Rotorua - The Sulphur City
Rotorua(Māori: Te Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe) is a city on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua from which
the city takes its name,
in the Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand's North Island. It is the seat of the Rotorua Lakes District, a
territorial authority encompassing Rotorua
and several other nearby towns. Rotorua has an estimated resident population of 58,500, making it the
country's 12th largest urban area,
and the Bay of Plenty's second largest urban area behind Tauranga.
Rotorua is a major destination for both domestic and international tourists; the tourism industry is by far
the largest industry in the district.
It is known for its geothermal activity, and features geysers – notably the Pohutu Geyser at Whakarewarewa –
and hot mud pools.
This thermal activity is sourced to the Rotorua caldera, in which the town lies. Rotorua is home to the Toi
Ohomai Institute of Technology.
Rotorua is also home to botanical gardens and historic architecture. Known as a spa town and major tourist
resort since the 1800s, many of its buildings hint at this
history. Government Gardens, close to the lake-shore at the eastern edge of the town, are a particular point
of pride. The Rotorua Museum of Art and History is
housed in the large Tudor-style bath house building while the Art Deco style Blue Baths, noted for their
embrace of mixed sex bathing in the 1930s, remain open today.
Another of Rotorua's attractions is mountain biking. Whakarewarewa Forest was listed as one of the Top 8
locations globally by Red Bull Magazine in 2012.
The forest includes over 100 km of mountain bike trails and in August 2006 was a host of the UCI Mountain
Bike and Trials World Championships.
In 2015 Rotorua hosted the Southern Hemisphere leg of the Crankworx mountain bike event.
The Rotorua Pistol club is among the largest in the Southern Hemisphere and hosted the 2013 Australasian
IPSC Handgun Championship.
The Kaituna River, 15 minutes drive north east of the CBD provides class 5 whitewater kayaking and rafting
through a spectacular tree lined gorge.
The region is home to 16 lakes. These are popular for recreation such as boating and fishing. Several of the
lakes are stocked for sports fishing with trout from the Fish and Game New Zealand hatchery at Ngongotahā.
(Quelle: Wikipedia)
Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland - Champagne Pool
Champagne Pool is a prominent geothermal feature within the Waiotapu geothermal area in the North Island of New Zealand. The terrestrial hot spring is located about 30 km (20 mi) southeast of Rotorua and about 50 km (30 mi) northeast of Taupo. The name Champagne Pool is derived from the abundant efflux of carbon dioxide (CO2), similar to a glass of bubbling champagne. The hot spring was formed 900 years ago by a hydrothermal eruption, which makes it in geological terms a relatively young system. Its crater is around 65 m (213 ft) in diameter with a maximum depth of approximately 62 m (203 ft) and is filled with an estimated volume of 50,000 m3 (1,800,000 cu ft) of geothermal fluid. (Quelle: Wikipedia)