Rotorua
Rotorua is known for bubbling mud pools, geysers, natural hot springs, and a fascinating Maori culture. The central North Island of New Zealand is also home to some of the best trout fishing New Zealand has to offer.
Cruise and Fish offer options to relax and take in the scenic beauty of Lake Tarawera, from it’s famous rainbow trout fishery, to a soak in the warm waters of Te Rata Bay, a hike on the Tarawera Trail, Tarawera Falls walk or the short hike to view Lake Rotomahana.
If you have a special event or require special arrangements please contact us as we would love to make it that much more special. We look forward to being of service to you and providing a great experience on Lake Tarawera.
Rainbow trout fishery
Lake Tarawera’s rainbow trout are so prized, Fish and Game NZ use them for selective breeding at the Ngongotaha Trout Hatchery. These trout grow so big, so fast, they are used to boost the stocks and improve the gene pool of lakes throughout Rotorua and other parts of New Zealand.
Birthplace of Maori Tourism
Lake Tarawera is only 15 minutes drive from Rotorua City centre and the area around Mount Tarawera is one of New Zealand’s unique places to visit with spectacular views of native New Zealand forest right to the waters edge. The lake is 41.6 square kilometres, has an average depth of 50m and was formed about 5000 years ago. Rotorua was probably the birthplace of New Zealand Tourism and the Pink and White Terraces were one of the first places for Maori ventures into tourism. The famed terraces, once rated the eighth natural wonder of the world, were on Lake Rotomahana and the crossing on Lake Tarawera was the main way of getting to and from the terraces. These were buried in the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera. Today we can only look at the images captured in paintings and photos and only imagine what their splendour must have been.
The main attraction today is Te Rata Bay and is commonly called Hot Water Beach and is not to be confused with the one on the Coromandel Peninsular with no need to wait for low tide and is where you find natural hot water springs bubbling up on the lake edge, sand and springs so hot you can cook in it and pools warm enough to soak and relax in. Another ‘to do’ walks is the Tarawera Trail, accessed near the Buried Village (Te Wairoa) it ends for the time being at Te Rata Bay DOC camp with plans to extend it around the lake. There are walks to view the Tarawera Falls and Lake Rotomahana. Lake Tarawera has a water taxi service for those wanting to access these quickly without the Cruise and Fish experiences operated by Totally Tarawera.
Places to see on the way from Rotorua city out to Lake Tarawera are the Blue (Tikitapu) and Green (Rotokakahi) Lake’s, Buried Village and Cafe for a look at pre and post eruption way of life evolved around the terraces, museum and a great cafe. The Landing Cafe serves a great coffee and temps taste buds for morning teas to delicious meals on the lake edge at The Landing (Punaromia).
Accommodation
Accommodation at Lake Tarawera ranges from one of Rotorua’s famous lodges, nestled on a peninsula with amazing panoramic views is Solitaire Lodge. It is a luxury experience and is owner hosted with stunning views and everything you would expect of a top quality Luxury Lodges of NZ Property. We have the privilege of looking after some of their guests. Please check out their packages that include time with us and other fabulous experiences.
There are numerous self contained accommodation to rent on sites like AirBNB, Holiday Homes, Bachcare, but our favourite is Tarawera Holiday Homes with a great selection of Lake Tarawera properties to choose from. If you have a desire to stay in Rotorua there is no shortage of places to stay, among these in the luxury and holiday home market is Tihi Retreat. It is run by Steve Perrett and offers stunning views of Rotorua City, surrounding forest and farmland. This makes you within 5 minutes of the town centre and all the other attractions unique to Rotorua. For more on these check the local websites of Rotorua NZ and Tourism New Zealand - Rotorua.
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