Rollin’ into Rotorua was a greeting I will never forget. We were jammin’ in Fiona the Fiat, windows down, soaking in the views when all of a sudden it started to smell like eggs, or, to be technically correct, sulfur.

Lovely.

This town in the heart of New Zealand’s North Island is known for its hot springs and colorful pools and it comes with a very distinct aroma. 

We were determined not to have a dramatic check-in like the previous night so we headed to our campsite to check-in and pay ahead of time. This turned out to be a very good call as the lady in the office was as helpful and cool as sunglasses on a summer day. She gave us a map of the campsite and outlined all of the amenities and then she also gave us a map of the town and asked us what kind of activities we were interested in. We said we were looking for a hot spring and so she took a pen and made us a map to an unmarked, uncrowded hot spring in the middle of the woods just 20 minutes away. Perfect! 

The road to get there was only a little off the beaten path but, sure enough, we found the secluded parking lot, changed into our suits, and followed the dirt footpath into the woods. The path followed a meandering, slow moving stream for about a quarter of a mile and led us right to the hot spring complete with waterfall and rock wall dam. 

There was only one other couple there so we climbed down the steep dirt bank and into the hot, flowing water. And it was VERY hot water, much warmer than most would set their hot tubs at. The sand underfoot was coarse, the waterfall was loud but we took our time to relax, enjoy the surroundings and to laugh and snap a few fun pictures. I find much joy in recalling this novel place; its canopy cover of dense woods, the water flowing downstream over the man-made rock dam, and the whimsical steam that danced in the air above. It was raw nature that many people had obviously discovered, yet it was unaltered with accommodations like steps or guardrails. We were just a group of friends, hanging out together in a place almost reminiscent of a woods in Wisconsin.

When we couldn’t stand the hot water any longer, we clambered out and up the bank to our waiting towels and took our time in following the hot, meandering stream out of the woods and back to the RV.

See more of the North Island of New Zealand with this 16 day itinerary to Australia and New Zealand.

Or, visit the South Island of New Zealand with this 16 day itinerary to Australia and New Zealand.