Eco-Tourism in Rotorua and New Zealand
Eco-Tourism is taking off around the world as more people become aware of the need to preserve our planet. Rotorua and the surrounding lakes are all settled inside of calderas or more commonly known as super volcanoes. This means that we have a very unique natural landscape and our ecology is unique from anything you’ll see around New Zealand and most parts of the world. At Rotorua Duck Tours we have realised the need educate travelers on exactly why we need to preserve our unique landscape. Kaitiakitanga in Maori means that everybody who visits and uses our land has a responsibility to leave it as they found it so that future generations can enjoy our land as we do today.
In Rotorua we are lucky to have areas that are preserved with legal restrictions on building and deforestation. One of these areas is the Lake Tikitapu scenic reserve. This breathtaking reserve houses many of the lakes that we visit on the Duck. In this area you are not allowed to cut down any of the bush and not allowed to build any new structures. This means that there are very little pollutants entering the lakes in this reserve. The Blue Lake in particular is the second cleanest of the 18 lakes in the Rotorua district with water so clean that you can drink it! This reserve is also home to some of the best walking trails in New Zealand. The local community has worked hard to minimise pests in this area and this means that the songs of the birds are getting louder everyday. It’s a real must-do for nature lovers. As an Eco-Tourism operator we are incredibly proud to have this reserve in our home and be able to show people why it is so important to us everyday.
Eco-Tourism is important to New Zealand as a whole and there are many stunning natural landscapes across the North Island. There is the beautiful Bay of Islands which is also steeped in history with Russell being the first capital of New Zealand and many historical battle sites nested among stunning beaches and quaint little towns. The Coromandel is a series of small towns with not only amazing beaches and coastal walks but also boasts a strong gold mining history. The East Cape is home to national parks and the beautiful city of Gisborne. Mt Taranaki is (in my opinion) one of the most beautiful mountains in the world surrounded by protected national parks and many great walks. Cape Reinga at the peak of the North Island allows you to see where the Pacific Ocean meets the Tasman Sea. You might also see some dolphins. Mt Ruapehu is the skiing capital of the North Island and also home to the Tongariro Crossing which is one of the most popular walks in New Zealand. On top of this there is so much more to find, see and marvel over! For those who visit New Zealand and want to experience a true Eco-tourism experience there are a wealth of options that could easily fill up a trip or even leave you wanting to come back for more.
Eco-Tourism is New Zealand’s bread and butter. We have done well to preserve so many of our natural landscapes and as a result people come from all over the world to see what is on offer here and marvel over our scenery, history and landscapes. At Rotorua Duck Tours we are so proud to have developed an Eco-Tour of our own which visits Lake Tarawera, seeing the beautiful Mt Tarawera and much more with a massively researched and in-depth commentary that covers Maori history, geothermal activity, lake and land formations, flora and fauna, industry, conservation efforts and more. It’s so much more than just a ride on a WW2 landing craft, and while it’s amazing going from land to lake in the same vehicle adding the Eco-Tourism aspect makes us really proud to be able to operate in Rotorua.
