Sign in with Facebook
Hotel Class: 
3 Stars - 62 Opinions
Cnr Fenton & Victoria Sts, Rotorua, New Zealand
Check Rates and Availability
of people enjoy staying here
62 Opinions
Fantastic!
The luge
Make a run for it!
Pohutu Geyser
We will be soending New Years Eve in Rotorua with 3 teens and were thinking of doing the Luge, buffet and wanted to see the fireworks. They have 2 seatings. Does anyone know what time the fireworks are?
The fireworks are at midnight to mark the start of the New Year. The Mardi Gras party/concert starts at 8pm.
More info here:
http://www.newzealand.com/travel/sights-activities/events-calendar/event-details.cfm/startrow/23/endrow/0/filter/date/search/yes/seed/131006/startmonth/12/startyear/2006/endmonth/12/endyear/2006/eventid/2366.html
Most visitors to Rotorua will encounter this striking looking building on Fenchurch Street. The towns official tourist information office, you can find everything here from the standard array of information leaflets, to accommodation booking, tours and activities, shower facilities, luggage storage facilities, and a decent gift shop.
This attraction consists of a serious of geothermal pools and bush walks and the infamous Lady Knox Geyser. They are located just south of Rotorua and are best reached by car. You should buy your ticket at the main location and then drive back to the geyser. The geyser goes off only once a day at 10.15am. The interesting thing about the Wai-o-Tapu thermal area is the interesting colours of the pools (see the pic of the Champagne Pool). Follow the map they give you for some interesting bushwalks to see volcanic lakes and geothermal pools.
Address: 27km south of Rotorua on State Highway 5.
A must visit when you are in Rotorua is Polynesian Spa. It is an historical hot mineral springs spa, situated five minutes walk from Rotorua’s central business district, and overlooks Sulphur Bay on Lake Rotorua
The Lake Spa Retreat at the Polynesian Spa offers a variety of blissful treatments and after a hard day of sight seeing and other activities this is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the view over the lake.
Only in New Zealand would you have a Show like this!
Still feeling wobblyfrom the Zorbing we were determined to get here before the bus tours and managed to bag ourselves a couple of front row seats.
What followed was a surreal experience as sheep 'models' were led down a catwalk to stand on a huge podium. Each sheep was a champion ram, representing the nineteen different breeds that make up the huge NZ flocks.
Once this impressive array of sheepdom was settled in place, we were treated to a display of sheep shearing by a top shearer on an unsuspecting victim that was herded onto the stage. It happened so fast that the poor animal was left looking rather 'sheepish' being suddenly naked - we suspected its name was Shawn...
Next came the demonstration by Huntaway dogs showing their skills at herding the sheep around the stage and various obstacles. Another dog herded ducks, and there was also a Dog Trial involving a "Strong Eye" dog, which basically moves sheep round by staring them down!
At the end there was an opportunity to hand feed baby lambs on stage, and being in the front row I was duly volunteered! Why does this always happen to me!!?
Still it was great fun and was a good photo opportunity!
There's plenty of other things to see and do around the agrodome, as it is a working farm with over 1,000 animals including pot-bellied pigs and alpacas!
There is also a woolen mill and shop which shows how the wool goes from the sheep and is spun into yarn.
Shear Trivia...
*A sheep shearer shears about 400 sheep per day - 300,000 over a lifetime.
*World Record: 720 sheep sheared in 9 hours, 1 sheep sheared in 38 seconds, 839 lambs sheared in 9 hours, 1 lamb sheared in 19.8 seconds. David Fagan has held the record 13 times.
*Gangs of shearers move from farm to farm. They average 6 shearers who shear the sheep, 4 who handle the wool, and 2 pressers who press the wool into bales and prepare the meals.
*The skin of a sheep doubles its thickness within 24 hours of being sheared.
After the various sheep, sheep sheering and the sheerdogs, they bring in a Jersey cow and ask for volunteers to milk it. I am chosen - it is a lot more difficult than you think. My father (an ex-farmer) believes thay have deliberately fully milked the cow so that there is nothing left. Thanks, dad, but I think it is just me who is not very good at it.
That is a the first of many "firsts" today.
Sponsored Links
Near Ventura Inn and Suites Rotorua
Step Up from Ventura Inn and Suites Rotorua
Cheapest in Rotorua
Great Hotels for Less
Q: Few Hours in Rotorua!! "We are a family of 9 (4 adults, 1 senior and 4 children between 8-15 years), from INDIA. We shall be arriving in Rotorua on the..."
A: "With so little time on your hand I would suggest only a few things. 1. You can visit a cultural Maori show at the Tamaki Village in the evening. 2. As distances are..."
Sponsored Links
Latest Rotorua hotel reviews
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
We've found that other people looking for this hotel also know it by these names:
Address: Cnr Fenton & Victoria Sts, Rotorua, New Zealand
Check Rates and Availability (from our partners)
