Rotorua: Nightlights in the Redwoods, jet boats on Lake Rotoiti

A geothermal wonderland - one of the many attractions at Te Puia, in Whakarewa. Photo / Sarah Daniell

Sarah Daniell rediscovers a true gem in Rotorua, a place steeped in natural beauty and cultural riches

Flying into Rotorua, the plane bounces gently then hovers, like a dragonfly, over the shimmering lakes and primordial landscape. It's like a richly drawn scene from a storybook of ancient myths. I have only ever driven here, from the south and the north, and this new perspective is almost shocking in its beauty.

We've fled the relentless churn of the city. On that weekend in late October, Rotorua is once again, able to welcome manuhiri from Auckland. The clouds have lifted.

"We were so happy when they opened the gates to you people." Greg is the owner of  Atlantis Books, a vast, two-storeyed and superbly curated second-hand bookstore. Most of his customers are Aucklanders and now, much to his relief, things are looking up.

Like many New Zealand towns and cities and poleaxed by 2020, Rotorua has been doing it tough. The streets are quiet for now, at least. There are plenty of treasures to find in second-hand clothing and furniture stores. There are sushi bars, cafes and buskers hustling for a coin. There is a nail bar on every corner.  But I didn't come here for shellac.

We stop at Rotorua Social Club on Amohia St and order a Bloody Mary. They have a band playing later and there's karaoke. But we didn't come to sing Islands in the Stream to a roomful of strangers. We have a date with giants in the forest.

Redwoods Treewalk at night. Photo / Destination Rotorua/Supplied

The Redwoods Treewalk is a spectacular collision of nature and technology, of art and engineering. And at night it's a revelation. We climb a spiral staircase for the 40-minute, 553m-long walk along a series of swing bridges and platforms - slung between 22 giant redwoods more than 110 years old - suspended 20m above the ground. There are 30 spectacular lanterns, designed by David Trubridge. Scattered throughout the forest there are dozens of tiny lights, like a vast colony of fairies floating in the darkness.

Taking the waters at the Priest's Pool, at Polyesian Spa. Photo / Sarah Daniell

Design innovation and old-school converge here. The Polynesian Spa is a classic hit, a place for wallowing and healing. Māori have long known of the health benefits of bathing in geothermal waters but the first European to have taken the waters, around 1878, was a Catholic priest called Father Mahoney. The next morning, we find ourselves in "Te Pupunitanga" or "Priest's Bath", overlooking Lake Rotorua. We are preparing ourselves for the spa. I'm ushered into a warm room and wrapped in warm towels before being unwrapped, scrubbed, slathered  in mud and then swaddled again.

I must eventually unravel from the warm cocoon and confront the world. We head for the wharf. There's a jetboat that will blast us to Lake Rotoiti Hot Pools. It looks like a fierce yellow blade in the water. Will, our guide from Katoa Lake Rotorua, chats and cracks jokes but I tense slightly as he raises his arm and makes rapid circles with his hand - code for a 360-spin. "Hard out!" say the cute young couple from Kaikohe behind us. They're visiting whānau and, like us, are playing tourists. We slow down as we pass the tiny but majestic Mokoia Island, sacred to Te Arawa and predator-free. As legend has it, it's the place where HInemoa swam to her warrior, Tūtānekai , after she heard him playing sweet music from across the lake.

There is no sweet music to guide us to Lake Rotoiti, just the drone of the engine. You can only get to Rotoiti by boat and when we eventually arrive, there's every kind of craft tied up at the jetty. Yachts, a party launch, jetskis, speed boats, dinghies. We sit at wooden picnic tables and drink cold beer before sinking, once more, into the warm, therapeutic waters.

The wharenui at Te Puia, in the Whakarewarewa Valley. Photo / Sarah Daniell

The geothermal pull of Rotorua may be strong but so too is tikanga. At Te Puia, in the Whakarewarewa valley, Liam Benfell (Tūhoe), leads our group into the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute, the home of the national schools of carving and weaving. Tauira (students) learn to master the traditional Māori arts. It was built in 1963 - decades after a campaign launched in the 1920s by rangitira Sir Apirana Ngata - to reverse a ban on Māori practising arts and crafts. Rangatira translates to "a weaver of people". His legacy is testament to of the power and resilience of people and culture.

ON THE SIDE

Crayfish linguine at Terrace Kitchen. Photo / Sarah Daniell

Dining:
Terrace Kitchen - for magnificent cocktails and the crayfish linguine, this really beautiful Italian-inspired restaurant is the place to be at the end of the day, or for lunch - sit outside and soak up the atmosphere. terrace.kitchen

A drink with a view:
At the very top of the Skyline Gondola is Volcanic Hills Tasting Room - sample wine made from a range of grape varieties from New Zealand. We enjoy a generous platter and the view across Lake Rotorua. volcanichills.co.nz

Stay:
Pullman Rotorua, the city's newest five-star hotel. The corner suite on the 7th floor was 7th heaven. It's also perfectly positioned to walk to the sights. pullmanrotorua.com