The problem with living in a tourist town, you may have found, is it's easy to forget what a wonderful range of treats and activities we have available to us.
Not only is Rotorua well situated - handy to the Bay of Plenty coast, the Central Plateau, forests and trailsand numerous lakes, and not too far from Auckland, the Waikato and Coromandel - but we don't even have to leave town to enjoy a huge variety of restaurants, cafes, bars, sights, attractions (both man-made and natural) and leisure activities.
And that's before I even mention any of the amazing events that take place in Rotorua throughout the year.
We've got it all, and you'd struggle to find another regional centre to compete. So let's celebrate that. This summer the Rotorua Daily Post will, over 50 editions, reveal Rotorua's Essential 50 ... and we'd like your help.
Tell us what you think should be on the list. What do you consider an absolute must? Whether it be a "must-see", "must-do", "must-try" or "must-experience", we'd like to know yours.
The idea for the Essential 50 was sparked by a press release from the Ministry of Culture and Heritage entitled "100 must-see New Zealand places".
The 100 places can be found on a map at the NZ History website (nzhistory.net.nz). Not one of the 100 must-see New Zealand places is in our patch. The closest is at Papamoa.
Granted, there is a historical bent to the ministry's list, but it still astounds me that a region so steeped in Maori culture and rich in history has no such "must-see" attractions.
I'm hoping our list will remind many readers of exciting things they'd forgotten about, and provide inspiration for new things to try, and to recommend to friends and visitors.
