CENTRAL NORTH GOLF

Wairakei International:
Officially opened in 1970, the course lies on 450 acres of natural rolling countryside and was designed to meet the rigorous design standards required for world class championship competition.
The end result is a course that sprawls over the property using the natural contours to the fullest. This coupled with 6429 metres and 108 well placed bunkers, has led to world wide acclaim. In January 1996, US Golf Digest, rated Wairakei 17th best course outside the USA. This plus featured publication in the World Atlas of Golf enhance its reputation but it is the natural beauty and sheer experience of the property that makes Wairakei a must for serious and casual golfers. Par 72 - Length 6429 metres. Go to Golf Page

CENTRAL NORTH Tours/Cruises

Waitomo Caves in New Zealand has been attracting visitors for over 100 years, happily our hardy little glowworms are oblivious to any number of admirers and they keep glowing to attract their food in many of Waitomo's caves in New Zealand.
Glowworms are stunning. In 2005 we were delighted to host two separate BBC film crews at Spellbound, one lead by Sir David Attenborough and the other by Huw Cordey. Both travelled to the Waitomo Caves in New Zealand to record glowworm footage for their natural history documentaries. They were impressed and amazed by glowworms, one cameraman described the Spellbound Glowworm Cave as one of the top 10 natural spectacles he'd seen.
 

The world's youngest geothermal system' Waimangu Volcanic Valley is Rotorua's premier tourist attraction and  a ‘must do’ eco-experience when you visit  Rotorua.
Their exciting thermal attraction and sightseeing tours include unique ecology, rare botany and fascinating geothermal features such as steaming volcanic crater lakes.
A protected scenic reserve and wildlife refuge, Waimangu Volcanic Valley geothermal park encompasses beautiful Lake Rotomahana and is set in pristine New Zealand bush.  Waimangu Volcanic Valley is just 20 minutes South of Rotorua and 40 minutes North of Taupo.
Choose from a range of self-guided eco tours and walks, from a 45 minute walk through this geothermal park to an extended 4 hours through the amazing Valley.
 

Trout Fishing with Gordon Randle: Come trout fishing with Gordon 364 days a year from dawn to dusk at a time to suit you (on charters).
Flyfishing, trolling and harling are our specialty. Remember nothing is too much trouble to Gordon and Marianne; they are committed to ensure that you enjoy your stay and come again.
The Kanga says, "my hotel cooked my fish for dinner; maybe your hotel will do the same for you!"
 

Whakarewarewa, The Thermal Village Tour: Set amidst a landscape of erupting geothermal activity, hot thermal springs and hot bubbling mud pools is the Living Maori village of Whakarewarewa situated in Rotorua, the heart of the North Island. Discover the unique lifestyle and traditions. See the wonders of Mother Nature and learn how the people of Whakarewarewa have come to live in harmony within this unique environment.
The people live surrounded by bubbling mud pools and steaming mineral springs. These pools and springs are used in every day life: hangi meals are cooked in natural steam vents and corn on the cob is cooked in a crystal clear boiling spring. The thermal baths are used by the resident's morning and night, a great way to mix and mingle!
Every boiling mud pool, mineral pool, geyser or steam vent is named after an ancestor, event or incident and are therefore part of the history of the tribe. With understanding and respect for the land, this community has been able to live in close proximity and harmony with the natural creations of Mother Nature.

Geothermal Wonders

Craters of the Moon; clouds of swirling steam.
Close to Taupo and accessible off SH1, Craters of the Moon ('karapiti') is an active geothermal field.  The terrain is filled with exposed steam vents and is constantly shifting, collapsing and reforming, giving an uninhabited appearance.  Thermal mud pools bubble away and plants not normally native to our area thrive in this hot and partly noxious environment.
Boardwalks and pathways have been created to lead spectators safely through the area, making sure the fumes and hot temperatures around the steam vents are no danger to the tourists in this well-visited spot.
The Craters of the Moon started to appear from 1950 as a result of utilizing the underground thermal energy in the Wairakei Valley.  This area used to contain light geothermal activity until the construction of Wairakei Geothermal Power Station, approximately 2000 metres north of the field.  The power station lowered underground water levels and the fumaroles and mud pools became more active.  There was less water to cool the magma and the ground cavity which was previously full of water is now full of high pressure sulphurous steam.
Craters of the Moon is a place you must visit, with its desolate moonscape and clouds of swirling steam.  It is a formidable volcanic example of the inner earth’s fiery inferno bursting forth!

The Mighty Huka Falls; the 1st Wonder of Taupo
This thundering waterfall is one of the most visited and photographed attractions in New Zealand, and for good reason.  The volume of pure water flowing through the rock face of the mighty Waikato River often approaches 220,000 litres per second; this is enough water to fill two Olympic sized swimming pools, per second!  The impressive final stage of the falls is an 11 metre drop.  From the viewing platforms you can see many angles of the falls and even a jet boat taking tourists within a few metres of the bottom.
The name Huka is the Maori word for 'foam', which is appropriate as the falling water and rapids resembles foam.  On a sunny day, the water is an amazing blue and is crystal clear.

The Waikato River, normally up to 100 metres wide, abruptly narrows to just 15 metres as it crosses a hard volcanic ledge.  This, of course, causes a huge volume of water to collide, forming a spectacular visual feast of powerful falls and rapids.  There are many fabulous walks and mountain bike trails just steps from the falls and alongside the Waikato River.  Bring a picnic and spend the day.

Vacation Australia's Kangaroo Kelly will include any tour of your choice in your custom planned itinerary!

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Vacation Australia provides self drive or driver guide luxury coach tours to independent groups.
Ask about our Preferred Partner Aussie Tour Operators for those who wish to join a group

Sparkling or flat water?

It is just over a hundred years since the last major volcanic eruption in the Rotorua region. In 1886 Mount Tarawera literally blew its top, changing the surrounding landscape forever, and destroying the world~famous Pink & White Terraces. Today, you can view the massive crater from the air or by 4wd vehicle. Other areas include violent Tikiteri on the eastern side of Lake Rotorua; weird Waiotapu with its steamy caverns and colorful, fizzy Champagne Lake; and Orakei-Korako, to the south, with its boiling pools and silica terraces, accessible by boat across Lake Ohakuri.

Then there's the contrast of the area's dozen or so tranquil lakes, where you can go boating, swim, sunbathe or just soak up the peacefulness of the idyllic surroundings. Rarely are so many lakes so different from each other, found in such close proximity to each other. If you're an angler, you really should try your hand here, with with a little luck you should enjoying juicy trout for dinner. Local guides can provide boats, tackle and all the advice you need.

A cultural journey

A longtime center of the Maori, who took advantage of the hot springs for cooking and bathing, Rotorua is still the best place to see aspects of their culture, including concerts displaying dancing and singing, replicas of traditional buildings and fortified villages, and Maori arts and crafts.

Another traditional way of cooking was by the hangi - a pit filled with heated stones on which the food was placed, then covered over and steamed. Many of the larger hotels and some marae (Maori tribal meeting places) recapture some of this tradition by providing hangi feasts and concerts of traditional music and dancing.

Adjacent to the Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve, at the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute, you may see highly-skilled Maori carvers at their traditional crafts. Here, you can be sure of buying high-quality genuine artifacts to take back home.

Bubbling with activities

The grand Tudor-style bath house near the lake, adjacent to downtown, had its heyday early this century when thermal spas were fashionable. In the end it fell victim to the corrosive forces of the waters and changing fashions, and now serves as a magnificent local museum, with some fine Maori carving, and art gallery. In the attractive gardens surrounding the bath house are the exotic orchid gardens.

Rarely will you find such a concentration of attractions and activities as in this resort. Some of these include scenic flights, luge riding, tandem parachuting, river rafting, jetboating, fishing, 4WD volcanic safaris, horse riding, bush walks, farm shows, hovershuttles, etc. To get your suggested itinerary including activities and attractions, contact Vacation Australia.

How to get there: from Auckland, Rotorua is three hours drive direct from Auckland, or 45 minutes by plane. Both Mount Cook Airlines and New Zealand fly to Rotorua and coach services provide land transport. Many international chains are located in Rotorua, and there are also many excellent lodges, motels, guest houses, and hostels, as well as camping grounds.

Rotorua Golf

CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND - Waikato

Lying immediately south of Auckland region, the Waikato area is one of the most productive pastoral farming areas of the world. About 78 miles/126 kms south of Auckland lies Hamilton, a city of 149,000 and the main center for the Waikato region. One of the most imposing buildings in Hamilton is the Waikato Museum, which features an impressive collection of Maori artifacts, including a 20 metre war canoe.

The Mississippi of the Maori

A dominant natural feature of this region is the Waikato River, New Zealand's longest (264 miles/ 425 km). It was once an important waterway for Maori canoes and colonial steamboats. Today, some of this history is recaptured at the annual Maori canoe regatta held at Ngaruawahia (Na-rua-wa-hia) each March, and by cruising the park-bordered waterway from Hamilton aboard the M.V. Waipa Delta, a replica of a 110 year-old paddle steamer.

With a wide range of accommodation to suit every pocket, Hamilton is a good base for exploring the small, prosperous towns of the region: Cambridge with its large English trees and craft center; Te Awamutu, renowned for its rose gardens and historic St. John's Anglican Church; Otorohanga, whose zoo boasts the largest walk-through aviary in the Southern Hemisphere, as well as a special kiwi-bird display.

See the gleaming WAITOMO CAVES

Less than 50 miles/80 kms to the south of Hamilton, under rolling farmlands, are the Waitomo Caves with their water-sculpted, lime-stone grottoes. Here you can go cave tubing or slip silently by on a water-borne barge to view the miriad Plow-worms overhead.

THE BAY OF PLENTY - Tauranga

This region, south of the Coromandel Peninsula and northeast of Rotorua, is aptly named. It seems to have it all: benign climate, some of the country's most popular beaches, and an abundance of orchards, especially citrus and kiwifruit; the world's first kiwifruit orchards were developed in the region. The main center, Tauranga, has a large selection of vacation accommodation, both in the city and across the harbor at the beach resort of Mount Maunganui.

If you can drag yourself away from the Mt. Maunganui surf, the Tauranga Historic Village, with many restored 19th~century buildings where crafts people practice ancient skills, provide an interesting insight into how the early European settlers lived.

Further east around the bay, near Whakatane, are more stunning beaches. Out on the horizon you may spot White Island, an active volcano usually identified by its trailing plume of steam. For those really into volcanology, helicopter flights out to the island are available from near Whakatane.

North Palmerston Golf

TAUPO - Champagne Lake, steaming cliffs

An hour's drive south from Rotorua brings you to Taupo, on the northern shore of Lake Taupo. However, it will probably take you longer than an hour to get there, as there are so many sights to see on the way. You might drive into Waiotapu Thermal Reserve to see its moon-like landscape, fizzy Champagne Lake and silica terraces, or to Waimangu with its steaming cliffs and boiling cauldron; or detour to Orakei Korako thermal area.

You will know you are near Wairakei by the clouds of steam billowing above the pines; and you have arrived when suddenly a maze of surrealistic, large silver colored pipes looms into view on each side of the road. These carry natural steam from roaring geothermal bores to an electricity generating station. A short distance down the road is one of New Zealand's premier golf courses and tourist hotels. And at the nearby Wairakei Park the scenic attractions include the Craters of the Moon thermal area, the Huka Falls where the full force of the mighty Waikato River gushes and roars through a narrow crevice, and the spectacular Aratiatia Rapids, also on the Waikato River. For a different perspective of the Huka Falls you can take an exhilarating jetboat ride on the river.

Taupo Golf

Taupo and Tongariro

Taupo is internationally renowned for its rainbow trout fishing, and there are lots of guides and boats available; but most people just enjoy cruising on New Zealand's largest lake (240 square miles), participating in the many water activities, or simply relaxing in one of the North Island's beauty spots.

Turangi, at the southern end of the lake, is another spot famous for trout fishing, and about 2 miles/3 km south, along Highway 1, is a trout hatchery which anglers will find fascinating. It is also a base for white-water rafting on the Tongariro River.

The Tongariro National Park is dominated by the volcanic peaks of Tongariro, Ngaurulroe, and Ruapelm. The highest peak in the North Island, Ruapelur (9,177 ft/2,797 m) has a snowy summit even in summer. It is the site of the North Island's premier ski fields at Whakapapa and Turoa. In summer there's an extensive network of tracks and huts throughout the park to be explored, and many shorter family walks, nature trails and historical Maori sites.

Getting Around

Budget Rental Car Vacation NZ's Preferred Partner

Vacation Australia's "Kangaroo Kelly" has comprehensively travelled both Islands in NZ. He not only knows the popular tourist regions but also knows the favourite places of the crafty locals.

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