souvenirs. All in all a great experience for the price of admission (with my discount it was $22US) and I left with a little trinket that will have sentimental value tied to that experience here!

So going to all the touristy places this is one that you definitely want to come and see. In 1886 a…read morevolcano my tarawera had erupted in the early hours of the morning and molten lava and mud had covered a little village. Recently excavations have happened and items and parts of buildings have been discovered and restored. You'll walk through a museum to see the history of the town and then walk outside and see buildings around. Eventually this will lead you down a path to a beautiful waterfall and great views of the lake below. Entrance to the museum and walk is about $50 for a family if 2 adults and 2 kids but it's well worth it. Also you'll need comfy and sterdy shoes for the walk to the waterfall preferably runners, and be relatively fit it has a lot of steps! But so good for the views

Did the Hobbiton Movie set tour from our cruise ship with Wicked Wanders and it was wonderful. A…read morenice tour of Tauranga prior to driving to Hobbiton. Very friendly folks who were diligent in getting us back to the ship on time. We would 100% use them again and recommend them to anyone!!

We bought tickets for both the Lady Knox Geyser and touring the thermal park. The gates to the…read moregeyser don't open until 9:45am and that wasn't clear so there was a long line of cars right outside the gate wondering if they were in the right place. They were. The geyser eruption can be controlled by the insertion of soap so it runs each day at 10:15am. Quite the crowd gathers. A woman sang a local native song as it erupted. It was quite lovely. After the eruption, most people head to the visitor center to tour the grounds. Well marked paths lead you interesting features throughout the park. It was a great way to learn and experience something unique that New Zealand has to offer.

I definitely enjoyed my trip here. Seeing all the natural beauty and wonder was amazing. Plus…read moregetting in some steps was also a plus. I thought the admission fee was a bit much for what the place offered but still happy I went.

Lord of the Ring fans will definitely want to add this to their New Zealand vacation agenda. This…read morehilly farm site was extensively used in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The enthusiastic owner Suzie takes you on a wonderful 90 minute tour of all the exact filming locations on the farm. While the rocky, hilly and forested farm isn't the most ideal for sheep farming, the landscapes and scenery are incredibly enchanting...its no wonder Peter Jackson chose to film here. Suzie takes you through scene by scene, and even helps you stage photos to duplicate scenes from the movie, even with some props! The tours are small, limited to 9 people maximum, but as luck would have it my wife and I were the only ones, so we got a private tour! $60 isn't cheap, but for LOTR fans its totally worth it.

Best tour ever. I'm a huge Lord of the rings/hobbit fan and they spoiled us rotten with cool props,…read morephotos, facts, and more. I'd do it again and highly recommend. They were so nice and personable it really made the experience personal and not just another tour. I loved it!

Great place to learn about Maori culture. Highlights & Recommendations for Te Puia:…read more1) NZ Maori Arts & Crafts Institute (NZMACI) - A fascinating school that allows Maori adult students to study (tuition free) traditional crafts such as wood, stone, and bone carving and weaving, using tradtional methods. This allows the students to perpetuate Maori culture. Recommendation: NZMACI should offer classes (for a fee) for Pākehā (non-Maori people) who could also learn the techniques, and their fees would also help subsidize the school. The classes could range from the full course for NZ residents, to shorter courses for tourists. 2) Geyser- Spectacular! 3) Cultural Show - Interesting, Informative, Entertaining. Recommendation: Do a full Haka, and outside where everyone can see. Also, give a more full explanation of all the parts. 4) Maori Staff - All of the staff were superb! I was with Kia (sp?) and she very patiently answered all my many questions about the Maori language. Recommendations: I would like to have known a little about each Staff member- origin, tribe, etc. 5) Maori Culture- I cannot imagine a better place to learn about Maori culture! Recommendations: I would like to have known more about Maori tattoos - designs, placement, symbolism, etc. It's such a visible part od Maori culture that it should be featured. If it would be offensive to do so, I would withdraw this comment. Overall, and exceptional visit to a very entertaining place. Nga mihi!

We got the ticket for the full guided tour, dinner, and the show. It's pricy but we enjoyed it very…read moremuch and it's a unique experience. The tour starts with some quick stops at the traditional way the food is cooked and at a carved canoe to give a glimpse of Māori life. You get to see some kiwi birds, then cruise around the geyser area. Lots of lookouts and viewing sites. You finish the tour in the art center where the intricate carvings and weaving are done. Next is dinner. The buffet has a ton of meat (meat coma) along with vegetables, salads, desserts, etc. so many options. You are given a seating assignment so we conversed with folks from Denver and California. Funny we go all the way to New Zealand and end up hanging with folks from the US. Finally, you end with the show. It is well done. You get a good variety of battle, love, and storytelling songs. It was an educational and enjoyable experience.

CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. The building is falling well…read morebelow earthquake safety standards and will need to stay closed for the foreseeable future. The good news is that it can be fixed! How this happens, how long and how much it will cost needs to be determined. In the meantime Rotorua Museum is running exhibitions, events, tours, and educational programs in other venues around Rotorua

So sad... in January - still closed until further notice. The grounds are super pretty and if you…read morehave a blanket, book, drink and lunch -- spread out and enjoy the peace. Not many people hanging out there since the museum is closed -- you'll have a very relaxing break, like I did!

An extinct volcano set on a peninsula, Mount Maunganui gives its name also to the suburb of…read moreTauranga in New Zealand. It's readily accessible from the town centre, and a doable walk from the cruise port if visiting on a cruise ship. Its summit is 232 meter (761 feet) high and is a great place for 360 views of the surrounding areas. It has different paths up, some of which are handled through stairs while others are more gradual with no stairs. The gradual climb did have signs stating that it could be accessible by wheelchair, but I couldn't imagine how difficult that would be. We ended up by mistake taking the harder (with stairs) route and it was a tough climb, requiring a couple of breaks (took about 25 minutes total). It also had many areas where the trail was narrow (requiring navigating when hikers needed to pass each other), as well as passing very steep drop-offs with no barriers (giving someone like me who is very afraid of heights, second thoughts on what I was doing). Once we got to the top, we could see all over the peninsula, including the dock where our cruise ship was anchored. I had been able to see the mountain from our cabin, and now seeing the ship from this view...it did provide a nice sense of accomplishment on far and high we had walked/hiked. Going down, we took the more gradual route and it was definitely easier with no steep drop-offs. It also had no joggers...those who wanted to push themselves were taking the more steep route, which could cause congestion and backups if crowded. One benefit of taking the gradual route was to see the sheep grazing in the fields near the base. You got a sense of them by first seeing the various swinging gates meant to keep them in one spot, but also tons of droppings all over the paths.

Mount Maunganui in Tauranga is a slice of paradise with a beach town nestled right next to the…read moreiconic Mauao (Mount Maunganui). The town itself exudes a laid-back vibe, with cozy cafes, boutique shops, and a welcoming atmosphere. The beach is stunning, with golden sands and waves perfect for surfing. I hiked to the summit of Mount Maunganui. I tackled it one crisp morning, and the views are stunning. The trail is well-maintained and offers a moderate challenge, with lush greenery and occasional glimpses of the ocean as you ascend. Beautiful.

White Island Tours is the only company who has permits to land with a boat, and they do an amazing…read morejob! The boat ride is ~1 hour there and back and you're on the island for about 1.5 hours. Plan for about 5 hours total for the full tour. We went during 5-10 knot winds and for those who get sea sick, it was very comfortable and manageable. They have a brand new custom boat that makes it super easy to land on the island and the staff are AMAZING! Cannot recommend White Island tours enough!

LOVED my tour! Gaia is awesome and I highly recommend this tour. We learned so much and had such a…read moregreat day exploring White Island. If you have time and its a gorgeous day, I highly recommend going out here! It is important to wear the masks they give you the further you go in to the island. It definitely ended up being one of my favorite days of my NZ trip. We also got to see SO MANY dolphins on the way back! Definitely recommend this tour!

It was a great time visiting this cave in NZ. 1.5 hours drive from Auckland. The weather was great…read morenot too hot just overcast. The entrance was beautifully designed with wood and asymmetrical form. Loved the architect who did this. There were scheduled tours so advise to get tickets early. The cave was well preserved. Our guide was very knowledgeable. The limestone formation has its own origin . No photo, video . Very restricted because they considerate it sacred. There were snacks and coffee shops. Souvenirs and digital photos can be purchased

I had no idea what a glow worm was or that there even was such a thing before this tour and now I'm…read morequite knowledgeable about them. There are no photos allowed on the tour which is actually great because the more your eyes adjust to the darkness, the more glow worms you see. We were allowed to take a photo as we were exiting our boat ride. Our tour guide was knowledgeable about the cave and its history. In fact, he is a descendant of the family that owns it. The highlight was the short boat ride along the river that formed the cave. That is where the glowworms really shine like stars. So cool.