Shore Excursion: Rotorua and Te Puia including Maori Cultural Show from Tauranga
Rotorua, New Zealand
Rating: 
Trip Type: Ports of Call Tours
Duration: 8 hours
Join this 8-hour shore excursion from Tauranga to Rotorua which includes Te Puia, Pohutu Geysers, a Maori cultural show, our native kiwibird, and traditional carving and weaving. Rotorua is in one of the most active volcanic areas of the world and provides a unique opportunity to enjoy geysers, boiling pools, bubbling mud, Maori culture and spectacular scenery all in the same place. Travel in a comfortable air-conditioned mini-bus that is designed to comfortably seat up to 14 people. Along the way, you will also get the chance to see spectacular rapids and waterfalls, rain forest, pristine lakes and stunning beaches.
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Join this 8-hour shore excursion from Tauranga to Rotorua which includes Te Puia, Pohutu Geysers, a Maori cultural show, our native kiwibird, and traditional carving and weaving. Rotorua is in one of the most active volcanic areas of the world and provides a unique opportunity to enjoy geysers, boiling pools, bubbling mud, Maori culture and spectacular scenery all in the same place. Travel in a comfortable air-conditioned mini-bus that is designed to comfortably seat up to 14 people. Along the way, you will also get the chance to see spectacular rapids and waterfalls, rain forest, pristine lakes and stunning beaches.You will be met at the end of your arrival wharf at 8:30am (or whenever your ship arrives), then depart for Rotorua. The first stop will be to admire the stunning beaches which stretch for miles along the coast. Hear about the earliest settlers to these shores, the Polynesians, how they got here and how they developed their unique Maori culture. Learn about the tectonic plates colliding beneath your feet and why there are volcanoes, geysers and boiling pools in the region.
Next up is Te Puke in the Bay of Plenty, known as the Kiwifruit capital of the world, where the modern fruit was first cultivated. Enjoy a quick orchard tour before sampling juices, fruit and liqueurs. It is also a great place to shop for gifts.
Next, head inland through timber plantations and volcanic landscapes before arriving at Okere Falls to experience subtropical rainforest and stunning rapids and waterfalls. Then, drive along beautiful lakes Rotoiti and Rotorua to Te Puia, the highlight of the day. The area is full of bubbling boiling pools and here you can see several geysers including Pohutu, which erupts about once every hour and sends a column of steaming water up to almost 100 feet into the air. Because of the boiling water, a valuable resource that could be used for warmth and cooking, Te Puia was settled by the early Maori and it is here you will see the Maori Cultural show and the schools of wood carving and weaving. Enjoy lunch at your own expense at Te Puia.
Visit the spectacular Government Gardens and see the oldest purpose built tourist venue in the Southern Hemisphere, the old Bathhouse. The early European visitors bathed in the medicinal mineral waters that bubbled out of the ground, heated by the volcanoes below. There are also beautiful gardens where, time permitting, you can enjoy with a short relaxing stroll.
Visit Kuirau Park. This unique park is right in the heart of Rotorua, surrounded by municipal buildings and houses and it is full of boiling pools, some of which are the size of a small swimming pool. As you leave Rotorua at approximately 3:00pm, you will have the chance to visit Hamarana Springs. This artesian spring water is so clear, it has to be seen to be believed. Enjoy the ducks and, if you are lucky, see the huge trout as they cool of in the heat of the summer.
Arrive safely back at your ship at approximately 4:30pm.
Next up is Te Puke in the Bay of Plenty, known as the Kiwifruit capital of the world, where the modern fruit was first cultivated. Enjoy a quick orchard tour before sampling juices, fruit and liqueurs. It is also a great place to shop for gifts.
Next, head inland through timber plantations and volcanic landscapes before arriving at Okere Falls to experience subtropical rainforest and stunning rapids and waterfalls. Then, drive along beautiful lakes Rotoiti and Rotorua to Te Puia, the highlight of the day. The area is full of bubbling boiling pools and here you can see several geysers including Pohutu, which erupts about once every hour and sends a column of steaming water up to almost 100 feet into the air. Because of the boiling water, a valuable resource that could be used for warmth and cooking, Te Puia was settled by the early Maori and it is here you will see the Maori Cultural show and the schools of wood carving and weaving. Enjoy lunch at your own expense at Te Puia.
Visit the spectacular Government Gardens and see the oldest purpose built tourist venue in the Southern Hemisphere, the old Bathhouse. The early European visitors bathed in the medicinal mineral waters that bubbled out of the ground, heated by the volcanoes below. There are also beautiful gardens where, time permitting, you can enjoy with a short relaxing stroll.
Visit Kuirau Park. This unique park is right in the heart of Rotorua, surrounded by municipal buildings and houses and it is full of boiling pools, some of which are the size of a small swimming pool. As you leave Rotorua at approximately 3:00pm, you will have the chance to visit Hamarana Springs. This artesian spring water is so clear, it has to be seen to be believed. Enjoy the ducks and, if you are lucky, see the huge trout as they cool of in the heat of the summer.
Arrive safely back at your ship at approximately 4:30pm.
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