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Rotorua’s best forests to explore on foot

I’m fairly certain that Rotorua is known for its breathtaking natural landscapes. If not, then I’m going to have to start proving that it should be! The forest walks in Rotorua are a must do when it comes to Rotorua sightseeing. There are walks for everyone, take the kids, take the dog, whatever your goals, Rotorua has a forest for you to explore. Check out some of my favorites below.

Blue Lake Walk

View from the walking trail

I’m going to start with my favorite, the 5km walk around the Blue Lake. This is one of the lakes the we visit on the Ducks so I spend a lot of my time here. Unfortunately the Ducks are a WW2 vehicle and don’t fit around the walking track but that just leaves a great excuse for me to come back with the dog! This very easy walk goes through stunning native bush that surrounds one of our most beautiful lakes. The best thing about this walk is that there are detours that take you down to the lakefront so if you get a bit warm on the walk you can cool down with a swim or dip your feet in the lake. They say the walk takes about an hour but if you want to enjoy it and explore a bit I’d allow a couple of hours or more. The Blue Lake can be found if you follow Tarawera Road and the Blue Lake is the first lake you’d come to. The walk is around the entire outside of this lake. You want Rotorua sightseeing? Head to the Blue Lake!

The Redwoods (Te Whakarewarewa)

To be fair this is also one of my favorites but it’s also the most obvious. This forest is one of the best options not only because of it’s beauty but because of the sheer amount of options available. If you want to do a 20min walk with the family, if you’ve got a dog who loves to run off the lead, if you’re an avid hiker who wants to walk for 8 hours you can do all of that at Te Whakarewarewa. You could do 20 walks through this forest and find something new every time. The highlight is the walk through century old Californian Redwoods and some of these trees are massive. You’d need 4 or 5 friends to get your arms around the truck. It’s become one of the most famous attractions in Rotorua and it’s free! The Redwoods can be found by following signs to Tauranga from the city center and turning right at the big round-a-bout by the shopping center. Then you can’t miss the forest on the right.

Big Redwood Tree!!

Sulfur Point Trails

Geothermal Wonderland

This one is cheating a little because it’s not a forest as such. The walk takes you through bush that is on a geothermal wonderland so I’m going to say it counts. The sulfur point trails can be accessed from the center of town and take your around a section of Lake Rotorua that is geothermally active. You’ll see awesome geothermal formations, great views of the lake and town and some really funky smells! If you like a walk this is a walk with a difference.

Whatever type of walk you like, whatever fitness level you have there is no excuse to not get out and about when you visit Rotorua. Plus in terms of Rotorua sightseeing opportunities you pretty much get a two for one. Get out and experience some nature with some awesome Rotorua forest walks!

#ROTORUADUCKTOURS

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