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If you are interested in the Maori culture of New Zealand and want to understand more about the geothermal wonderland of Rotorua then this is the perfect tour for you. You will learn about the Bay of Plenty, how the Maori came to be here and their important journey to Rotorua. You will tour an authentic "Living Village" with a direct descendant of the Maori guides who have been sharing their stories and backyard for over 200 years, and enjoy a cultural performance complete with the famous Haka. A wonderful day tour full of geothermal wonders, history and culture. 

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Tour Outline:

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After meeting you at the Port of Tauranga, your tour begins with a gentle drive past Mount Maunganui and along the coast, showcasing the stunning white sandy beaches as your guide explains why the area was named the Bay of Plenty.
 

We cross the harbour bridge which offers great views of your cruise ship and also the mighty Mount Maunganui, standing tall at the entrance to Tauranga harbour, home to the biggest port in New Zealand.

Skirting the central city area of Tauranga, New Zealand's 5th largest, we head past the many new sub-divisions and out into the country.  As we travel through the Bay of Plenty region, so aptly named by Captain James Cook, we pass many orchards of kiwi fruit as well as avocados. Time permitting we make a half way stop to take in the natural beauty of the landscape, a location where in past times the bullocks and horses rested before the arduous climb back up to the plateau.

Through steep gorges and extensive forests, our route along the old coach road brings us to Lake Rotorua, a crater lake formed after a volcanic eruption 240,000 years ago. This single event lasted just a few weeks, ejecting more than 340 cubic kilometres (82 cu miles) of rock, which is evident along the roadside cuttings. 

 
Our destination - the city Rotorua sits on the southern shore line of the 80km2 lake and the main attraction today is Te Whakarewarewa Living Maori Village, set in one of the most active geothermal areas of the country. Here, a local Māori guide will introduce you to their "backyard". During your tour you will get a chance to:

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• Experience an authentic Living Māori Village where people still live. 

• Learn what it is like to live in this challenging geothermal environment.

• See how food is cooked just as it has been for the last 800 years.

• Visit the bathing pools with an endless supply of boiling and therapeutic waters.

• Learn about some of the the Māori culture and its traditions.

• View the wonders of Whakarewarewa Geothermal Valley, including the world famous Pohutu Geyser, boiling mud-pools and extensive steam vents.

• Watch a cultural performance with traditional song and dance, including the fearsome Haka.

• Enjoy a Hangi lunch at the Village cafe and taste the delicious, moist food cooked in the underground geothermal steam boxes. 

Leaving the village, we head into Rotorua city, through the famous Government Gardens. Here, the impressive Elizabethan style Bath House was the first health spa in New Zealand. The gardens are also the location of the Blue Baths, Rachel's Spring and the Polynesian Spa. Great photos opportunities here among the impressive flowerbeds. 

Departing Rotorua for the port, we take an alternative route, passing by beautiful Lake Rotoiti, through forests, farmland and finally to the coast of the Bay of Plenty.
 
After a great day out we will guarantee you are back at the port in plenty of time to board your ship, taking with you lots of wonderful memories from your tour with us into New Zealand's heartland!