Rotorua
"The earth is boiling beneath your feet and the locals have built an entire culture around it."
Rotorua smells like sulphur and looks like another planet. The geothermal activity here is constant and visible — steam rising from drains, mud pools bubbling in backyards, and entire parks dedicated to the earth doing things that earth is not supposed to do. We visited Wai-O-Tapu and found the Champagne Pool — a hot spring of vivid orange and green mineral deposits — and the Devil’s Bath, a pool of chartreuse water that looked toxic and beautiful in equal measure.
Te Puia, the Maori cultural centre, offered a carved meeting house, kiwi bird enclosure, and a performance of the haka that shook the ground more effectively than the geysers. Pohutu Geyser erupted on schedule, sending water twenty metres into the air. We soaked in a hot pool at the lakeside, where the water was heated by the same volcanic system that powers everything here. The Redwoods Treewalk at night — suspended walkways through ancient redwood forest lit by lanterns — was magical and unexpected.
When to go: Year-round — geothermal features and Maori culture are constant. Summer is warmest for lake activities. Winter hot pools are most enjoyable when the air is cold. The Redwoods Treewalk is best at night in any season. Rotorua is a year-round destination that works in any weather.