Rotorua Tour

Pickup at 6:30 am from Auckland. The journey from Auckland takes you south through the rolling Bombay Hills, across the Waikato’s lush dairy farmland, and past scenic viewpoints overlooking the Hauraki Plains and Kaimai Range. A coffee break at a nice Café in Matamata, and drive over the Kaimai Range, revealing volcanic landforms and Lake Rotorua as you descend into Te Arawa territory.

The first stop in Rotorua is Te Puia, a geothermal wonderland where a guided tour highlights the Pohutu and Prince of Wales Geysers, the Kiwi bird, and Maori arts and crafts at the national carving and weaving schools.

Secret Spot Hot Tubs Rotorua is the place you’ve been searching for to retreat from your busy life and have fun with friends and family. Secret Spot Hot Tubs has received the Global Award for the Luxury Forest Bathing Spa category in the World Luxury Spa Awards for two years running. Secret Spot is a fabulous hot tub experience with a unique café and bar. Set in a beautifully landscaped garden, there are 12 hand-crafted cedar hot tubs nestled among native plantings and alongside a lovely stream on the edge of a magical forest. Enjoy the sights and sounds of nature while soaking in your own luxurious, deep pool of fresh spring water, which is heated to a perfectly wonderful 39.5 degrees Celsius. Complimentary chilled drinking water is provided, and you can order beers, wines, ciders and bubbles, or a full range of hot drinks, via tub-side button. Add a refreshing twist to your soak and take the plunge in a complimentary cedar cold plunge tub. Secret Spot is also home to the extremely popular Shinny Dips, i.e., mini foot tubs! These are free with the purchase of a drink or fresh bakery treat. All food and drinks are sourced as locally as possible and include Manuka Brothers Coffee, Good George beers and ciders, Mills Reef wine and Guidough’s bakery savouries and slices. There’s plenty of space to sit back and relax or have yourself a little function or event – lush lawns, the Eddie Out Chill Zone with campfire and extensive decking, or at BaseCamp's street food kitchen and luxe glamping tent.

A delicious buffet lunch that features a fusion of Māori and international flavours, from corn & watercress soup to chicken steamed underground in the hāngī.

Pohutu geyser - can also be viewed for free from the Pohaturoa Track in the Whakarewarewa (Redwoods) Forest. The Prince Charles Geyser is situated near the Pohutu geyser and the origin of the name of the geyser goes back to the 1920 year when Prince Charles of Wales visited Whakarewarewa and someone assimilated the eruption of the geyser with the feather of Prince Wales’ hat.

The distance from Auckland to Rotorua is roughly 228 km and it takes about 2 hrs 40 mins of continuous driving to complete by State Highway 1. We will take a scenic route back to Auckland, peppering the road trip with interesting stops along the way.