Rotorua with kids

We’re just back from a few days in Rotorua - an awesome trip, which came about because my old friend Tracey decided to get married on a lake just outside town and invited us up for the wedding.

We've always wanted to take the kids to Rotorua but it's just that little bit too far from Wellington so it hadn't yet happened, until Tracey's wedding gave us the perfect excuse. The 5 and a half hour drive went well, thanks to a number of Roald Dahl story tapes and regular food stops along the way. And we managed to combine the wedding with a few days holiday (as well as a meeting with a potential new client for me too), so all in all we achieved good value for our money/time!

The wedding was just gorgeous. Our friends had hired a bach on the lakeside, and (very flatteringly!) had modelled their day on our own wedding last year – so it was a relaxed, outdoorsy day with a small-ish group of family and friends. There was a trampoline and swing for the kids and after they’d had enough of that, Alfie went wild on the jetty terrorising the black swans, and Molly went wild on the dance floor learning how to dance rock’n’roll style (!) 

Anyway, congratulations Tracey and Steve on a fantastic day!

Aside from the wedding, we had a brilliant time showing the kids what Rotorua is all about. Alfie had a few moments of frustration on arrival because it was "too stinky" for him, but he got used to it and both of them were so excited about everything we saw. 

The hot pools at the Polynesian Spa were a huge hit - there's a dedicated family area where you don't have to worry about disturbing the peace, and where it's safe for the kids to put their heads under water (and they also hire out togs for those mums who pack everyone else's but forget to bring their own). Needless to say we spent a long time there! 

We also spent ages at Te Puia , somewhere I haven't been for years. The cost for a family to get in almost made us collapse, but there's no way you can go to Rotorua and NOT visit one of the geothermal / Maori cultural areas, and once we realised how much value for money we were getting at Te Puia, we were able to put the lost dollar signs out of our minds (!) and enjoy it all. 

We gave the kids maps and they excitedly led us around the bubbling mud pools and steaming rocks and an erupting geyser - it was all very magical and exciting for them.

We also caught a Maori cultural performance, where Molly was persuaded out of the audience and up the front on stage to learn a poi dance. Her look of pure terror was quickly replaced by absolute relief when she realised they were about to be taught a song that she performs at school regularly (E rere taku poi, ki runga, etc) and as all the other stage volunteers were from China she had a major head start. I'm afraid I compensated with my own look of pure terror when the Chinese tourists began grabbing her for photos afterwards, and I quickly shuffled her away. 

For the remainder of the holiday we enjoyed spending time by the lakes and at our bach. We managed to score the most amazing bach by one of the lakes, which had window seats framed with stunning views - I so wish we could have spent more time there. Just outside town  there are some really lovely spots that are missed by a lot of the people who come on the regular tourist trail.  The lakes and forest are stunning, especially for those who like tramping, mountain biking, swimming and other water sports.....like paddling for example! 

 But it's also great for people who just want to relax. Alfie found a good spot to relax with a book in the window seat...he kept on getting there first and I had to fight him for it a few times!

And we all found a relaxing spot in a bar next to Lake Tarawera....!