Rotorua New Zealand Photography Highlights

With so many interesting and beautiful places to photograph in New Zealand, I had a hard time deciding where to go. Many places require serious hiking. I was looking for a drastically different natural wonder to visit on a day trip, or at most requiring a one night stay. Rotorua seemed to be the perfect spot. This part of New Zealand is known for its geothermal activity and otherworldly landscapes, something I had never seen. 

Rotorua New Zealand

My wife and I always work out a balance between doing the things we each enjoy most. I am free to schedule dedicated wilderness adventures, but I have to do those trips without my honey. I can tolerate weather extremes and handle long hikes, but that’s not Kathy’s flow. She understandably does not want her vacations to be uncomfortable. So for the Rotorua adventure, I went off on my own. Kathy stayed in Auckland to enjoy the city.

Geothermal Parks

Rotorua has several designated geothermal parks with geysers, bubbling mud pools, hot springs and other interesting features close to town. A few of these locations are popular tourist attractions included in the tours from Auckland. As great as those looked to me, I generally run from the crowds. My primary motivation when photographing natural environments is to connect with creation. Of course I want to capture great images, but feeling one with Mother Nature is more important to me. I can’t get into my “zone” with lots of people close by. What I was looking for was somewhere I could be mostly alone and in close proximity to nature. 

Waimangu Volcanic Valley

With a little research, I discovered Waimangu Volcanic Valley, the youngest geothermal system in the world. It is the only system of its kind to be “born” by a single volcanic event. It is also the home of the famous pink and white terraces which got buried as a result of the 1886 eruption of Mt. Tarawara. That particular beauty is now the thing of legends, since no-one alive now ever saw it. Getting to Waimangu from the town center is easy, but I needed a private driver. 

I called a local mountain bike shop called Electric Bikes Rotorua, and they gave me a referral. Tourism in New Zealand is a huge part of their economy, and everyone seems to support one another. At least that was my experience. Soon, I had my driver Chris Bailey. Sure, I was a bit nervous about how we might get along, since I can be indecisive. I often react to what I see and suddenly want to stop and shoot. I warned Chris about this, and all he had to say was “No worries mate. Just let me know what you fancy.”

Transport from Auckland to Rotorua 

Getting to Rotorua from Auckland was easy. I pre-purchased a roundtrip ticket on the Intercity Bus. It picks up not far from the Auckland waterfront, a 10 minute walk from our hotel. The ride was about 5 hours with great views of New Zealand’s North Island countryside along the way. The rolling hills, covered in that fluorescent green grass, were beautiful. Many scenes from Lord of the Rings were filmed in these areas. In fact, “Hobbitton” is one of the most popular tourist attractions in this area. It is the movie set, where the hobbits lived in Lord of the Rings. 

The bus left Auckland at 7:30am and arrived in Rotorua about 1pm. My driver Chris was right by the bus stop waiting for me when I arrived. We stopped at a cafe for some caffeine and a danish then hit the road. It only took about 30 minutes to reach Waimangu Volcanic Valley, and it was not crowded at all. The self-guided walk takes you to numerous viewpoints with very interesting features. A shuttle is available to assist those on the self-guided tour, and there is a boat excursion available for those who arrive in time. Along the trail, steam rises out of the various bodies of water and through cracks in the rocky hillsides. An array of trees and ferns cover the landscape, while a rainbow of colorful mineral deposits, microbes, mosses and lichens paint the earth and water. It is indeed unlike anything I have seen before.

Best Private Driver in Rotorua New Zealand

Chris could not have been more helpful. He proactively prioritized assisting me. He watched me juggle my camera gear and helped in many ways. Most importantly, he made sure I did not inadvertently step off the trail and into a burning pool of water. Connecting with the natural surrounding and getting in a groove with my photography was easy with Chris as my guide. Despite seeing Rotorua’s unique landscapes and environments regularly, he happily acknowledged that this place was special. Soon we headed back to town.

Amazingly, the sun had still not set, and there was more for me to see. Chris knew all the spots and made a few suggestions. We decided to visit to the Redwood Forest. I was shocked to learn that the redwoods came from California. Soon enough, with a touch of daylight still remaining, we were walking off into the forest. Chris thought I might enjoy the “Redwoods Treewalk.” As we walked slowly together through the trees, Chris asked if I wanted him to illuminate the fern curls. During our visit to Waimangu Volcanic Valley, I had mentioned how much I loved to photograph those curls, and he remembered. It was a brilliant idea, so we went to “work.” The shots turned out really nice. 

Treewalk Experience 

As the darkness of night took hold, a light show began in the forest. It was all part of the treewalk experience. The forest was filled with thousands of tiny colored dots, created by projected light. It looked like swarms of fireflies were everywhere. It was unexpected and magical. If you do not have vertigo (as my wife does) and can handle slightly wobbly suspension bridges, it’s worth it. It is a popular and therefore crowded attraction. While the flow of visitors is well-managed, I recommend getting there before they open. It’s definitely going to be a shared experience, which can be fun. We finally ran out of time, and I had Chris drop me off at Rotorua Downtown Backpackers hostel, where I had booked a private room. If you would like to hire a private driver, email Chris, and tell him ETG sent you – ChrisBaileyServices56@Gmail.com

The following morning I was able to walk from there to Kuirau Park before hopping on the bus back to Auckland. All-in-all I was really pleased with my decision to visit Rotorua. If you can spend 2-3 days there, you can visit Waimangu Volcanic Valley and some of the other geothermal attractions like Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderlands and Te Puia. There are numerous worthy destinations in and around Rotorua. As you might imagine, hot springs are a main attraction.

CLICK HERE for additional articles about New Zealand; ETG also encourages you to visit New Zealand’s official tourism website – https://www.newzealand.com