Pōhutu Geyser
Up to 30 m.
Thomas from Switzerland — CC0 · Archives New Zealand — CC BY 2.0 · Carl Lindberg — CC BY 4.0 · Anagoria — CC BY-SA 3.0
Rotorua's best-known geothermal valley, in the city of volcanoes and hot springs, where steam rises from the ground between boiling mud pools and springs, home to Pōhutu, the largest geyser in the Southern Hemisphere, which shoots water up to thirty metres and can erupt some twenty times a day. The valley is run by Te Puia, home to the national Māori arts and crafts institute, where students learn traditional wood carving and flax weaving and can be watched at work, as well as a house for the kiwi, the flightless nocturnal national bird. Te Puia offers Māori cultural performances with a traditional welcome, songs and the famous haka, guided tours of the valley and the traditional hāngī meal cooked in a pit by the earth's heat. Entry is ticketed, with the guided experience about NZ$105 per adult, per visitor guides. The sulphur smell is strong throughout Rotorua, so do not be surprised, and stay on the paths as the ground is hot.
Up to 30 m.
A cultural show.
The national bird.
Whakarewarewa Valley, south of central Rotorua
Up to about twenty times a day, shooting water up to thirty metres.