Rotorua Travel Guide
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221km (137 miles) SE of Auckland; 86km (53 miles) S of Tauranga
You'll smell Rotorua long before you see it. The sulfuric aroma in the air is an unmistakable prelude to geothermal things to come. It's this natural wonderland and the 11 major lakes in the area that are the draw for visitors. In fact, Travel & Leisure readers voted Rotorua 10th in the 1996 poll of the Top 10 Cities in the World.
Rotorua has long had a reputation for being "too touristy," but the recent NZ$35 million (US$19.25 million) revamp of the city has inspired heaps of new adventures and attractions, giving Rotorua added energy and enthusiasm. Now there's talk of a NZ$1.3 million (US$715,000) upgrade of the airport terminal. That and the genuine hospitality you'll find here make it well worth visiting. And if you're interested in Maori culture, this is the most accessible place to find it. A third of the population of 70,000 is Maori; that's the highest percentage of any city in the country.
