Rotorua () is a city in the

Bay of Plenty The Bay of Plenty ( mi, Te Moana-a-Toi) is a region of New Zealand, situated around a bight of the same name in the northern coast of the North Island. The bight stretches 260 km from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runawa ...

region of New Zealand's

North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...

. The city lies on the southern shores of

Lake Rotorua , image = Lake Rotorua.jpg , caption = Lake Rotorua , alt = Lake Rotorua , image_bathymetry = , pushpin_map=New Zealand#North Island , pushpin_map_alt = Location of Lake Rotorua , pushpin_relief=yes , caption_bathymetry = , location = R ...

, from which it takes its name. It is the seat of the

Rotorua Lakes District Rotorua Lakes District or Rotorua District is a Territorial authorities of New Zealand, territorial authority district in the North Island of New Zealand. It has one urban area of significant size, the city of Rotorua. The district is governed b ...

, a

territorial authority 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. District councils serve a c ...

encompassing Rotorua and several other nearby towns. Rotorua has an estimated resident population of , making it the country's 12th largest urban area, and the Bay of Plenty's second largest urban area behind

Tauranga Tauranga () is a coastal city in the Bay of Plenty region and the fifth most populous city of New Zealand, with an urban population of , or roughly 3% of the national population. It was settled by Māori late in the 13th century, colonised by ...

. Rotorua is a major destination for both domestic and international tourists; the tourism industry is by far the largest industry in the district. It is known for its geothermal activity, and features

geyser A geyser (, ) is a spring characterized by an intermittent discharge of water ejected turbulently and accompanied by steam. As a fairly rare phenomenon, the formation of geysers is due to particular hydrogeological conditions that exist only in ...

s – notably the

Pōhutu Geyser Pōhutu Geyser is a geyser in the Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley, Rotorua, in the North Island of New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the ...

Whakarewarewa Whakarewarewa (reduced version of Te Whakarewarewatanga O Te Ope Taua A Wahiao, meaning ''The gathering place for the war parties of Wahiao'', often abbreviated to Whaka by locals) is a Rotorua semi-rural geothermal area in the Taupo Volcanic ...

– and hot mud pools. This thermal activity is sourced to the

Rotorua Caldera The Rotorua Caldera, now in filled with Lake Rotorua, is a large rhyolitic caldera. It is one of several large volcanoes located in the Taupō Volcanic Zone on the North Island of New Zealand. Geography The major regional settlement of Rotorua ...

, in which the town lies. Rotorua is home to the

Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology is a New Zealand tertiary education institute with campuses in Rotorua, Tauranga, and other towns in the Bay of Plenty and South Waikato regions. It was formed in May 2016 after the amalgamation of Bay of Plenty ...

History

The name Rotorua comes from the

Māori language Māori (), or ('the Māori language'), also known as ('the language'), is an Eastern Polynesian language spoken by the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. Closely related to Cook Islands Māori, Tuamotuan, and ...

, where the full name for the city and lake is . ''Roto'' means 'lake' and ''rua'' means 'two' or in this case 'second' – Rotorua thus meaning 'Second lake'.

Kahumatamomoe Kahumatamomoe (Kahu for short) was an early Māori explorer in Māori mythology, Māori traditions. He travelled with his nephew Ihenga from Rotorua to Kaipara Harbour and then alone around the Coromandel Peninsula and back to Rotorua. Lake Rotoru ...

was the uncle of the

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

chief

Ihenga Ihenga was an early Māori people, Māori explorer, according to Te Arawa folklore. He is credited with exploring and naming many towns and natural features throughout the North Island. He was the grandson of Tama-te-kapua, who was the captain of ...

, the ancestral explorer of the

Te Arawa Te Arawa is a confederation of Māori iwi and hapu (tribes and sub-tribes) of New Zealand who trace their ancestry to the Arawa migration canoe (''waka'').Mount Tarawera Mount Tarawera is a volcano on the North Island of New Zealand within the older but volcanically productive Ōkataina Caldera. Located 24 kilometres southeast of Rotorua, it consists of a series of rhyolitic lava domes that were fissured d ...

. The name can also mean the equally appropriate 'Crater lake'. The area was initially settled by

of the

Te Arawa Te Arawa is a confederation of Māori iwi and hapu (tribes and sub-tribes) of New Zealand who trace their ancestry to the Arawa migration canoe (''waka'').Iwi Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as "tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, an ...

in the 14th century. During the early 1820s

Ngāpuhi Ngāpuhi (or Ngā Puhi) is a Māori iwi associated with the Northland region of New Zealand and centred in the Hokianga, the Bay of Islands, and Whangārei. According to the 2018 New Zealand census, the estimated population of Ngāpuhi is 165, ...

led by chief

Hongi Hika Hongi Hika ( – 6 March 1828) was a New Zealand Māori rangatira (chief) and war leader of the iwi of Ngāpuhi. He was a pivotal figure in the early years of regular European contact and settlement in New Zealand. As one of the first Māori l ...

launched a series of raids into the

as a part of the

Musket Wars The Musket Wars were a series of as many as 3,000 battles and raids fought throughout New Zealand (including the Chatham Islands) among Māori between 1807 and 1837, after Māori first obtained muskets and then engaged in an intertribal arms ra ...

, in 1823 a Ngapuhi raiding party led by Hongi Hika attacked

Te Arawa Te Arawa is a confederation of Māori iwi and hapu (tribes and sub-tribes) of New Zealand who trace their ancestry to the Arawa migration canoe (''waka'').Pā (Fortified settlement) on

Mokoia Island __NOTOC__ Mokoia Island is located in Lake Rotorua in New Zealand. It has an area of 1.35 square kilometres. The uninhabited island is a rhyolite lava dome, rising to 180 metres above the lake surface. It was formed after the Rotorua caldera c ...

defeating them. The first European in the area was probably

Phillip Tapsell Phillip Tapsell, born Hans Homan Jensen Falk (1777/1791? – 6 or 7 August 1873) was a Danish mariner, whaler, and trader who settled in New Zealand. Tapsell first arrived in New Zealand at the Bay of Islands on the ''New Zealander'' on 26 March 1 ...

who was trading from the

coast at

Maketu Maketu is a small town on the Bay of Plenty Coast in New Zealand. Maketu is located in the Western Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. Maketu has an estuary from which the Kaituna River used to flow. It is also adjacent to Newdicks Beach located on t ...

from 1828. He later married into

Te Arawa Te Arawa is a confederation of Māori iwi and hapu (tribes and sub-tribes) of New Zealand who trace their ancestry to the Arawa migration canoe (''waka'').Henry Williams Henry Williams may refer to: Politicians *Henry Williams (activist) (born 2000), chief of staff of the Mike Gravel 2020 presidential campaign *Henry Williams (MP for Northamptonshire) (died 1558), Member of Parliament (MP) for Northamptonshire ( ...

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

. The lakeshore was a prominent site of skirmishes during the

New Zealand Wars The New Zealand Wars took place from 1845 to 1872 between the New Zealand colonial government and allied Māori on one side and Māori and Māori-allied settlers on the other. They were previously commonly referred to as the Land Wars or the M ...

of the 1860s. A "special town district" was created in 1883, to promote Rotorua's potential as a spa destination. The town was connected to Auckland with the opening of the

Rotorua Branch The Rotorua Branch is a railway line from Putāruru 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 b ...

railway and commencement of the

Rotorua Express The ''Rotorua Express'' was a passenger express train operated by the New Zealand Railways Department The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR (New Zealand Government Railways) and often known as the "Railways", was a government depart ...

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, elected its first

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

in 1923, and declared a city in 1962 before becoming a

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

in 1979.

Geography

Climate

The Rotorua region enjoys a mild

temperate climate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...

( Cfb). Rotorua is situated inland from the coast and is sheltered by high country to the south and east of the city, resulting in less wind than many other places in New Zealand. During the winter months June – August temperatures can drop below 0 °C. Frost is common in Rotorua during its winter months, with an average of 57 ground frosts annually, and 20 nights per year below 0 °C. Snowfall in Rotorua is rare and since the 1970s has only been recorded twice. On 15 August 2011 and 13 July 2017 snowflakes fell in the town centre, and during the July 2017 snowfall, snow accumulated in the nearby Mamaku ranges and in the outer reaches of the district, where snowfall occurs on average once every three years.

Suburbs

;Inner suburbs: ;Outer suburbs:

Geothermal areas

Thermal activity is at the heart of much of Rotorua's tourist appeal.

Geyser A geyser (, ) is a spring characterized by an intermittent discharge of water ejected turbulently and accompanied by steam. As a fairly rare phenomenon, the formation of geysers is due to particular hydrogeological conditions that exist only in ...

s and bubbling

mud pool A mudpot, or mud pool, is a sort of acidic hot spring, or fumarole, with limited water. It usually takes the form of a pool of bubbling mud. The acid and microorganisms decompose surrounding rock into clay and mud. Description The mud of a mud ...

s, hot thermal springs and Te Wairoa ("The Buried Village") — so named after it was buried by the 1886

Mount Tarawera Mount Tarawera is a volcano on the North Island of New Zealand within the older but volcanically productive Ōkataina Caldera. Located 24 kilometres southeast of Rotorua, it consists of a series of rhyolitic lava domes that were fissured d ...

eruption— are within easy reach of Rotorua. In Kuirau Park, to the west end of Rotorua, hot bubbling mud pools dot the park. Visitors can soak their feet in hot pools. A common nickname for Rotorua is "Sulphur City" due to the

hydrogen sulphide Hydrogen sulfide is a chemical compound with the formula . It is a colorless chalcogen-hydride gas, and is poisonous, corrosive, and flammable, with trace amounts in ambient atmosphere having a characteristic foul odor of rotten eggs. The unde ...

emissions, which gives the city a smell similar to "rotten eggs", as well as "Rotten-rua" combining its legitimate name and the rotten smell prevalent. Another common nickname is "Roto-Vegas", likening the city's own strip of road flanked by businesses and restaurants to that of Las Vegas. 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 The Government Gardens is a Urban park, public park, partly laid out as gardens, located beside Lake Rotorua in central Rotorua, Bay of Plenty, North Island, New Zealand. It was built by the government as a tourism attraction, and is still a maj ...

, in the area known as 'Sulphur Point'.

Lakes

The Rotorua region has 17 lakes, known collectively as the Lakes of Rotorua. 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.

Demography

The Rotorua urban area, as defined by Statistics New Zealand, covers and incorporates 26 statistical areas. It has an estimated population of as of . The Rotorua urban area had a usual resident population of 54,204 at the

2018 New Zealand census Eighteen or 18 may refer to: * 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19 * one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018 Film, television and entertainment * ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the sho ...

, an increase of 5,289 people (10.8%) since the 2013 census. There were 26,211 males and 27,993 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.936 males per female. Of the total population, 12,366 people (22.8%) were aged up to 15 years, 11,052 (20.4%) were 15 to 29, 22,980 (42.4%) were 30 to 64, and 7,809 (14.4%) were 65 or older. In terms of ethnicity, 59.2% were European/Pākehā, 42.3% were Māori, 6.2% were Pacific peoples, 11.5% were Asian, and 1.5% were other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities).

Government

Local

In October 2013,

Steve Chadwick Stephanie Anne "Steve" Chadwick (née Frizzell, born 15 December 1948) is a New Zealand politician. She served as mayor of Rotorua from 2013 to 2022. She previously held the positions of Minister of Conservation, Women's Affairs, and Associat ...

was elected

Mayor of Rotorua The Mayor of Rotorua officiates over the Rotorua Lakes district of New Zealand, which is administered by the Rotorua Lakes Council (RLC), whose seat is in Rotorua. An elected borough council first came together in February 1923; prior to that, th ...

and was re-elected in the 2016 mayoral election and the 2019 mayoral election. She previously served as the Member of Parliament for Rotorua between 1999 and 2008, and served as a Cabinet Minister in the

Fifth Labour Government The Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 10 December 1999 to 19 November 2008. Labour Party leader Helen Clark negotiated a coalition with Jim Anderton, leader of the Alliance Party. While undertaking ...

Coat of arms

National

Rotorua is covered by the Rotorua electorate for the general roll and the Waiariki electorate for the Māori roll.

Attractions

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.

, close to the lake-shore at the eastern edge of the town, are a particular point of pride. The Rotorua Museum of Art and History is housed in the large Tudor-style bath house building while the Art Deco style Blue Baths, noted for their embrace of mixed sex bathing in the 1930s, remain open today. Another of Rotorua's attractions is

mountain biking Mountain biking is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and pe ...

. Whakarewarewa Forest was listed as one of the Top 8 locations globally by Red Bull Magazine in 2012. The forest includes over 100 km of mountain bike trails and in August 2006 was a host of the UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships. In 2015 Rotorua hosted the Southern Hemisphere leg of the

Crankworx Crankworx is a four-stop tour of mountain biking competitions and races, the premier event of which is held each summer at Whistler-Blackcomb in Whistler, British Columbia at Whistler Mountain Bike Park. The Crankworx core competitive events are ...

mountain bike event. The Rotorua Pistol club is among the largest in the Southern Hemisphere and hosted the 2013 Australasian IPSC Handgun Championship. The

Kaituna River The Kaituna River is in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is the outflow from Lakes Lake Rotorua, Rotorua and Lake Rotoiti (Bay of Plenty), Rotoiti, and flows northwards for , emptying into the Bay of Plenty near Te ...

, 15 minutes drive north east of the CBD provides class 5 whitewater kayaking and rafting through a spectacular tree lined gorge. The region is home to 16 lakes. These are popular for recreation such as boating and fishing. Several of the lakes are stocked for sports fishing with trout from the

Fish and Game New Zealand Fish & Game New Zealand is the collective brand name of 12 regional fish and game councils and the New Zealand Fish and Game Council which administer sports fishing and gamebird resources in New Zealand (apart from within the Taupo Fishing Distric ...

hatchery at

Ngongotahā Ngongotahā is a town on the western shores of Lake Rotorua in New Zealand's North Island. It is 10 kilometers northwest of Rotorua city, and is part of the Rotorua metropolitan area. Its population was as of Its name is derived from a legend ...

. Another visitor attraction in the Ngongotahā area is the

Wingspan National Bird of Prey Centre Wingspan National Bird of Prey Centre (Wingspan) is a captive breeding facility and visitor centre located on the slopes of Mount Ngongotahā in the Ngongotahā Valley in New Zealand's Rotorua district. Wingspan undertakes conservation, educa ...

. It is a captive breeding facility and visitor centre located in the Ngongotahā Valley.. Wingspan undertakes conservation, education and research activities related to birds of prey found in New Zealand, and provides demonstrations of

falconry Falconry is the hunting of wild animals in their natural state and habitat by means of a trained bird of prey. Small animals are hunted; squirrels and rabbits often fall prey to these birds. Two traditional terms are used to describe a person ...

Transport

Road

Rotorua is served by

state highways A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...

5, 30, and 30A, and the Thermal Explorer Highway touring route, with state highways 33 and 36 terminating on the outskirts of the town. State Highway 5, running concurrently with the Thermal Explorer Highway, is the main north–south route through Rotorua, bypassing the town centre to the west. North of the town at Ngongotahā, State Highway 36 splits off to provide a route to

via Pyes Pa, while State Highway 5 turns westward, connecting to

State Highway 1 The following highways are numbered 1. For roads numbered A1, see list of A1 roads. For roads numbered B1, see list of B1 roads. For roads numbered M1, see List of M1 roads. For roads numbered N1, see list of N1 roads. For roads numbere ...

Tīrau Tīrau 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 804 (2018 census). In the Māori language, "Tīrau" means "place of many cabbage trees." Tīrau ...

and providing the main route into Rotorua from

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

and

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

. To the south, State Highway 5 provides the main route from

Taupō Taupō (), sometimes written Taupo, is a town on the north-eastern shore of Lake Taupō, New Zealand's largest lake, in the central North Island. It is the largest urban area of the Taupō District, and the second-largest urban area in the Wai ...

Hawke's Bay Hawke's Bay ( mi, Te Matau-a-Māui) is a local government region on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. The region's name derives from Hawke Bay, which was named by Captain James Cook in honour of Admiral Edward Hawke. The region is ...

, Manawatu, and

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

. State Highway 30 runs southwest to northeast through the town. It enters the town in the southwest (running concurrently with SH 5), before crossing the southern suburbs to the shore of Lake Rotorua east of the town centre. It then runs through the suburb of Te Ngae, before splitting off SH 33 to continue eastwards. State Highway 30A runs northwest to southeast, connecting State Highways 5 and 30 with each other via the town centre.

Bus

Rotorua has a local bus service, with 11 routes under the Baybus brand, serving the urban area, mostly at half hourly intervals, operated by Reesby Buses. Bike racks were introduced in 2017 and Bee cards for fares on 27 July 2020. Trial commuter services between Rotorua and Tauranga are running in each direction until the end of 2021. The city is also served by

InterCity InterCity (commonly abbreviated ''IC'' on timetables and tickets) is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains (in contrast to regional, local, or commuter trains) generally call at m ...

and services to local tourist sites.

History

Edwin Robertson, who died aged 74 in 1931, started with pack horses in 1869 and ran coaches from 1873. In 1902 the Tauranga route was sold and became Robertson & Co, then, about 1903, Rotorua Motor Coaching Co. Ltd. In 1904 Hot Lakes Transport, which ran trips to Taupo,

Waiotapu Waiotapu (Māori language, Māori for "sacred waters") is an active Geothermal (geology), geothermal area at the southern end of the Okataina Volcanic Centre, just north of the Reporoa caldera, in New Zealand's Taupo Volcanic Zone. It is 27 kilo ...

and all the lakes, and Rotorua Motor Coaching added motor cars to their fleets of coaches. In 1905 E. Robertson & Co moved from

Ohinemutu Ohinemutu or Ōhinemutu is a suburb in Rotorua, New Zealand. It includes a living Māori village and the original settlement of Rotorua. Demographics The statistical area of Kuirau, which corresponds to Ohinemutu, covers and had an estimated p ...

to the new town, close to the new railway station, which remained the main stop until InterCity moved to their stop from Hinemoa / Fenton Street to the Tourism Office in 1995. The last coach ran in 1919. When Hot Lakes Transport's assets were sold in 1920, they had 10 coaches and 3 motor cars. In September 1920 Rotorua Motor Transport Co. was formed and took over Hot Lakes Transport Co. and Rotorua Motor Coaching Co, continuing with similar services. In 1926 a consortium of local operators formed Rotorua Bus Co. During 1922 Kusab's transport company became K Motors, which was taken over by the railways in 1938. Rotorua Motor Transport and Rotorua Bus Co followed in 1940 and all became part of

New Zealand Railways Road Services The New Zealand Railways Road Services (NZRRS) was a branch of the New Zealand Railways Department and later the New Zealand Railways Corporation. It operated long-distance, tourist and suburban bus services and freight trucking and parcel serv ...

Air

Rotorua Regional Airport is located northeast of the city centre, off State Highway 30.

Air New Zealand Air New Zealand Limited () is the flag carrier airline of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 20 domestic and 30 international destinations in 18 countries, primarily around and within the Pacific ...

provides daily

turbo-prop A turboprop is a turbine engine that drives an aircraft propeller. A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction gearbox, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propelling nozzle. Air enters the intake and is compressed by the compressor. Fuel ...

flights between Rotorua and

, and

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

airports. Previously

Qantas Qantas Airways Limited ( ) is the flag carrier of Australia and the country's largest airline by fleet size, international flights, and international destinations. It is the world's third-oldest airline still in operation, having been founded ...

also operated Boeing 737 aircraft from Christchurch, but upon their departure from domestic flights in New Zealand this was discontinued. Scenic and chartered flights in both helicopters and float planes are operated by Volcanic Air who are based on Rotorua's lake front. From 2009 to 2015 there was also an international link, with direct Sydney to Rotorua flights.

Rail

Rotorua is connected to the rail network by the

line from

Putāruru Putāruru is a small town in the South Waikato District and the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It lies on the western side of the Mamaku Ranges and in the upper basin of the Waihou River. It is on the Oraka Stream 65 kilometres s ...

. Up until 2001, passenger trains ran from Auckland to Rotorua via Hamilton daily using Silver Fern railcars, terminating north of the town centre at Koutu (the original station on Amohau Street was closed and relocated to Koutu in 1989). However, owing to poor advertising of the service and the location of the station being a 15-minute walk from the town centre in an industrial area, passenger services stopped in October 2001. Freight services on the line declined over the decades up until the nightly freight service stopped in 2000, largely due to a continual move of freight and passengers onto road transport using ever-improving highways in the region. The line is currently disused.

Education

Tertiary

Rotorua is home to the central campus of

, which provides a range of Certificate, Diploma and a limited number of degree-level programmes. The largest programmes on offer are Te Reo Māori (Māori language),

nursing Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...

, business,

computing Computing is any goal-oriented activity requiring, benefiting from, or creating computing machinery. It includes the study and experimentation of algorithmic processes, and development of both hardware and software. Computing has scientific, e ...

, tourism and

hospitality Hospitality is the relationship between a guest and a host, wherein the host receives the guest with some amount of goodwill, including the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. Louis de Jaucourt, Louis, chevalier de J ...

. Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology is the third largest tertiary education institution in New Zealand with campuses throughout the Bay of Plenty region.

Secondary

Rotorua has five secondary schools: * John Paul College, a co-educational, state-integrated Catholic school for Years 7–13 with about 1200 students *

Rotorua Boys' High School Rotorua Boys' High School is a state school educating boys from Year 9 to Year 13. It is situated just outside the Rotorua, Rotorua CBD at the intersection of Old Taupo Road and Pukuatua Street in Rotorua, New Zealand. History Rotorua Boys' High ...

, a state boys school for Years 9–13 with about 1000 students * Rotorua Girls' High School, a state girls school for Years 9–13 with about 600 students *

Rotorua Lakes High School Rotorua 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. It is situated in Owhata, in the eastern suburbs of Rotorua, New Zealand, and draws many of its students f ...

serving the eastern suburbs. A co-educational state school for Years 9–13 with about 700 students *

Western Heights High School Western Heights High School is a state co-educational secondary school located in the northwestern suburbs of Rotorua, New Zealand. In April 2013, 1,887 students from Years 9 to 13 (ages 12 to 18) attended the school, including 1,172 students ide ...

serving the western suburbs. A co-educational state school for Years 9–13 with about 1200 students Students can also attend Te Rangihakahaka Centre for Science and Techbnology, a Māori- and English-medium special character school from years 1–10. It currently has around 100 students. Students here need to attend a mainstream secondary school or

Kura Kaupapa Māori Kura Kaupapa Māori are Māori-language immersion schools () in New Zealand where the philosophy and practice reflect Māori cultural values with the aim of revitalising Māori language, knowledge and culture. Kura kaupapa Māori are establish ...

for their senior secondary schooling.

Kura Kaupapa Māori (Māori language immersion schools)

Rotorua has four

: * Te Wharekura o Ngāti Rongomai years 0–13 with about 115 students in eastern Rotorua * Te Kura Kaupapa Māori O Te Koutu years 0–13 with about 240 students in western Rotorua * Te Kura Kaupapa Māori O Ruamata years 0–13 with about 240 students in semi-rural eastern Rotorua * Te Kura Kaupapa Māori O Hurungaterangi years 0–8 with about 80 students in central Rotorua

Media

Rotorua has several media organisations, including the

Rotorua Daily Post The ''Rotorua Daily Post'' is the regional newspaper for the Central North Island including the greater Rotorua area as well as Taupo and the surrounding areas. History The paper was founded in 1885 as the ''Hot Lakes Chronicle'', and received ...

, More FM Rotorua and

The Hits Rotorua Geyserland FM was a radio station in Rotorua, New Zealand. The station was originally started in 1959 by Radio New Zealand (which at the time was known as the National Broadcasting Service) on 1350AM, the station was originally branded as its ca ...

Sister cities

Rotorua's

sister cities A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...

are: *

Beppu is a city in Ōita Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. As of March 31, 2017, the city had a population of 122,643

, Japan *

Klamath Falls Klamath Falls ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Klamath County, Oregon, United States. The city was originally called ''Linkville'' when George Nurse founded the town in 1867. It was named after the Link River, on whose falls the city was ...

, United States *

Lake Macquarie The City of Lake Macquarie is a Local government in Australia, local government area in Greater Newcastle and part of the Hunter Region in New South Wales, Australia. It was proclaimed a city from 7 September 1984. The area is situated adjacent ...

, Australia * Wuzhong (Suzhou), China

Notable people

Valerie Adams Dame Valerie Kasanita Adams (formerly Vili; born 6 October 1984) is a retired New Zealand shot putter. She is a four-time IAAF World Championships in Athletics, World champion, four-time IAAF World Indoor Championships, World Indoor champion, ...

, Olympic shot putter *

Steven Adams Steven Funaki Adams (born 20 July 1993) is a New Zealand professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After playing one season with his hometown team, the Wellington Saints, in 2011, Ada ...

, basketball player *

Israel Adesanya Israel Mobolaji Odunayo Oluwafemi Temitayo Owolabi Adesanya (born 22 July 1989) is a New Zealand professional mixed martial artist, kickboxer, and former boxer with multiple championships in all three disciplines. As a mixed martial artist, h ...

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

, former

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

Middleweight Champion * Michael Barker, drummer *

Jean Batten Jane Gardner Batten (15 September 1909 – 22 November 1982), commonly known as Jean Batten, was a New Zealand aviator, making a number of record-breaking solo flights across the world. She is notable for completing the first solo flight fro ...

, aviator *

Sam Bewley Samuel Ryan Bewley (born 22 July 1987) is an amateur podcast host and former racing cyclist from New Zealand who last rode for UCI WorldTeam . Bewley has also competed for UCI ProTeam and BikeNZ PureBlack Racing. He has raced in nine Grand Tou ...

, Olympic cyclist *

Manu Bennett Jonathan Manu Bennett (born 10 October 1969) is a New Zealand actor. He is primarily known for portraying characters in epic fantasy works, such as Crixus in the TV series ''Spartacus'', Allanon in '' The Shannara Chronicles'', Slade Wilson / ...

, actor *

Trent Boult Trent Alexander Boult (born 22 July 1989) is a New Zealand international cricketer who has played for New Zealand national cricket team, New Zealand cricket team. He currently plays in various T20 leagues around the globe as a Fast bowling, fas ...

, New Zealand cricketer * Scott Curry, All Blacks 7s, Bay of Plenty 7s *

Cliff Curtis Clifford Vivian Devon Curtis (born 27 July 1968) is a New Zealand actor. His film credits include ''Once Were Warriors'' (1994), ''Three Kings'' (1999), ''Training Day'' (2001), ''Whale Rider'' (2002), ''Collateral Damage'' (2002), ''Sunshine'' ...

, actor *

Julian Dean Julian Dean (born 28 January 1975) is a former professional road racing cyclist from New Zealand who competed as a professional between 1999 and 2013. He last rode for UCI World Tour team , where he now works as an assistant sporting director a ...

, road racing cyclist * Mike Delany, rugby union player, All Black * Dame

Susan Devoy Dame Susan Elizabeth Anne Devoy (born 4 January 1964) is a former New Zealand squash player and senior public servant. As a squash player, she was dominant in the late 1980s and early 1990s, winning the World Open on four occasions. She served ...

, squash player *

Tom Donnelly Thomas Mathew Donnelly (born 1 October 1981) was a rugby union player who played for Montpellier in the Top 14. He also made 15 appearances for the All Blacks since 2009 and played for Otago Rugby Football Union. He moved into a coaching caree ...

, All Black, rugby union player *

Alan Duff Alan Duff (born 26 October 1950) is a New Zealand novelist and newspaper columnist. He is best known as the author of the novel '' Once Were Warriors'' (1990), which was made into a film of the same name in 1994. Biography Alan Duff was bo ...

, writer * Gary Jeshel Forrester, musician, writer, academic * Jack Foster, Olympic marathon runner *

Tony Gordon Tony Gordon is a Character (arts), fictional character from the Television in the United Kingdom, British ITV (TV network), ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', portrayed by actor Gray O'Brien. The character first appeared on-screen on 16 Sep ...

, rugby league player and coach * Bevan Hari, hockey player *

Dylan Hartley Dylan Hartley (born 24 March 1986) is a former England Rugby captain who represented England and Northampton Saints. Hartley was the captain of England from January 2016 until the end of his international career in 2019. He is England's most ca ...

, rugby union player (For the English National Team.) *

Tame Iti Tame may refer to: *Taming, the act of training wild animals *River Tame, Greater Manchester *River Tame, West Midlands and the Tame Valley *Tame, Arauca, a Colombian town and municipality * "Tame" (song), a song by the Pixies from their 1989 alb ...

, maori activist *

David Kosoof David William Kosoof (born 26 July 1978) is a New Zealand field hockey player, who was a member of the New Zealand men's national field hockey team (the ''Black Sticks Men'') between 2000 and 2009. Kosoof lives in Red Beach on the Hibiscus Co ...

, Olympic hockey player * Danny Lee, professional golfer *

Dennis List Dennis List (1946 – 9 November 2007) 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 Wel ...

, poet and writer *

Angus Hikairo Macfarlane Angus Hikairo Macfarlane is a New Zealand academic and professor at the University of Canterbury. Biography He has mixed Scottish and Māori ancestry, and was born in Rotorua into a family of 14 siblings. His family identify with ''Ko Te ...

, educator * Steve McDowall, All Black * Hinematau McNeill (also writing as Naomi Te Hiini) academic and treaty negotiator *

Jon Mark Jon Mark (born John Michael Burchell; 8 May 1943 – 10 February 2021) was an English singer-songwriter and guitarist, best known for his recordings with Marianne Faithfull, Sweet Thursday, John Mayall and Mark-Almond. Mark, who received a ...

, Musician. solo artist and co-founder of

Mark-Almond Mark–Almond was a jazz-influenced English pop group of the 1970s and early 1980s, sometimes also called The Mark-Almond Band. The core members were Jon Mark, who sang lead and played guitar, percussion, and harmonica and Johnny Almond who p ...

* Tony Marsh, rugby union player (for French national team) * Elizabeth Marvelly, soprano *

Liam Messam Liam Justin Messam (born 25 March 1984) is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays TOP14 for RC Toulonnais. In Super Rugby, he previously played for the , and for Waikato in the ITM Cup. Messam predominantly plays as a blindside flanker b ...

, rugby union player (for Waikato and NZ) * Sir

Howard Morrison Sir Howard Leslie Morrison (18 August 1935 – 24 September 2009) was a New Zealand entertainer. From 1964 until his death in 2009, he was one of New Zealand's leading television and concert performers. Early life Of Māori (Te Arawa), Irish ...

, entertainer *

Temuera Morrison Temuera Derek Morrison (born 26 December 1960) is a New Zealand actor and Singer who first gained recognition for his role as Dr. Hone Ropata on the soap opera ''Shortland Street''. He gained critical acclaim for his starring role as Jake "The ...

, actor. *

Craig Newby Craig Alan Newby (born 27 July 1979) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. Newby spent the bulk of his career in New Zealand, playing for Otago, the Highlanders, North Harbour and the Blues. He had a short stint with Newcastle Falco ...

, All Black *

Caleb Ralph Caleb Stan Ralph (born 10 September 1977 in Rotorua) is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. Ralph began his first-class career with Bay of Plenty, then moved to Auckland before heading to Canterbury. He started his Super Rugby career with the ...

, All Black * William Ripia, rugby union player (Wellington Hurricanes, Western Force, Bay of Plenty, Otago Highlanders, Maori All Black) * Joe Royal, rugby union player (Bay of Plenty Steamers and Māori All Blacks) *

Ben Sandford Ben Sandford, (born 12 March 1979 in Rotorua) is a New Zealand skeleton (sport), skeleton racer who has competed since 2002. He finished tenth in the men's skeleton event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. He finished 11th at the 2010 Winte ...

, Olympic men's skeleton racer * Wayne "Buck" Shelford, former All Black * Miriama Smith, actress * Sir Peter Tapsell, politician *

Te Pokiha Taranui Te Pokiha Taranui (?–1901) was a notable New Zealand tribal leader and soldier. Of Māori descent, he identified with the Ngati Pikiao iwi Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means "peo ...

, tribal leader and soldier *

Ngahuia Te Awekotuku Ngahuia Te Awekotuku (born 1949) is a New Zealand academic specialising in Māori cultural issues and a lesbian activist. In 1972, she was famously denied a visa to visit the United States on the basis of her sexuality. Biography Te Awekotuk ...

, academic, scholar activist, Emeritus Professor * Sir

Gordon Tietjens Sir Gordon Frederick Tietjens (born 9 December 1955) is head coach of the Samoa rugby sevens team, and a celebrated former coach of the New Zealand men's national team in rugby sevens, the All Blacks Sevens. When the International Rugby Boar ...

, New Zealand and Samoan Sevens rugby coach *

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (born 20 January 1989) is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League (NRL) and New Zealand at international level. Waerea-Hargreaves started h ...

, rugby league player (Sydney Roosters and New Zealand Kiwis) *

Dean Whare Dean Whare pronounced (FAR-dEH) (born 22 January 1990) is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for the London Broncos in the RFL Championship, and New Zealand and the New Zealand Māori at international level. Wh ...

, rugby league player (Penrith Panthers and New Zealand Kiwis)

References

External links

*
Info-Rotorua , Visitor Information TV & website

Official Rotorua YouTube channel
* * * {{Authority control Populated places in the Bay of Plenty Region Territorial authorities of New Zealand Spa towns in New Zealand Populated places on Lake Rotorua