Te Puia's latest new multi-sensory visitor experience 'Geyser by Night - Te Puia Light Trails. Photo / Supplied
On Tuesday iconic Rotorua tourism attraction Te Puia will launch a night geyser encounter aimed at Kiwi tourists - including locals seeking something different for date night.
The new nightly offering represents a fresh start for Te Puia which, like other Rotorua tourism operators, took a hammering last year because of Covid-19 and the loss of international visitors.
Local leaders have praised the attraction for its lateral thinking.
Te Puia CEO Tim Cossar said the business had changed its focus to better appeal to the Kiwis and domestic tourists it now relied on.
Geyser By Night - Te Puia Light Trails, will reveal Rotorua's geothermal wonderland under night skies.
Cossar said the new experience was part of a "multi-sensory adventure", telling the love stories of the valley. It also features a unique dessert experience.
It will run seven days a week with two departures each night.
He said the experience would be an "ideal spot for date nights or for an even bigger or special surprise milestone to remember".
Te Puia spans 70ha in Te Whakarewarewa Geothermal Valley, with mud pools, hot springs, silica formations and Pōhutu, the largest erupting geyser in the Southern Hemisphere.
It is also home to kiwi and the national schools of Māori wood carving, weaving, stone and bone carving.
Cossar said visitors armed with torches would follow experienced guides through a night trail lit by the moon, stars and special lighting.
Visitors will see the untouched ground and iridescent pools, visit Pōhutu rumbling in the darkness as well as Waikite Geyser - once the "crown jewel" of Te Whakarewarewa Valley - and sample a dessert cooked in a cooking pool and a hot chocolate under the stars.
He said the trail "would bring life and light back to Waikite once again".
"We are looking forward to hosting more New Zealanders and sharing our untold love stories from the valley as well as our love for our geothermal landscape and our Māori culture," Cossar said.
"It is a full sensory experience, making it a walk to remember - and having it on your doorstep is something special."
He said 2020 had brought some hurdles for Te Puia but it was important to have something to look forward to in 2021.
"Te Puia is positive about the future and we believe Geyser by Night - Te Puia Light Trails provides a unique experience that New Zealanders will want to be part of."
In May 2020, the Te Puia was given a $7.6 million cash injection from the Government.
Rotorua Chamber of Commerce CEO Bryce Heard said it was a "very exciting" new offering and a great example of Te Puia "building back better" after a difficult year.
"I think it's great. Sometimes adversity brings out the best in people and sometimes a bit of adversity can be met by thinking laterally.
"Te Puia has certainly done that by changing its business in a number of ways with different offerings to try and capture more of the domestic market," he said.
Heard said this included Te Puia's new restaurant, which had been well-patronised before Christmas, and he expected its new visitor encounter would be no different.
He said businesses needed to constantly reinvent themselves to avoid becoming stale.
Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick said she applauded Cossar and his staff for being so "innovative" after a challenging year, praising their lateral thinking.
"I think this will be a wonderful addition to our local tourism offerings after losing so many of our international visitors. And we know that will go for some time yet.
"To survive tourism businesses have to be prepared to change their products to make themselves more attractive to domestic visitors and well done to Te Puia for doing that."
Chadwick said it was an exciting start to 2021 for Te Puia and the local tourism sector, and she was sure locals and domestic tourists would enjoy the new experience.
Te Puia's new tour adds to a host of after-dark experiences launched by Rotorua tourism businesses - though some are not currently advertised.
Redwoods Treewalks, for example, offers the lantern-lit Redwoods Nightlights tour. Tamaki Māori Village and Mitai Māori Village both advertise evening shows.