Weekend Adventurer: Rotorua

Weekend Adventurer: Wet n wild in Rotorua

By Adam Weal

Rotorua: merely mentioning the name provokes thoughts of steaming geysers, bubbling mud-pools, New Zealand's magnificent Maori culture and, of course, that gorgeous smell of sulphur. However, as I found out on a recent trip to Rotorua, it's also one hell of a great place to spend four fun-filled, action packed days.
The invitation seemed too good to be true. Mountain biking and forest treks it boasted. Off-road driving and luxurious spas it promised. Sledging the Kaituna River and a horse trek were also on the agenda. I politely accepted, and began packing my bags in anticipation of an exciting few days in the central North Island.

Day One. Upon arrival in Rotorua, I was greeted by Joe from Te Urewera Treks, whom I would be accompanying deep into the heart of the Urewera National Park and the Whirinaki Forest. Joe's knowledge of the area is seemingly endless, and I was informed that the literal translation of Urewera is "burnt penis". Male readers need not be afraid - the name was not coined due to any sacrificial ritual that visitors to the area must partake in and, fingers crossed, you will leave the area with your nether regions intact and unscorched. Instead, the name abounded many, many moons ago when a local Maori chief, whilst asleep, rolled a fraction too close to the fire and inadvertently added his own personal piece of kindling to the blaze.

The collective size of these forests is more than 250,000 hectares, and I certainly felt incredibly insignificant standing next to some of the gargantuan podocarp trees that tower over you, many of them closing in on their one thousandth birthdays. The Whirinaki Forest is home to an impressive array of native bush and birdlife, and one of the species that calls the forest home is the Blue Duck, called whio by Maori. This duck is a tremendously rare and endangered species which makes its home on fast flowing mountain rivers. A sighting of this duck is uncommon and, true to form, I wasn't lucky enough to see one.

Te Urewera National Park is one of the most isolated and sparsely populated areas in the country, the rough terrain stretching for an eternity in every direction. Although the weather meant that our trek through the ranges had to be cut short, I was still presented with the opportunity of seeing wild horses and witnessing the recent activities of a boar doing its thing on the landscape. A note to would be travelers - take warm clothes, because the wind can reach phenomenal speeds on the top of the ridges.

The world renowned Polynesian Spa was kind enough to host me in the evening, and I was given a VIP tour of what is on offer. The total size of the complex is astounding, and there is something for everyone to enjoy, with a family spa area, lakeside spas and adult spas available. There are also private spas which have opened recently and have proved very successful, with visitors enjoying a gorgeous spa area all to themselves and their very own idyllic view of Lake Rotorua. My time in the lakeside spas proved to be even more relaxing than I anticipated, and I found myself falling asleep on more than one occasion - the Polynesian Spa should definitely be number one on any insomniac's 'To Do' list. The Polynesian Spa has featured for the last four years in Conde Nast Traveller magazine's top ten spas in the world and also boasts a range of wet and dry massages.

Day Two. A mountain bike was on the agenda for Friday morning, and Nick and Ra from Multi-Day Adventures picked me up and drove me out to the Whakarewarewa Forest, which is less than ten minutes from the city centre. Mountain biking is very popular in the region and the tracks are world class, evidenced by the fact that Rotorua was chosen to host the world championships only last year. The tracks are good for riding on all year round, and don't get slippery and dangerous in the winter months like the clay based tracks in and around Auckland. The next few hours were spent riding flat out, up and down the countryside and trying desperately to stay on my bike and out of the road of the trees. My biggest mistake of the day was wearing white shorts - let's just say that no amount of NapiSan is going to make them white again. Monster trucks, sprint cars and a bush safari were all on offer in the afternoon, so I made the journey out to Off Road New Zealand, which is situated about twenty minutes north of Rotorua on State Highway 5 towards Hamilton. The sheer size and power of the monster truck was breath-taking, and its ability to effortlessly drive up and down such a steep gradient is truly amazing. Although I was glad I wasn't driving the monster truck, you do get a chance to have a turn behind the wheel at Off Road New Zealand, in the sprint cars and in the bush safari, both offering completely different styles of driving. Whereas the sprint cars give you a chance to put the pedal to the metal and go around and around the track as fast you can, spinning out wildly a few times in the process, the bush safari is aimed at testing the abilities of the driver as they are led over and under various obstacles, through waist-high pools of mud and down steep slopes. The bush safari is seemingly straight out of Jurassic Park, and one could easily imagine various flesh eating creatures lurking amongst the vegetation.

Day Three. Saturday morning - cold and windy and the perfect opportunity to go sledging down the Kaituna River with Kaitiaki Adventures. Kaitiaki Adventures will pick you up from the city, haul you out to their base, chuck you down a river and over a gigantic seven metre waterfall and then drop you off back at your accommodation. You can choose to raft the river or sledge it, or if you're feeling extra intrepid you can do both. I chose to sledge the river on a boogie-board style contraption, and was well looked after by an incredibly able team with years of experience in the industry. The sledging experience combines both excitement and learning, with various stops between the rapids to learn a little bit about the history of the river and the area.

All in all it was a brilliant experience, and if I'd had enough time I would've definitely been keen to try the rafting, as everyone I talked to told me that they'd had a fantastic time. Although it may have something to do with the fact that he works there, one of the Kaitiaki guides, Cam, tells me that the nightclub Brass is the place to go for a big night out in Rotorua. He says that if you don't have the night of your life at Brass then the rafting will be free. A horse trek was on the agenda for the afternoon, so it was off to Paradise Valley Ventures, which is situated merely fifteen minutes from Rotorua's city centre in the hills to the west of the city. Upon arrival, Mark informed me that I would be riding 'The Man'. Alas, this did not mean that Anthony Mundine would be carrying me around the course, and I was soon introduced to an older, fine specimen of a horse. 'The Man', a little bit more mature than the other horses, knew the track like the back of his hoof and gave me no trouble whatsoever - which was good of him, because I wouldn't have had the slightest idea of what to do if he had.

There is certainly no shortage of spectacular views on the trek, with gently rolling hills as far as the eye can see and small herds of sheep littering the landscape and dropping their litter on the landscape. It doesn't matter who you are - young or old, inexperienced or a Mark Todd wannabe - there will be something for you at Paradise Valley Ventures, with four established treks and customised treks to choose from, and riding lessons also available. However, it should be noted that trousers are a must, as the leather rubbing against your bare skin can become rather uncomfortable after a while. Saturday evening presented me with the opportunity to rest my weary body at Hell's Gate, located less than fifteen minutes from Rotorua's city centre to the east of the city. Hell's Gate is the most active geothermal field in the Rotorua region and provides its visitors with an extensive range of activities to choose from. On top of the geothermal walk, which can be toured with or without a guide, there is a mud bath, a sulphur spa and various massages, facials and body scrubs. The geothermal mud bath is relaxation epitomised, with the steaming hot water and mud exfoliating your skin and leaving it incredibly clean and soft. Plus, there's the added novelty factor of smearing mud all over your body, just like Arnie in Predator - however, at Hell's Gate there is no other-worldly creature hiding in the trees shooting laser beams at you. The sulphur spa is also extraordinarily relaxing and I would encourage everyone visiting the region to include Hell's Gate on their itinerary.

Day Four. Although Sunday didn't present me with the prospect of doing any more planned activities, it did give me a chance to explore the various lakes that the region has to offer. I chose to visit Lakes Tarawera, Okareka and Rotoiti, as well as the Blue and Green Lakes. All of the lakes offer opportunities for kayaking, picnicking and hiking, with the walks around Lake Okareka and the Blue Lake around 5 kilometres long. As anyone that has been to the region will tell you, the views of Lake Tarawera as you drive down towards the lake are absolutely stunning, with the mountains in the background creating an unbelievably picturesque spot. Although the Green Lake is a little bit harder to get to, all of the other lakes in the region are easily accessible and are in easy driving range of Rotorua. A trip to the area would not be complete without visits being paid to at least a couple of the lakes, and I assure you that you will not be disappointed.