Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Local families get creative with treasure-hunting RotoRocks craze

By Rebecca Mauger
Rotorua Daily Post·
13 Feb, 2017 08:05 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Sonia Foote and son Theo, 17 months, love playing with Roto-rocks. PHOTO/BEN FRASER

Sonia Foote and son Theo, 17 months, love playing with Roto-rocks. PHOTO/BEN FRASER

Mr Grumpy, Mr Happy and Little Miss Naughty are about to make appearances throughout Rotorua parks and reserves.

They are Sonia Foote's latest "art rock" babies which she will soon set free into the world, and wait to see who the lucky finders are.

It's all part of a craze which is sweeping the country - Rotorua Rocks (#RotoRocks) is the local answer to an art-rock treasure-hunt-type, non-digital trend replacing the likes of Pokemon GO.

Ms Foote from Facebook group Rotorua Rocks sums up the concept in one of her posts.

"Rotorua Rocks is all about spreading a little happiness, making memories and uplifting others. Post in this group to show us your rocks when you've painted them, let us know where you're going to hide them, show us a rock that you've found, say where you've re-hidden a rock that you've found or anything else rock-related."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

People can join the group and start searching for rocks or creating art rocks to hide.

There are no rules about creativity, but artists are encouraged to write #RotoRocks on the back of rocks to identify with the group. Artists take a photo of their rocks, hide them in local parks, reserves or playgrounds and state via Facebook where they can be found and the hunt begins.

Ms Foote said her family was "pretty much addicted". Her three children love creating rocks. She recently created a ladybird series and one was adopted as the local mascot for the council maintenance team. Her latest Mr Men series will soon be ready to go.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Everything about it is just neat. The painting for the kids, hiding and finding other people's rocks, and children are so excited to find these rocks. It's pretty cool when you see your rock pop up on Facebook.

"It's such a lovely, healthy family activity."

Local Alex Le Long started Rotorua Rocks this year, inspired by other rock groups popping up all over the country.

It initially began in Palmerston North by Heather Knox, who was inspired by a similar initiative in America. RotoRocks now has more than 700 members.

Full details are available on Facebook page Rotorua Rocks including tips on how to weather-proof rocks, where to hide and what to avoid.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

Police search for suspect after man shot in leg

06 Jul 10:51 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

Kāinga Ora axes housing project, reveals new plans

06 Jul 06:00 PM
Premium
Opinion

Balancing power: What the employment law changes mean for you

06 Jul 05:00 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Police search for suspect after man shot in leg

Police search for suspect after man shot in leg

06 Jul 10:51 PM

Information sought about man in green coat and gumboots on Pine Drive, Murupara.

Kāinga Ora axes housing project, reveals new plans

Kāinga Ora axes housing project, reveals new plans

06 Jul 06:00 PM
Premium
Balancing power: What the employment law changes mean for you

Balancing power: What the employment law changes mean for you

06 Jul 05:00 PM
Caught on tape: Identity finally revealed of Jaguar-driving teen behind CBD rampage

Caught on tape: Identity finally revealed of Jaguar-driving teen behind CBD rampage

06 Jul 06:00 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP