worryfreee

Family of 3 (2 adults, 1 child - 14) flying into ROT at 12:30 PM and will leave next morning by a tour visiting Hobbiton and either Waitomo caves or Spellbound caves (which is better to visit with a tour) to Auckland. Which tour would be recommended for this activity?

What can we we see in Rotorua that day?

(1) Goethermal experience
(2) Maori culture
(3) Spa
(4) Redwood trees - I think they look pretty at night with hanging bridges and lanterns
Glow worm - kayaking tour - doubt can fit this and we can not paddle for 45 minutes
Not doing river rafting and Zorbing
Don't have time for Kiwi hatchery

So down to top 4.

What experiences to choose as we wont have a car (or do we need to rent a car for not even a day) - may be experiences around Rotorua city center ro those close to each other or those that provide transport.

Where to stay for that one night?

Do hotels provide airport shuutle and if yes, which ones?

Which Maori experience to choose -- Don't need one with dinner as don't eat meat and fish. Te Pa Tu v/s Mitai Maori Village v/s Whakarewarewa?

Wai-O-Tapu thermal (can not ame it to 10;15 Am geyser) v/s Te Puia geothermal

Hells' gate v/s Polynesian Spa

We will appreciate the help. Thanks.

Diamantina

I've been to Te Puia and to a tourist Maori village at Rotorua for an evening hangi and traditional cultural performance--it might have been Matai (this was more than 20 years ago so the name escapes me now). The advantage to Te Puia is they have both geothermal and Maori cultural experience, though my favorite part was the visit to the NZ Māori Arts & Crafts Institute. So, it's kind of a one-stop-shop. Maori are skillful and creative wood, bone and stone carvers, and weavers--and I enjoyed watching them work.Even back then, I found the geothermal attractions at Te Puia to be busy and crowded. Many tour groups.

Because my visit to the Maori tourist village was so long ago, I think my experience no longer counts (besides, I can't even remember what it was called--because I didn't enjoy it, but kids probably would have).

Wai-O-Tapu is highly regarded for its geothermal attractions, especially the Champagne Pools and Lady Knox Geyser (however, I see you can't make it the morning induced eruption). Did you see this info about a shuttle serrvice to Wai O Tapu? It's 25 km out of town. Te Puia is much closer and the city bus goes there. (Rotorua CBD to Te Puia in 13 minutes). I think a taxi for 3 would probably be cheap as well.

Rotorua can smell strongly of sulphur. On our second visit to Rotorua, we stayed by a smaller lake a little ways out of town and couldn't smell the sulphur, but we had a car.