The Rotorua area is home to shooting geysers, bubbling mud pools, multicolored silica terraces and soothing hot springs. There are plenty of places to soak in the therapeutic hot springs which have healing properties for everything from arthritis to skin conditions. And, there are countless pristine lakes and fresh water streams just waiting to be explored. Or travel northwest to the haunting glowworm grotto at Waitomo Caves. Taupo, New Zealand's largest lake, is a holiday paradise.
Hot springs enter the deep blue lake providing an opportunity to swim in hot and cold water.
Spend the day on a small sailing ship, gliding around small inlets. Walk through the Waipihihi Botanical Reserve teeming with rhododendrons, azaleas, alpine herb gardens and unusual ferns or visit the dramatic Huka Falls. Where the west coast juts into the Tasman Sea, the Taranaki area is dominated by views of Mt. Egmont, a lone perfectly shaped dormant volcano rising to 8,260 ft. above sea level. Below the snow capped summit is a wilderness of mosses, alpine herbs, waterfalls and forests thick with giant rata trees. Choose from a variety of leisurely paced walks or challenge yourself with a climb to the top of Mt. Egmont.