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Rotorua

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rotorua
Urban Area Population 55,100
Extent Ngongotaha to Owhata
Territorial
Authority
Name Rotorua District
Population 67,600
Extent On the North Island

Rotoma; Tokorau to

Golden Springs
Regional
Councils
Name Bay of Plenty and Waikato
The Rotorua Museum today...
The Rotorua Museum today...
… and historically as the bath house.
… and historically as the bath house.

Rotorua is a town on the southern shore of Lake Rotorua in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. It has a population of 53,000, of which one third is Māori. It is 60 km south of Tauranga, 105 km south-east of Hamilton and 82 km north-east of Taupo.

Rotorua is well-known for geothermal activity. There are a number of geysers, notably the 20-m Pohutu geyser at Whakarewarewa, and hot mud pools located in the city, which owe their presence to the Rotorua caldera.

Rotorua is connected to the north by State Highway 5, to the east by State Highway 33, to the west by State Highway 30, and to the south by State Highway 5. Rotorua is also connected by rail with a branch line from Putaruru to the north, currently disused.

Contents

[edit] History

The name Rotorua comes from Māori, the full name being Te Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe; roto generally means lake and rua two - Rotorua thus meaning 'Second lake'. Kahumatamomoe was the uncle of the Māori chief Ihenga. 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 north-east of the city, all connected with the Rotorua Caldera and nearby Mount Tarawera.

The area was initially settled by Māori of the Te Arawa iwi. The lakeshore was a prominent site of skirmishes during the New Zealand Wars of the 1860s. A "special town district" was created in the 1880s, in order to promote Rotorua's potential as a spa. 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.

[edit] Modern days

[edit] Geothermal areas

Thermal activity is at the heart of much of Rotorua's tourist appeal. Geysers and bubbling mud-pools, hot thermal springs and even a village buried by a major volcanic eruption, Te Wairoa, are all located within easy reach of the city.

Kuirau Park, to the west end of the central city, is also remarkable - hot bubbling mud pools dot the park, lending a surreal air to the setting. The mud pools there had their last major explosion in late 2006, with an hour-long mud fountain spewing boiling hot matter up to 15 m high and 30 m wide.[1]

Mud pool, Tikitere ("Hell's Gate"), Rotorua.
Mud pool, Tikitere ("Hell's Gate"), Rotorua.

Rotorua is known (ironically) amongst the locals as "Rotovegas" due the abundance of hotels and motels on Fenton Street which resembles "The Strip" of Las Vegas , but to non-locals as "Rottenrua" due to the rotting egg-like odour of the Hydrogen Sulphide gas produce by the prolific geothermal activity. The odour is most noticeable on cooler and rainy days,especially when there is low cloud, although most locals are immune to it and are usually unaware of its presence.

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'.

[edit] Lakes

Rotorua lies close to many lakes, the number and quantity of which dwarf even the Lake District in England. All these lakes are formed from huge volcanic activity which affected this region. The largest lake is Taupo which 45 minutes' drive from Rotorua. All these lakes are famous for their abundant stock of Rainbow Trout, a fish introduced for its sporting value. Unfortunately, many of the lakes have algal bloom problems in summer caused by excess nutrients from farming in the area, but this is being rectified.

To name some,

Lake Okataina, Lake Tarawera, Lake Rotoiti, Ohau Channel, Lake Rotoehu, Lake Rotoma, Lake Okareka, Lake Tikitapu (Blue Lake), Lake Rotokakahi (Green Lake), Lake Rotomahana, Lake Rerewhakaaitu, Lake Okaro, Lakes Ngahewa and Ngapouri,

[edit] Other activities

Downtown Rotorua, Lake Rotorua, and Mokoia Island.
Downtown Rotorua, Lake Rotorua, and Mokoia Island.

Rotorua is home to not only geothermal interests, but botanical gardens and some interesting historic architecture. Known as a spa town and major tourist resort for more than a century, many of the buildings hint at this history. The formal Government Gardens close to the lakeshore at the eastern end of the town are particularly worthy of note.

Another of Rotorua's attractions is the mountain biking, Whakarewarewa (also known as the "Redwoods") forest has been described as 'the disneyland of mountain biking' and has some of the best mountain bike trails in New Zealand. Rotorua hosted the UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships, in August 2006.

Rotorua was prominently featured in a music video by the Beastie Boys for their song Gratitude.

[edit] Gang problems

Rotorua has been a gang stronghold (especially Mongrel Mob and Black Power) for a long time, [2][3] with the gangs recruiting especially among young Māori and drug addicts. The city has a reputation for gang activity within New Zealand, second only to that of southern Auckland. However, this side of Rotorua is rarely visible to visitors, as law enforcement takes special care to discourage gangs from interfering with the tourist trade.

[edit] Famous people

The City of Rotorua.
The City of Rotorua.

[edit] References

[edit] External links



Coordinates: 38°07′S 176°19′E

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