Rotorua
Encyclopedia
Rotorua is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name
, in the Bay of Plenty
region of the North Island
of New Zealand
. The city is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority
encompassing the city and several other nearby towns. Rotorua city has an estimated permanent population of , with the Rotorua district having a total estimated population of . The city is in the heart of the North Island, just 60 kilometres (37.3 mi) south of Tauranga
, 80 kilometres (49.7 mi) north of Taupo
, 105 kilometres (65.2 mi) east of Hamilton
, and 230 kilometres (142.9 mi) southeast of Auckland
.
Rotorua is a major destination for both domestic and international tourists; the tourism industry is by far the largest industry in the district. The city is known for its geothermal activity, and features geyser
s – notably the Pohutu Geyser
at Whakarewarewa
– and hot mud pools. This thermal activity is sourced to the Rotorua caldera
, on which the city lies. Rotorua is home to the Waiariki Institute of Technology
.
, the full name being Te Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe; roto means lake and rua two – Rotorua thus meaning 'Second lake'. Kahumatamomoe
was the uncle of the Māori chief Ihenga, the ancestral explorer of the Te Arawa
. It was the second major lake the chief discovered, and he dedicated it to his uncle. It is the largest of a multitude found to the northeast of the city, all connected with the Rotorua Caldera and nearby Mount Tarawera
. The name can also mean the equally appropriate 'crater lake'.
The area was initially settled by Māori of the Te Arawa
iwi
. The first European in the area was probably Phillip Tapsell who was trading from the Bay of Plenty
coast at Maketu
from 1828. He later married into Te Arawa
and became highly regarded by them. Missionaries Henry Williams
and Thomas Chapman visited in 1831 and Chapman and his wife established a mission at Te Koutu in 1835. This was abandoned within a year but Chapman returned in 1838 and established a second mission at Mokoia Island
.
The lakeshore was a prominent site of skirmishes during the New Zealand Wars of the 1860s. A "special town district" was created in the 1883, in order to promote Rotorua's potential as a spa destination
. The town was connected to Auckland with the opening of the Rotorua Branch
railway and commencement of the Rotorua Express
train in 1894, resulting in the rapid growth of the town and tourism from this time forward. Rotorua was established as a borough in 1922 and declared a city in 1962 before becoming a District in 1979.
Thermal activity is at the heart of much of Rotorua's tourist appeal. Geyser
s and bubbling mud-pools, hot thermal springs and the Buried Village (Te Wairoa
) —so named after it was buried by the 1886 Mount Tarawera
eruption— are within easy reach of the city.
In Kuirau Park, to the west end of the central city, hot bubbling mud pools dot the park. Visitors can soak their feet in hot pools.
Rotorua has the nickname Sulphur City, because of the hydrogen sulphide emissions, which gives the city a “rotten eggs” smell, as well as rotten-rua combining its legitimate name and the rotten smell the city gives.
The especially pungent smell in the central-east ‘Te Ngae’ area is due to the dense sulphur deposits located next to the southern boundary of the Government Gardens
, in the area known as ‘Sulphur Point’.
Another of Rotorua's attractions is mountain biking
. Whakarewarewa Forest has been described as 'the Disneyland of mountain biking' and includes mountain bike trails, where the UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships were held in August 2006.
5
, 30
, and 30A
, and the Thermal Explorer Highway touring route, with State Highways 33 and 36 terminating on the outskirts of the city.
State Highway 5, running concurrently with the Thermal Explorer Highway, is the main north-south route through Rotorua, bypassing the city centre to the west. North of the city at Ngongotaha, State Highway 36 splits off to provide a route to Tauranga
via Pyes Pa, while State Highway 5 turns westward, connecting to State Highway 1 at Tirau
and providing the main route into Rotorua from Hamilton
and Auckland
. To the south, State Highway 5 provides the main route into the city from Taupo
, Hawke's Bay
, Manawatu, and Wellington
.
State Highway 30 runs southwest to northeast through the city. The route from Tokoroa
, Waitomo Caves
and Taranaki enters the city in the southwest (running concurrently with State Highway 5), before crossing the southern suburbs to the shore of Lake Rotorua east of the city centre. It then runs through the suburb of Te Ngae, before spliting off State Highway 33 to provide an eastern route to Tauranga via Te Puke
. State Highway 30 then turns eastwards, and connects to the eastern Bay of Plenty, and the Gisborne
region.
State Highway 30A runs northwest to southeast, connecting State Highways 5 and 30 with each other via the city centre.
provides daily turbo-prop flights between Rotorua and Auckland, Wellington
, and Christchurch
airports, with a daily 737
flight between Rotorua and Christchurch in the summer months. Previously Qantas
also operated a Boeing 737 on the same route, but upon their departure from domestic flights in New Zealand this was discontinued.
Work has been completed to increase the main runway length to allow direct Airbus A320
flights to and from Australia
. Air New Zealand
has commenced direct flights to Sydney
; interest in other routes has come from Jetstar, who have been considering Brisbane
or the Gold Coast
as possible routes.
from Putaruru
. Until 2001, passenger trains ran from Auckland to Rotorua via Hamilton daily, terminating north of the city centre at Koutu (the original station, at the corner of Fenton and Amohau Streets, was closed in 1989). However, owing to the increase of road freight and private transport, and the fact the station is a 15-minute walk from the city centre, the passenger services stopped in October 2001. The line is currently disused.
, which provides a range of Certificate, Diploma and a limited number of degree-level programmes. The largest programmes on offer are nursing
, forestry
, business
, computing
, tourism
and hospitality
. Waiariki Institute of Technology is the largest tertiary education institution in New Zealand outside of the University towns and cities.
Chapman College is a Christian school (similar to Tauranga's Bethlehem College
) which currently offers primary (years 0-6), intermediate (years 7-8) as well as secondary education up to Year 10 but intends to move into full secondary education in the future. Rotorua also has two Kura Kaupapa Maori (Te Reo Maori-medium) schools which serve the full primary and secondary school years (Years 0-13).
: Klamath Falls, Oregon
, US
Beppu, Kyūshū
, Japan
Lake Macquarie, New South Wales
, Australia
Wuzhong
, Suzhou
, China
Lake Rotorua
Lake Rotorua is the second largest lake in the North Island of New Zealand by surface area, and covers 79.8km2. With a mean depth of only 10 metres it is considerably smaller than nearby Lake Tarawera in terms of volume of water. It is located in the Bay of Plenty region...
, in the Bay of Plenty
Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty , often abbreviated to BOP, is a region in the North Island of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name...
region of the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The city is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority
Territorial authorities of New Zealand
Territorial authorities are the second tier of local government in New Zealand, below regional councils. There are 67 territorial authorities: 13 city councils, 53 district councils, and the Chatham Islands Council...
encompassing the city and several other nearby towns. Rotorua city has an estimated permanent population of , with the Rotorua district having a total estimated population of . The city is in the heart of the North Island, just 60 kilometres (37.3 mi) south of Tauranga
Tauranga
Tauranga is the most populous city in the Bay of Plenty region, in the North Island of New Zealand.It was settled by Europeans in the early 19th century and was constituted as a city in 1963...
, 80 kilometres (49.7 mi) north of Taupo
Taupo
Taupo is a town on the shore of Lake Taupo in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand. It is the seat of the Taupo District Council and lies in the southern Waikato Region....
, 105 kilometres (65.2 mi) east of Hamilton
Hamilton, New Zealand
Hamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
, and 230 kilometres (142.9 mi) southeast of Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
.
Rotorua is a major destination for both domestic and international tourists; the tourism industry is by far the largest industry in the district. The city is known for its geothermal activity, and features geyser
Geyser
A geyser is a spring characterized by intermittent discharge of water ejected turbulently and accompanied by a vapour phase . The word geyser comes from Geysir, the name of an erupting spring at Haukadalur, Iceland; that name, in turn, comes from the Icelandic verb geysa, "to gush", the verb...
s – notably the Pohutu Geyser
Pohutu Geyser
Pohutu Geyser is a geyser in the Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley, Rotorua. Pohutu means "big splash" or "explosion."The main geyser of the area, it spurts up to twenty times per day and can reach heights of up to 100 feet ....
at Whakarewarewa
Whakarewarewa
Whakarewarewa is a geothermal area within Rotorua city in the Taupo Volcanic Zone of New Zealand...
– and hot mud pools. This thermal activity is sourced to the Rotorua caldera
Rotorua Caldera
The Rotorua Caldera is one of several large volcanoes located in the Taupo Volcanic Zone on the North Island of New Zealand. Its last major eruption was about 240,000 years ago. At this time, the Mamaku ignimbrite, covering about 4000 square km, was deposited. After the eruption, the magma...
, on which the city lies. Rotorua is home to the Waiariki Institute of Technology
Waiariki Institute of Technology
Waiariki Institute of Technology, based in Rotorua, is one of the largest tertiary institutes outside the university centres in New Zealand. Originally developed as a centre for adult and trades education, the institute began to offer bachelor degree courses in the early 1990s.- Location :The main...
.
History
The name Rotorua comes from MāoriMaori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
, the full name being Te Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe; roto means lake and rua two – Rotorua thus meaning 'Second lake'. Kahumatamomoe
Kahumatamomoe
Kahumatamomoe is an early Maori explorer. He travelled with his nephew Ihenga from Rotorua to Kaipara Harbour and then alone around the Coromandel Peninsula and back to Rotorua. Lake Rotoruas full name is Te Rotoruanui-a-Kahumatamomoe and was named by Ihenga to honour his uncle....
was the uncle of the Māori chief Ihenga, the ancestral explorer of the Te Arawa
Te Arawa
Te Arawa is a confederation of Māori iwi and hapu based in the Rotorua and Bay of Plenty areas of New Zealand, with a population of around 40,000.The history of the Te Arawa people is inextricably linked to the Arawa canoe...
. It was the second major lake the chief discovered, and he dedicated it to his uncle. It is the largest of a multitude found to the northeast of the city, all connected with the Rotorua Caldera and nearby Mount Tarawera
Mount Tarawera
Mount Tarawera is the volcano responsible for New Zealand's largest historic eruption. Located 24 kilometres southeast of Rotorua in the North Island, it consists of a series of rhyolitic lava domes that were fissured down the middle by an explosive basaltic eruption in 1886, which killed over...
. The name can also mean the equally appropriate 'crater lake'.
The area was initially settled by Māori of the Te Arawa
Te Arawa
Te Arawa is a confederation of Māori iwi and hapu based in the Rotorua and Bay of Plenty areas of New Zealand, with a population of around 40,000.The history of the Te Arawa people is inextricably linked to the Arawa canoe...
iwi
Iwi
In New Zealand society, iwi form the largest everyday social units in Māori culture. The word iwi means "'peoples' or 'nations'. In "the work of European writers which treat iwi and hapū as parts of a hierarchical structure", it has been used to mean "tribe" , or confederation of tribes,...
. The first European in the area was probably Phillip Tapsell who was trading from the Bay of Plenty
Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty , often abbreviated to BOP, is a region in the North Island of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name...
coast at Maketu
Maketu
Maketu is a small town on the Bay of Plenty Coast in New Zealand. It is located on Okurei point and has an estuary from which the Kaituna River used to flow out of, it is also adjacent to Newdicks Beach located on the south eastern side of Okurei point. The name is sometimes informally abbreviated...
from 1828. He later married into Te Arawa
Te Arawa
Te Arawa is a confederation of Māori iwi and hapu based in the Rotorua and Bay of Plenty areas of New Zealand, with a population of around 40,000.The history of the Te Arawa people is inextricably linked to the Arawa canoe...
and became highly regarded by them. Missionaries Henry Williams
Henry Williams (missionary)
Henry Williams was one of the first missionaries who went to New Zealand in the first half of the 19th century....
and Thomas Chapman visited in 1831 and Chapman and his wife established a mission at Te Koutu in 1835. This was abandoned within a year but Chapman returned in 1838 and established a second mission at Mokoia Island
Mokoia Island
Mokoia Island is located in Lake Rotorua in New Zealand. It has an area of 1.35 square kilometres. The island is a rhyolite lava dome, rising to 180 metres above the lake surface. It erupted after the Rotorua caldera was formed, tapping a different magma source...
.
The lakeshore was a prominent site of skirmishes during the New Zealand Wars of the 1860s. A "special town district" was created in the 1883, in order to promote Rotorua's potential as a spa destination
Polynesian Spa
Polynesian Spa is a developed geothermal spa facility in Rotorua, North Island, New Zealand.Local Māori acclaimed the therapeutic benefits of the water and bathed for centuries in the acidic pool 'Te Pupunitanga', now called Priest’s Bath...
. The town was connected to Auckland with the opening of the Rotorua Branch
Rotorua Branch
The Rotorua Branch is a railway line from Putaruru to Rotorua, in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions of the North Island of New Zealand. Construction of the line was commenced by the Thames Valley and Rotorua Railway Company and finished by the Public Works Department...
railway and commencement of the Rotorua Express
Rotorua Express
The Rotorua Express was a passenger express train operated by the New Zealand Railways Department between Auckland and Rotorua. It operated from 1894 until 1959 and was known as the Rotorua Limited between 1930 and 1937....
train in 1894, resulting in the rapid growth of the town and tourism from this time forward. Rotorua was established as a borough in 1922 and declared a city in 1962 before becoming a District in 1979.
 |
 |
Climate
Geothermal areas
Geyser
A geyser is a spring characterized by intermittent discharge of water ejected turbulently and accompanied by a vapour phase . The word geyser comes from Geysir, the name of an erupting spring at Haukadalur, Iceland; that name, in turn, comes from the Icelandic verb geysa, "to gush", the verb...
s and bubbling mud-pools, hot thermal springs and the Buried Village (Te Wairoa
Te Wairoa
Te Wairoa, also known as The Buried Village is located close to the shore of Lake Tarawera in New Zealand's North Island. It was a Māori and European settlement where visitors would stay on their way to visit the Pink and White Terraces. The village was destroyed by the eruption of the volcano...
) —so named after it was buried by the 1886 Mount Tarawera
Mount Tarawera
Mount Tarawera is the volcano responsible for New Zealand's largest historic eruption. Located 24 kilometres southeast of Rotorua in the North Island, it consists of a series of rhyolitic lava domes that were fissured down the middle by an explosive basaltic eruption in 1886, which killed over...
eruption— are within easy reach of the city.
In Kuirau Park, to the west end of the central city, hot bubbling mud pools dot the park. Visitors can soak their feet in hot pools.
Rotorua has the nickname Sulphur City, because of the hydrogen sulphide emissions, which gives the city a “rotten eggs” smell, as well as rotten-rua combining its legitimate name and the rotten smell the city gives.
The especially pungent smell in the central-east ‘Te Ngae’ area is due to the dense sulphur deposits located next to the southern boundary of the Government Gardens
Government Gardens
Government Gardens is a public park, partly laid out as gardens, located by Lake Rotorua in central Rotorua, Bay of Plenty, North Island, New Zealand.- Facilities :...
, in the area known as ‘Sulphur Point’.
Lakes
The Rotorua region has 17 lakes. Fishing, waterskiing, swimming and other water activities are popular in summer. The lakes are also used for event venues; Rotorua hosted the 2007 World Waterski Championships and Lake Rotorua was the venue for the World Blind Sailing Championships in March 2009. Lake Rotorua is also used as a departure and landing point for float planes.Other activities
Rotorua is also home to botanical gardens and historic architecture. Known as a spa town and major tourist resort since the 1800s, many of its buildings hint at this history. Government Gardens, close to the lakeshore at the eastern end of the town, are a particular point of pride.Another of Rotorua's attractions is mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
. Whakarewarewa Forest has been described as 'the Disneyland of mountain biking' and includes mountain bike trails, where the UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships were held in August 2006.
Road
Rotorua is served by State HighwaysNew Zealand State Highway network
The New Zealand State Highway network is the major national highway network in New Zealand. Just under 100 roads in both the North and South Islands are State Highways...
5
New Zealand State Highway 5
State Highway 5 is the second shortest of New Zealand's eight national highways. It extends from SH 1 at Tirau, on the plains of the Waikato River to SH 2 close to the Hawke Bay coast at Bay View, 10 km north of Napier...
, 30
New Zealand State Highway 30
State Highway 30 is a New Zealand State Highway, linking the Waikato and Bay of Plenty towns of Te Kuiti, Mangakino, Rotorua, and Whakatane....
, and 30A
New Zealand State Highway 30
State Highway 30 is a New Zealand State Highway, linking the Waikato and Bay of Plenty towns of Te Kuiti, Mangakino, Rotorua, and Whakatane....
, and the Thermal Explorer Highway touring route, with State Highways 33 and 36 terminating on the outskirts of the city.
State Highway 5, running concurrently with the Thermal Explorer Highway, is the main north-south route through Rotorua, bypassing the city centre to the west. North of the city at Ngongotaha, State Highway 36 splits off to provide a route to Tauranga
Tauranga
Tauranga is the most populous city in the Bay of Plenty region, in the North Island of New Zealand.It was settled by Europeans in the early 19th century and was constituted as a city in 1963...
via Pyes Pa, while State Highway 5 turns westward, connecting to State Highway 1 at Tirau
Tirau
Tirau is a small town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand, 50 kilometres southeast of Hamilton. The town has a population of 732 . Tirau is primarily a farming town but in recent years has begun to exploit the income that comes from being on a major road...
and providing the main route into Rotorua from Hamilton
Hamilton, New Zealand
Hamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
and Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
. To the south, State Highway 5 provides the main route into the city from Taupo
Taupo
Taupo is a town on the shore of Lake Taupo in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand. It is the seat of the Taupo District Council and lies in the southern Waikato Region....
, Hawke's Bay
Hawke's Bay
Hawke's Bay is a region of New Zealand. Hawke's Bay is recognised on the world stage for its award-winning wines. The regional council sits in both the cities of Napier and Hastings.-Geography:...
, Manawatu, and Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
.
State Highway 30 runs southwest to northeast through the city. The route from Tokoroa
Tokoroa
Tokoroa is the third-largest town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand and largest settlement in the South Waikato district. Located 30 km southwest of Rotorua, close to the foot of the Mamaku Ranges, it is mid-way between Taupo and Hamilton on State Highway One...
, Waitomo Caves
Waitomo Caves
The Waitomo Caves are a village and cave system forming a major tourist attraction in the southern Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand, 12 kilometres northwest of Te Kuiti. The community of Waitomo Caves itself is very small, though the village has many temporary service workers...
and Taranaki enters the city in the southwest (running concurrently with State Highway 5), before crossing the southern suburbs to the shore of Lake Rotorua east of the city centre. It then runs through the suburb of Te Ngae, before spliting off State Highway 33 to provide an eastern route to Tauranga via Te Puke
Te Puke
Te Puke is a town located 28 kilometres southeast of Tauranga in the Western Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand. It is particularly famous for the cultivation of kiwifruit...
. State Highway 30 then turns eastwards, and connects to the eastern Bay of Plenty, and the Gisborne
Gisborne, New Zealand
-Economy:The harbour was host to many ships in the past and had developed as a river port to provide a more secure location for shipping compared with the open roadstead of Poverty Bay which can be exposed to southerly swells. A meat works was sited beside the harbour and meat and wool was shipped...
region.
State Highway 30A runs northwest to southeast, connecting State Highways 5 and 30 with each other via the city centre.
Air
Rotorua International Airport is located 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) northeast of the city centre, off State Highway 30. Air New ZealandAir New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited is the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, and is...
provides daily turbo-prop flights between Rotorua and Auckland, Wellington
Wellington International Airport
Wellington International Airport is an international airport located in the suburb of Rongotai in Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. It is a secondary hub and focus city for Air New Zealand and its subsidiaries...
, and Christchurch
Christchurch International Airport
-Facts & figures:As the gateway for Christchurch and the South Island, Christchurch International Airport is New Zealand’s second largest airport.5,908,077 passengers travelled in and out of Christchurch International Airport from 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009...
airports, with a daily 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
flight between Rotorua and Christchurch in the summer months. Previously Qantas
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
also operated a Boeing 737 on the same route, but upon their departure from domestic flights in New Zealand this was discontinued.
Work has been completed to increase the main runway length to allow direct Airbus A320
Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
flights to and from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited is the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, and is...
has commenced direct flights to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
; interest in other routes has come from Jetstar, who have been considering Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
or the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
as possible routes.
Rail
Rotorua is connected to the rail network by the Rotorua BranchRotorua Branch
The Rotorua Branch is a railway line from Putaruru to Rotorua, in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions of the North Island of New Zealand. Construction of the line was commenced by the Thames Valley and Rotorua Railway Company and finished by the Public Works Department...
from Putaruru
Putaruru
Putaruru is a small town in the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It is on the Oraka River 65 kilometres south-east of Hamilton....
. Until 2001, passenger trains ran from Auckland to Rotorua via Hamilton daily, terminating north of the city centre at Koutu (the original station, at the corner of Fenton and Amohau Streets, was closed in 1989). However, owing to the increase of road freight and private transport, and the fact the station is a 15-minute walk from the city centre, the passenger services stopped in October 2001. The line is currently disused.
Tertiary
Rotorua is home to the main campus of Waiariki Institute of TechnologyWaiariki Institute of Technology
Waiariki Institute of Technology, based in Rotorua, is one of the largest tertiary institutes outside the university centres in New Zealand. Originally developed as a centre for adult and trades education, the institute began to offer bachelor degree courses in the early 1990s.- Location :The main...
, which provides a range of Certificate, Diploma and a limited number of degree-level programmes. The largest programmes on offer are nursing
Nursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....
, forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
, business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
, computing
Computing
Computing is usually defined as the activity of using and improving computer hardware and software. It is the computer-specific part of information technology...
, tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
and hospitality
Hospitality
Hospitality is the relationship between guest and host, or the act or practice of being hospitable. Specifically, this includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers, resorts, membership clubs, conventions, attractions, special events, and other services for travelers...
. Waiariki Institute of Technology is the largest tertiary education institution in New Zealand outside of the University towns and cities.
Secondary
Rotorua has five secondary schools:- John Paul CollegeJohn Paul College, RotoruaJohn Paul College is a secondary school in Rotorua, New Zealand. It caters for year 7 to 13 boys and girls and offers a Catholic education to its students. It was opened in 1987 and combined two existing schools, Edmund Rice College and MacKillop College . The school was founded to serve the...
, a co-educational, state-integrated Catholic school for Years 7-13 with about 1000 students - Rotorua Boys' High SchoolRotorua Boys' High SchoolRotorua Boys' High School is a state school educating boys from Year 9 to Year 13. It is situated just outside of the Rotorua CBD at the intersection of Old Taupo Road and Pukuatua Street in Rotorua, New Zealand....
, a state boys school for Years 9-13 with about 900 students - Rotorua Girls' High SchoolRotorua Girls' High SchoolRotorua Girls' High School is a state school educating girls from Year 9 to Year 13, located in Rotorua, New Zealand.- History :Rotorua Girls' High School was formed in 1959 after Rotorua High School, founded in 1927, was divided into Rotorua Boys' High School and Rotorua Girls'...
, a state girls school for Years 9-13 with about 950 students - Rotorua Lakes High SchoolRotorua Lakes High SchoolRotorua Lakes High School, commonly known as Lakes High, or simply Lakes is a state school educating boys and girls from Year 9 to Year 13...
serving the eastern suburbs. A co-educational state school for Years 9-13 with about 650 students - Western Heights High SchoolWestern Heights High SchoolWestern Heights High School is a high school situated in Rotorua, New Zealand.Heights is the largest co-ed school in Rotorua. Also, Cambridge International Examinations are offered as well as NCEA. WHHS was the 7th school in NCEA for 2005 for all of New Zealand...
serving the western suburbs. A co-educational state school for Years 9-13 with about 1500 students
Chapman College is a Christian school (similar to Tauranga's Bethlehem College
Bethlehem Campus
Bethlehem Campus is a campus in Tauranga, New Zealand which contains several Christian educational institutions, including:* Bethlehem College...
) which currently offers primary (years 0-6), intermediate (years 7-8) as well as secondary education up to Year 10 but intends to move into full secondary education in the future. Rotorua also has two Kura Kaupapa Maori (Te Reo Maori-medium) schools which serve the full primary and secondary school years (Years 0-13).
Famous people
- Jean BattenJean BattenJean Gardner Batten CBE OSC was a New Zealand aviatrix. Born in Rotorua, she became the best-known New Zealander of the 1930s, internationally, by taking a number of record-breaking solo flights across the world....
, Aviatrix - Sam BewleySam BewleySam Bewley is a New Zealand racing cyclist for UCI ProTeam .At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Bewley won the bronze medal as part of the New Zealand team in team pursuit, together with Hayden Roulston, Marc Ryan, and Jesse Sergent...
, Olympic cyclist - Cliff CurtisCliff CurtisClifford Vivian Devon "Cliff" Curtis is a New Zealand actor who has had major roles in film, including The Piano, Whale Rider, and Blow, and most recently has appeared in NBC's television series Trauma. He is also co-owner of independent film production company Whenua Films...
, Actor - Julian DeanJulian DeanJulian Dean is a road racing cyclist who rides for . Dean rode in the 2008 Tour de France, 2007 Tour de France, 2006 Tour de France and the 2004 Tour de France, finishing all four times. In 2008, he finished 9th in the points classification...
, Road racing cyclist - Dame Susan DevoySusan DevoyDame Susan Elizabeth Anne Devoy, DNZM, CBE is a New Zealand squash player who dominated the sport in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She won the World Open on four occasions.-Playing career:...
, Squash player - Alan DuffAlan DuffAlan Duff is a New Zealand novelist and newspaper columnist, most well known as the author of Once Were Warriors.- Biography :...
, Writer - Bevan Hari, Hockey player
- Tame ItiTame ItiTāme Wairere Iti has become well known in New Zealand as a Tūhoe Māori activist.- Early life :Born on a train near Rotorua, Tame Iti grew up with his grandparents in the custom known as whāngai on a farm near Ruatoki in the Urewera area of New Zealand...
, Maori activist - David KosoofDavid KosoofDavid William Kosoof is a field hockey striker from New Zealand, who finished in sixth position with the Men's National Team, nicknamed Black Sticks, at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece....
, Olympic hockey player - Danny LeeDanny LeeDanny Lee Sau-Yin is a Hong Kong actor, film producer, screenwriter, director, action director and presenter. He is best known for frequently portraying Hong Kong police officers in films such as Law With Two Phases, The Killer and The Untold Story.-Background:Lee did not do so well in school and...
, Professional golfer - Dennis ListDennis ListDennis List was a New Zealand poet, editor and novelist.List was born in Wellington to a professional family whose name was originally Liszt but grew up in Rotorua. He became a student at Victoria University of Wellington in 1964 and quickly gained prominence as a writer and editor...
, Poet and writer - Todd McClayTodd McClayTodd Michael McClay is a New Zealand politician and former ambassador. He was formerly an ambassador for the Cook Islands and Niue to the European Union, and is presently the representative for Rotorua in the 49th New Zealand Parliament.- Early life :Todd McClay was born in Rotorua on 22 November...
, Politician - Tony Marsh, Rugby union player (for French national team)
- Elizabeth MarvellyElizabeth MarvellyElizabeth Lillian Marvelly , is a soprano from Rotorua, New Zealand. Marvelly was a scholarship student at King's College, Auckland in 2007.-Debut Album:...
, Soprano - Liam MessamLiam MessamLiam Messam is a rugby union player who plays for Waikato in the ITM Cup and for the Chiefs in Super Rugby. He has also played for the New Zealand Maori in the 2006 Churchill Cup and was in the New Zealand sevens team that won gold at the 2006 Commonwealth Games...
, Rugby Union player (for Waikato and NZ) - Sir Howard Morrison, Entertainer
- Temuera MorrisonTemuera MorrisonTemuera Derek Morrison is a New Zealand-born actor. He has become one of the country's most famous stars for his roles as the abusive Jake "the Muss" Heke in 1994's Once Were Warriors and as bounty hunter Jango Fett and the Clone Troopers in the Star Wars series...
, Actor - Wayne "Buck" ShelfordWayne ShelfordWayne Thomas "Buck" Shelford is a New Zealand former rugby union footballer and coach who represented and captained New Zealand in the late 1980s...
, Former All Black - Miriama SmithMiriama SmithMiriama Te Rangimarie Smith is a New Zealand film and television actress who has played roles in various TV shows such as Xena: Warrior Princess, Karaoke High and Shortland Street...
, Actress - Sir Peter Tapsell, Politician
- Valerie ViliValerie ViliValerie Kasanita Adams , ONZM is a shot putter from New Zealand. She is the reigning Olympic, world and Commonwealth champion...
, Olympic shot putter - Jared Waerea-HargreavesJared Waerea-HargreavesJared Waerea-Hargreaves is a rugby league player currently with the Sydney Roosters in the NRL. He plays in the second-row.-Early years:Waerea-Hargreaves first made a name for himself playing schoolboy rugby union at Iona College in Queensland, through some impressive performances in the AIC...
, Rugby league player (for Sydney) - Craig NewbyCraig NewbyCraig Newby is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He currently plays for Leicester Tigers in the Aviva Premiership....
, All Black
Sister cities
Rotorua has four sister citiesTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
: Klamath Falls, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Beppu, Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
Lake Macquarie, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
Wuzhong
Wuzhong District
Wuzhong District is a district of Suzhou. It has a land area of 770 km² and a population of 590,000 as of 2001.-External links:...
, Suzhou
Suzhou
Suzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
Mayors
- CH Clinkard 1923–1927
- T McDowell 1927–1928
- JN McLean 1929
- T Jackson 1929–1941
- HD Dansey 1941–1942
- PA Kusabs 1942–1947
- AF Moncur 1947–1953
- AM Linton 1953–1971
- R Boord 1971–1977
- TR Woolliams 1977–1979
- John Keaney 1979–1993
- Grahame Hall 1993–2004
- K Winters 2004–Present