DREAM PARADISE

Run by the government and native staff, Te Puia offers impressive Maori cultural show no visitor to Rotorua should miss. The cultural park is situated in geothermal valley surrounded by boiling pools, hot springs, geysers, and bubbling mud pools. The show starts after dark. In Maori tradition, the night is an important time for people to get together and share knowledge. The audience is welcomed by twelve monumental carvings reaching skywards, each one representing a Maori deity. Followed by a welcome ritual by fierce Maori warriors, native dances and traditional buffet, it ends with visitors sitting on warm geothermal rocks in fumarole pools nearby, sipping hot chocolate and listening to Maori tales under the stars.

Don’t feel unwelcome if a Maori warrior rolls out his tongue and tries to stare you down. A rather frightening gesture, it is just part of Hakka dance that Maoris perform to welcome guests.

A meal with a view from Mt Ngongotaha. This mountain-top restaurant offers a delectable buffet laid out in relaxing ambience typical of the Rotorua region.

To learn about sheep that outnumber human population in New Zealand, go to Agrodome. Besides its famous sheep show, this 160-hectare farm boasting 1,200 sheep and 120 cattle heads features livefarming experience and domestic animals like cow, deer, alpacas etc.

Situated on a volcanic crater, Lake Rotorua is the second largest lake on the North Island. Although its last major eruption took place 240,000 years ago, there is still plenty of geothermal activities around the lake.

Tourists tend to think the kiwi fruit is native to this country. No, it is native to China. It used to be called Chinese gooseberry until it was renamed after the flightless kiwi bird found only in New Zealand to give it a local identity and facilitate its sale and export.

Most travellers looking forward to a trip of luxury in New Zealand fail to realise that it all begins at Suvarnabhumi Airport, where passengers travelling business class enjoy free pampering foot and shoulder massage at Thai Airways International’s spa lounge.

Driving around New Zealand is easy. The streets are quiet, with not much traffic around, to the point that you might start feeling lonely. Driving around town here is much easier than negotiating traffic in Bangkok on a Sunday morning. With a good map and GPS device in hand, there is little chance of losing your way around. But don’t go too fast. Cameras hidden from view are in place to catch you speeding. You don’t realise the offence until you return your car at the airport when you are presented with the evidence and the fine that comes with it.

With so many lakes scattered around Rotorua, it is convenient to explore the area around town on a floatplane or picnicking on some lake. The Volcanic Air Safari flies its passengers showing them big lakes and volcanic valley.

Tree Top Lodge is a very luxurious place. The huge lodge in Rotorua hides within a vast tropical forest that the visitor has to drive several kilometres through dense vegetation to reach it. The lodge billets guests in real wilderness and pampers them as well. Maori chef, Eru Tutaki, invites guests to walks in the forest to learn how Maoris source their food and medicine from nature. He collected sprouts of Mamaku (black fern), and Manuka (tea tree), before proceeding to cook a delicious native cuisine.