Rotorua is a short drive along the Thermal Highway from Taupo. 

There’s a definite smell of sulphur in the air and when we open the doors in Rotorua it’s the first thing we notice. The second thing is the rain.

Our arrival coincided with that of a deep tropical low weather system which means most of the North Island under amber or red weather warnings. The forecast suggests we can expect either 25mm or 250mm of rain to fall over the next 24 hours!

Going to bed, we weren’t sure what the next day would bring. Luckily, sleeping in a tin can means that you can clearly hear when it’s raining. Although it came down all night, our experienced ears didn’t think it was 250mm worth.

Friday morning dawned and although it was clear we’d escape the worst of it, the day was a wash out. The skyline gondola was closed due to wind and we didn’t fancy battling the rain for a walk into town or to see the nearby geothermal wonders.

Te Pā Tū

Friday evening, we’ve booked the Māori cultural experience at Te Pā Tū. 

Thankfully, the rain had finally let up and so we decided to see if we could find a Friday afternoon happy hour on the walk to the meeting point. We were drawn in by the unusually named, Fainting Goat which had a range of tasty local brews.

Arriving at the venue, several screaming and spear wielding Māori warriors raced out to ‘greet’ us. 

After being accepted into the village, it was a really interesting experience learning about some traditional games and practices whilst asking a little about how these have translated into contemporary Māori culture. 

The storytelling, song and dance was great and the full blooded Haka that finished off our time in the village was a loud and spectacular experience. Our evening finished with a three course banquet that had been cooked using traditional methods and was presented and served to really high standard.

I found myself reflective after we got home. I worry when watching this type of cultural event that the local people and their culture are being exploited for tourism. We choose Te Pā TÅ« because it was owned and run by the Māori so I don’t think this was the case and the performers seemed genuinely proud to show us their culture. The nature of the Greeting challenge and Haka are to purposefully project strength and presence so maybe that’s what made me pause.

We really enjoyed our evening and would highly recommend the experience.     

Hobbiton

Hobbiton, it turns out, is not in Middle Earth but rather an hour outside Rotorua. 

I can only imagine how happy the farmer that owns the land here must be that the movie location scout stopped here.  

We leave the campsite early even though our tour doesn’t start till 10. Driving out through the rolling grass hills peppered with distinctive trees evoke a somehow familiar feeling. 

It’s pretty quiet on the roads and so we’re not prepared for the scale of the place when we arrive.  

We’re early enough to enjoy breakfast on the patio before our tour, which leave every 30 minutes with military precision. 

Venturing into The Shire is magical. I find there’s something so special about being in and exploring the actual places from your favourite films. Famous and some of the less well known hobbit-holes from all 6 of the movies are here and the experience has been developed in the years since the filming wrapped up.

We walk through the cutting where Gandalf first arrives, take the winding path up the hill to Bag End and see Sam’s house on the way down. The sun has broken through the clouds by the time we reach The Green Dragon so we sit outside to enjoy an ale from the South Farthing before our time in Hobbiton is done.

We both take hundreds of photos and shamelessly include too many below. 

Rotorua and The Luge

Our plan was to go onto Tauranga today but as the sun has emerged, we decide to go back to Rotorua. 

After a recommendation, we really want to try the Luge!

Despite being mega busy at the Gondola, we book a couple of rides on the Luge down. 

It’s an absolute blast and we love it, racing and laughing all the way down. Gravity is on my side as I’m able to sneak past Sally for a win on the first run and we get lost on the second way down.

Highly recommend this if you’re in Rotorua and it was well worth coming back for. 

Beginning of the end

We finish up driving through Tauranga and stopping on a quiet inlet for the evening.

It feels strange having done these activities we’d booked so long ago. Even when we arrived in Christchurch they seemed a long way in the future. 

Now the main milestone left in our trip is Emma and Ben’s wedding. That will basically mark the end of this adventure. Still I’ve got a feeling we’ll finish with a bang.

As the sunsets, we raise a glass to our experiences and begin to think about the final stretch. 

Thanks for reading, 

Sally and Toby