Another rainy day in Fiji, another blog post. After Danne and I explored Hobbiton (click on the link to read about it!) we drove to Rotorua. We stayed there only 2 nights to see some of the Maori culture within New Zealand and also prepare a bit for our 4-day hike on the Tongariro Northern Circuit. Rotorua has a very nice vibe, so I can imagine that others could easily stay longer and explore all of the geothermal locations nearby.
Rotorua is famous for its geothermal attractions such as geysers, hot springs, and hot mud pools. The tourism industry is quite big here. However, I found it had great opportunities to learn about the Maori culture. If you are not familiar with the history of New Zealand, it was the last major landmass that was settled by humans. Pretty cool, right? Polynesians found New Zealand only 700 years ago! These Polynesian became the indigenous people of New Zealand known as Maori.
Then, of course, Europeans came. This lead to many problems between Maori and Europeans. A treaty was signed between the British Empire and the Maori. Not all of these agreements were honoured and the New Zealand government is still working on accomplishing this. Rotorua has a rich history of Maori culture. There are cultural villages and shows within the cities open to tourists. I definitely recommend visiting Rotorua since there is a lot to do there.
So, what do I recommend to do in Rotorua?
