Column: Much more to Rotorua than hot mud

Post Business welcomes Stay and Play Rotorua's Kay Clarke as its newest columnist. Kay has worked extensively within the tourism sector.
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Let's celebrate Rotorua, which must surely be the world's largest natural theme park.
Those of us fortunate to live in this special piece of paradise take pleasure from our forests, our lakes, the wide range of activities and places to visit and our proximity to the ocean, mountains and larger cities.
Visitors, on the other hand, are often surprised by the diversity we have to offer and their common parting words are: "We wish we'd stayed longer."
Rotorua's wonderland of natural geothermal and volcanic marvels have been attracting worldwide attention since the days of the pink and white terraces.
The world of cultural and heritage experiences offered here have introduced the uniqueness of New Zealand's history and Maori traditions to generations for more than a century.
Nature  is all around us, with an abundance of birdlife, New Zealand native bush, introduced wildlife and, of course, every fisherman's dream "big-as" trout! - all within minutes of a thriving city centre.
A more recent discovery to many is Rotorua's adventure land of mountain biking, whitewater activities and walking tracks, enhanced by a range of exciting and exhilarating business ventures to keep us, and our visitors, entertained.
For those wanting to relax where better than our leisure land of geothermal bathing, spa treatments and luxury encounters to pamper yourselves and refresh or retreat from today's busy working lives.
This world-class playground we have on our doorstep is largely undiscovered, not only internationally, but also for many Kiwis.
Over time, we have done a great job of promoting ourselves as a one to two-night stopover for a taste of Maori culture and to see bubbling mud and a geyser.
While those remain a significant drawcard, let's start to celebrate the bigger picture.
By showing our pride in Rotorua, by telling those we meet about Rotorua, by sharing our stories of Rotorua, we can create a 70,000 strong, united voice that far outweighs any advertising or marketing campaigns we rely on others to provide.
Let's embrace the things that are special to Rotorua and tell the world just how lucky we are with what we have here.
We all have a part to play to create a thriving community that not only attracts more visitors but also new residents and business.
Each one of us can become an ambassador in so many different ways.
If you're out of town and meet new people, talk up Rotorua. If you use Facebook to tell your friends about your great time at the weekend, throw in the word Rotorua - you'd be amazed what gets picked up by search engines.
If every person in our community was able to attract even one extra visitor for one extra night we'd make a positive impact on our economy - providing extra income for those directly involved in tourism and for those involved in businesses where tourism employees spend their money.
We can make a difference, so let's start celebrating, Rotorua!

- Kay Clarke is managing director of Stay and Play Rotorua Ltd, providing promotional and representation services to local businesses.