North Island Highlights: A Perfect 2-Day Rotorua Itinerary

Just returned from this "gassy" city (finally understood the textbook "rotten egg smell" in real life!). Rotorua offers incredibly diverse experiences – here's my optimized route you can directly pin on your map! Day 1: Nature & Relaxation 🌿 Hamurana Springs Walk Alternative to Blue Spring (currently closed until Christmas) 1-hour walk through crystal-clear turquoise springs surrounded by towering redwoods $18 entry fee (unusual for NZ) – skip if budget-conscious, or visit Redwoods Treewalk instead 🏙️ Rotorua City Walk Lakeside → Geothermal Parks → Hot Springs Skyline Rotorua: Gondola & luge rides (skip if bad weather) 🚡 Rotorua Lakefront Boardwalk: Perfect for picnics & lakeside chilling 🧺 Kuirau Park: Free urban geothermal park with steaming vents + natural foot soak pools (hello, sulfur spa!) ♨️ Government Gardens: Historic bathhouse-turned-museum (currently under renovation) 🏛️ ♨️ Polynesian Spa Must-do Rotorua experience! Lakeview hot pools at sunset (less crowded, magical vibes) 🌅 Pro tip: Bring swimwear, towel, and hair tie (trust me, sulfur-smelling hair is no joke!) Day 2: Geothermal Wonders & Taupō Detour 🌋 Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland Geyser show + alien landscapes 10:15am Lady Knox Geyser eruption – arrive by 9:30am for parking/seats 🕥 3 hiking routes (45min – 2.5hrs) past rainbow-colored pools + bubbling mud 🌈 Route 3 has stairs but best views! 💦 Taupō Side Trip *From Wai-O-Tapu → 30min drive* Huka Falls: North Island's MUST-SEE waterfall – even South Island veterans go "WOW!" 😍 World's Coolest McDonald's: Eat in a real decommissioned plane ✈️ (or picnic at Lake Taupō across the street – classic NZ lakeside vibes) Why "Gassy City"? Beyond the geothermal parks, even our Airbnb smelled faintly of sulfur! How do locals cope? 😅 #NorthIslandNZ#RotoruaItinerary#GeothermalNZ#NZMustDo