Attraction
Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland
Geothermal park south of Rotorua with colourful thermal pools like the Champagne Pool, mud pools and the Lady Knox Geyser. A walking trail leads through the site; stay on the marked paths.
New Zealand
Central North Island
Region
The Central North Island is New Zealand's volcanic country. Between Rotorua, Lake Taupō, and Tongariro National Park, the ground steams, mud pools bubble, and geysers erupt into the air.
by Felix Gillen
The Central North Island is New Zealand's volcanic country. Between Rotorua, Lake Taupō, and Tongariro National Park, the ground steams, mud pools bubble, and geysers erupt into the air. Also in the west are the Waitomo Glowworm Caves.Here you'll find hiking trails over volcanic craters, thermal baths, lakes for fishing and paddling, as well as places where Māori culture, especially that of the Te Arawa in Rotorua, is visible in everyday life.
The Central North Island lies on the Taupō Volcanic Zone, and you'll notice it almost everywhere. In Rotorua, you can visit geothermal parks with geysers and mud pools and experience Māori culture at cultural evenings with Hāngī. Further south lies Lake Taupō, New Zealand's largest lake, with the Huka Falls just outside the city. The Tongariro National Park, with its three volcanoes, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the destination for the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. To the west, boat trips lead through the glowworm caves of Waitomo. Highland hikes are best planned between November and April; cultural evenings and cave tours should be booked in advance.Geothermal and volcanic areas carry their own risks: Stay on marked paths and inform yourself before your trip in the travel and safety advisories of the Federal Foreign Office (linked on the country page).
Sights in Central North Island
Discover the most important sights and attractions
Park
Waimangu Volcanic Valley
Volcanic valley southeast of Rotorua, formed by the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera. A walking trail leads downhill past the steaming Frying Pan Lake to Lake Rotomahana.
Māori Culture and Volcano Land
Around Rotorua live the Iwi of Te Arawa, who for centuries have used geothermal heat for cooking, bathing, and heating. In villages like Ohinemutu and Whakarewarewa, this is still part of daily life. Cultural evenings with Haka, Waiata, and an earth oven-cooked Hāngī are among the region's most famous offerings.Tongariro's volcanic peaks are sacred to the Ngāti Tūwharetoa. In 1887, their Ariki Horonuku Te Heuheu Tukino IV handed the peaks over to the Crown for protection; in 1894, New Zealand's first national park was created. In 1993, it was recognized as the first UNESCO World Heritage site under new cultural landscape criteria.
Exploring the Region
The most flexible way to get around is by rental car or campervan: Rotorua, Taupō, Tongariro National Park, and Waitomo are all one to two hours' drive apart. Intercity buses connect the larger towns, and the Northern Explorer long-distance train runs through the National Park between Auckland and Wellington, stopping at National Park and Ohakune.You'll generally need a shuttle for the Tongariro Alpine Crossing: At the Mangatepopo starting car park, there are no spaces for Crossing hikers during peak season. Shuttles operate from Taupō, Tūrangi, and National Park Village, among other locations.
