Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - North Island - 5 days - Wellington

Look at trip report on Rotorua for things to do. It has prices and free things.

The night market at Rotorua has lots of international food. Save room for the Mistress of the Cakes.

The Redwoods is lovely as are the Thermal Areas.

White Island is fantastic. Take a helicopter and walk around on an active volcano.

If you go up the middle and then across the top you will get a very good taste of the Island.

Napier is lovely for its Art Deco Buildings, but has not much else to offer, that you can't get elsewhere.

From:-
http://www.rotorua.nz.com/geothermal.aspx
My comments in capitals.

Lady Knox Geyser, Waiotapu, Rotorua
Whakarewarewa

Boasting the largest geyser in the country and approximately 500 hot springs, Whakarewarewa, the living village, is the most visited of Rotorua's Geothermal Areas and is a great place to experience the uniqueness of local Maori Culture.
HAVEN'T BEEN TO THIS ONE. WE ARE NOT PARTILUCLARLY INTERESESTED IN PEOPLE AND CULTURE,BUT IT LOOKED OK FROM THE LOOK OUT, MAORI CULTURE WILL BE THE MAIN ATTRACTION NOT THE THERMAL AREA.

Tikitere (Hell's Gate)

Hell's Gate is Rotorua's most fierce Geothermal Area with boiling whirl pools, the largest hot waterfall in the Southern Hemisphere and many other truly amazing features.
GREAT FOR EVERYTHING BUT PARTICULARLY BUBBLING MUD. NO GEYSER THOUGH.

Waimangu

20 minutes South of Rotorua, Waimangu Valley is a breathtaking tribute to the devastating eruption of Mount Tarawera over 100 years ago. The multi-coloured lakes and stunning landscape make this short trip a must.
VERY PRETTY VALLEY WITH LOTS OF LITTEL THERAM AREAS. YOU WALK DOWN AND THEN CATCH A COURTESY BUS BACK.THE WALK IS DESIGNED SO THAT NO STRAIGTH SECTION IS MORE THAN 50M LONG, THUS YOU FEEL YOU ARE THE ONLY ONES THERE.
THE DETOUR WALK IS LOVELY AND HAS GREAT VIEWS OF THE LAKE AND VALLEY BUT NO THERMAL ACTIVITY. THE LAKE CRUISE IS LOVELY, I DID IT WITH ONLY TWO OTHERS. THEY ARRIVE AT THE GEYSER ON TIME TO SEE IT. IT IS ONLY A FEW METRES IN HEIGHT BEU VERY GOOD.THE LAKE CRUISE IS FULL OF LOVELY SCENERY.

Waiotapu

Including some of the most colourful volcanic features such as the Champagne Pool, Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland is set among gorgeous native bush and is a short 20 minute drive from Rotorua.
TRUE VERY COLOURFUL AND VERY TOURISTY BUT ALSO VERY GOOD. lONG TIME SIUNCE WE VISITED.

Orakei Korako - The Hidden Valley

Scenes from the BBC’s Walking with Dinosaurs were filmed in the stunning Orakei Korako and it is not hard to imagine why. Accessible by boat, Orakei Korako, the Hidden Valley, is lauded by Lonely Planet as "possibly the best thermal area left in New Zealand and one of the finest in the world".
GREAT! YOU CAN ONLY GET TO IT BY THEIR BOAT. BASIC FACILITIES AND CAFE BUT A GREAT WALK THROUGH A VARIETY OF THERMAL AREAS AND TYPES. A COUPLE OF VERY SMALL GEYSERS >1M. DELIGHTFUL WALK AND GOOD COLOURS.

Craters of the moon is near Huka falls and is interesting but only has steam vents and couple of mud pools. It is great as it is young and on a green plain. As it is run by volunteers - - very cheap $8?

FREE ONES
Lake Rotorua near the town centre has several spots of steam vents and bubbling mud.
There is at least one mud pool in the Redwoods forest. This is great as you hear it before you see or smell it. It is a small pool in a fern glade. Fantastic.

Near Waiotapu
is the largest of the mud pools. It was going crazy on our most recent visit.
On the same road is a hot creek you can sit/swim in. The road loops from the highway to all these and back.

Lady Knox is set off by soap being added to the geyser. The one at the Maori village is quite good and you can see it from one of the walks in the Redwoods forest without having to enter the village.

WARNING WARNING WARNING

DO NOT PUT YOUR HEAD UNDER WATER IN A THERMAL POOL!
There are signs because:-
Amoebic meningitis is caused by an amoeba that lives in hot pools. If you put your head under water it forces water up your nose and thus they can get into your brain.

If you are going to the Bay of Island and want a more low key thermal pool experience like it was before tourism made it trendy, there is one called Waiariki Pools, Ngawha and it only costs $4 each. Much like the old local pools of yesteryear. VERY low key and basic. Very few tourists.