Rotorua is part of a region with great geothermal activity that begins at White Island, situated at 48 kilometers off the coast and continues south to the Lake Taupo tectonic plate. It is one of the places where you will appreciate the turbulent geological forces that created these islands.
Rotorua is a city located on top of a volcanic plateau and upon the Pacific Ring of Fire, and is one of the most active geothermal fields in the world.
The old forests that surround this modern city form a series of beautiful landscapes: the transparent and quiet lakes and natural pools – some of them, such as Paradise Valley Springs, being full of trout; bubbly mud pools at high temperature such as the ones at the famous Whakarewarewa village; sulphur-smelling streams and steamy water extensions such as the famous Champagne Pool at Wai-O-Tapu. There are also large areas covered by thick forest and abundant, rich pastures.
Rotorua total population sits around 70,000 inhabitants, mostly devoted to forestry, agriculture, tourism and power generation.
Rotorua is also home of the ancestral Te Arawa Maori tribe who settled in this area more than 600 years ago and offers the visitors different cultural experiences.