Road Trip to Rotorua and Taupo

During my trip to Wellington, my family and I went on a road trip to Rotorua for a couple of days stopping over in Lake Taupo. It was a short but memorable trip. It was difficult at times with three kids in tow but I’m so glad we did it!

Day 1: We visited the Whakarewarewa The Living Maori Village and saw the geothermal wonders of Rotorua. Can’t say the weather was on our side as it was just pouring down the entire morning. But we still managed to go on a guided tour to see the iconic living Maori village and walked the geothermal trails.

This is not my first time seeing the geothermal pools but it still took my breath away (literally and figuratively). What an experience, especially for the kids.

Tip: If it’s your first time visiting Rotorua, be prepared for the smell (due to all the sulphur). My niece describes it as “eggy” and my son describes it as “like fart”. But you’ll get used to the smell pretty quickly!

Day 1 (Evening): In the evening, we visited the Nightlights Treewalk at the Redwoods Treewalk Rotorua. It was spectacular and so serene. This was the highlight of my trip.

Tip: According to TripAdvisor, this is the top attraction in Rotorua. The treewalk starts at 8:45pm but it gets super busy and the queue goes to an incredible length so make sure you arrive early – way before 8:45pm!

Day 2: We spent the morning at Skyline Rotorua, and went on the Luge and Gondola. The last time I was here was probably about 25 years ago when my parents brought us here, and now we’re bringing our kids here! I think they had fun. The view was amazing too.

Tip: If you’re afraid of heights, maybe the Luge is not for you because you have to take a chairlift up with your legs dangling out. Also make sure you wear tight fitting shoes (because you really don’t want your shoes falling off!).

Day 3: On the way back to Wellington, we stopped by Taupo and had to visit the magnificent Huka Falls. It was incredible to see the force of the water gushing through the 15 metre wide gorge. It is no surprise that the Huka Falls is the most visited natural attraction in New Zealand. It is just phenomenal.