Up until last weekend my trips to Rotorua had all been either as a child or with my own children. Last weekend though we went to Rotorua without the kids and found that Rotorua has grown into a sophisticated weekend get away spot. We ate at arguably one of the best restaurants I’ve been to, had massages, swam, strolled through the treetops at night surrounded by David Truebridge lights, paddled in the clearest lake in the world and wandered through giant redwood forests to natural green and blue springs with dancing sand.
Before we left we asked our community on Getting Lost where the best spots were to go in Rotorua without kids and they weren’t short of answers so thanks to everyone who offered suggestions. We tried as many as we could and have a huge list for next time too….
Terrace Kitchen
Thanks Jess, Jan and Sarah for recommending this one. It was probably one of the best restaurants I’ve been to. And the cocktails – amazing!!! Just wish I wasn’t driving and could have had a few more.
The decor (as you’ll see below) is amazing and the food even better – well worth checking out…
The Lakes
Rotorua lays claim to the worlds clearest lake – The Blue Lake and it is spectacular. Clear, blue and oh so warm.
There’s also the majestic Lake Tarawera just down the road…
And if you are you are up for a bit of a hike then Wairere Falls are well worth checking out.
You can find out more about our visit and how to get yourself there over here.
The Millennium Hotel
We used our Sky Perks to get a great deal on a club room at The Millennium Hotel and we loved it!
Retro luxury with it’s own spa for amazing massages, a deep pool and our favourite of all – a child free floor with free drinks in the club room!
It’s a perfect accompaniment to any grown up weekend away in Rotorua and you can read all about our stay and how to make the most of yours over here.
Hamurana Springs
We fell utterly in love with this spot. You’ll wander through towering Redwoods flanked by emerald green and topaz blue waters until you find the springs and the dancing sand.
Throw your coin in with the others dating over 70 years and watch as they dance in the water. It’s well worth venturing to the other side of the lake for and all the details (and loads more pictures) from our trip are over here…
The Redwoods treetop walk
So many people recommended that we check out this amazing walk at night and we are so glad that we did. It is truly spectacular.
The walk is a series of suspension bridges spanning these towering redwood trees so you are literally walking in the tree tops.
Hanging all around you are Truebridge lights – it feels like something out of a fairytale.
You can read all about our visit over here…
Thanks to you all
Thank you so much for all your amazing suggestions over on the Getting Lost Facebook page – we read every one of them and we’ve got so many more in the bank for our next trip.
For families, Rotorua is still an amazing spot to visit…. It has all the things we’ve always loved – the luge rides, the endless hot pools, lions, log flumes and all the other massively fun things you can do with a family in Rotorua. It also has one of the only Cobb and Co’s left in NZ which in itself is a reason to visit I reckon. We’ll be heading back soon with the kids in tow so stay tuned for some more blogs on what to do with the kids in Rotorua but in the mean time don’t discount it as a seriously awesome grown up’s escape.