Rotorua is also the center of New Zealand's thermal region, with geysers, steaming lakes and streams, mud pools, multi-colored silica terraces and hot mineral pools known for their curative properties. Rotorua has some of the best trout fishing in New Zealand and 11 major lakes to chose from. For centuries the Maori have taken advantage of the hot springs for cooking and bathing, and Rotorua is one of the best places to learn about their culture, both traditional and contemporary. At the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute in the Whakarewarewa Reserve, you can watch highly skilled Maori carvers and weavers at work. A hangi or feast is the traditional method used by the Maori to prepare their food.
Food is cooked underground and heated by the thermally heated earth.
Many hotels offer Maori concerts and the chance to sample this very distinctive type of food. Many maraes or meeting houses also offer a hangi feast and concert. Many people just enjoy cruising or simply relaxing in this incredibly beautiful spot. For the more active, there are helicopter rides, horse treks, bungy jumping, rafting and golfing. At the southern end of the lake is Turangi, also famous for its trout fishing.