Treetops Activities - Sight Seeing Activities

Hiking

Hiking, or ‘tramping’ as it is known in New Zealand is a popular pastime and one that can be enjoyed on many levels from Treetops. Simply walk out the door and you are at the trailhead of over 50km of walking tracks through the forest of the estate. Walks vary in length from a few minutes to several hours, and in difficulty from an easy stroll to considerably more strenuous. There is native forest galore, spectacular views, and one of the most picturesque waterfalls in New Zealand.  See our dedicated walking guide for more details.

Should you feel like venturing further afield, a number of beautiful walking tracks are located in the forest bordering the Rotorua lakes of which the ring track around Blue Lake, and the Eastern Okataina Walkway can be particularly recommended. Then there is the loop track within the Whirinaki Forest, one of the few undisturbed remnants of lowland rainforest left in New Zealand, where you will be awed by the cathedral-like majesty of the trees. Alternatively, you can thrill to the sight of an entire river bursting out of a cliff face at Tarawera Falls.

Tongariro National Park -  two hours drive away. Starting at the Whakapapa Visitors’ Centre, a number of walks lasting anything from a couple of hours to a full day take you through alpine beech forest and open tussock country to waterfalls and lakes. Or you may wish to undertake the famous Tongariro Crossing. To do so you will need to arrange for transport, since the walk is one way, and you have to be dropped off and collected. The track begins in the Mangatepopo Valley, which is followed to its head, with mighty Mount Ngauruhoe looming on the right. A steep climb brings you to the crater rim of Mt Tongariro. Crossing the crater, a wide expanse of scoria and lava flows, and skirting round Red Crater and Blue Lake, you emerge on the northern slopes of the mountain at Ketetahi Hot Springs. From here you descend back below the tree line to eventually reach the carpark some eight hours after setting out. The mountaintop sections of the track are snow-covered in winter, and recommended only for experienced alpine hikers.

Skiing

If your visit to Treetops is during the winter months, you may wish to go skiing on Mt Ruapehu. A helicopter can have you on the snow in about half an hour, or you can drive there in about two hours. Two ski resorts located on the mountain make this the largest skifield in New Zealand. Equipment can be hired at either, and ski lessons (from beginners through to advanced masters) arranged. The slopes vary from easy beginner’s slopes to considerably more technical ones for the experienced skier. The ski season generally commences in June and continues as long as there is a sufficient snow base – at least as late as October.

Caving

One of the natural wonders of New Zealand are glow-worms. In reality the larvae of midges, the glow-worms live on damp banks and overhangs where their tiny lights form extraordinary star-like constellations at night. Such a bank can be seen within a couple of minutes walk of the back door of Treetops. Imagine what the effect must be when the entire roof of a vast subterranean cavern is festooned with their lights. It is a sight that can be seen in the many caves of the Waitomo region, about 1 ½ hours drive from Treetops.

The caving experience can be tailored to suit your abilities – from a leisurely glide on a boat through wide caverns to an exhilarating ‘black water rafting’ experience, when, clad in a wet suit and with a rubber inner tube gripped firmly in hand, you will be tumbled along some of the faster underground streams of the area.

Mountain biking

The Rotorua region is one of the world’s great mountain biking destinations. The Whakarewarewa Forest, only 15 minutes drive from Treetops, has over 300km of dedicated mountain bike tracks, varying in difficulty from beginner’s tracks to trails only the highly skilled or the totally crazy would attempt!

Bikes can be hired, and guided trips organized from the mountain bike car park. Alternatively, several of the trails on the Treetops Estate are bikable, and the lodge has a number of mountain bikes for the use of guests.

Maori culture

Rotorua is the spiritual home of the Maori. If you wish to learn about the indigenous people of New Zealand, you will find no better place to do so. A number of Maori cultural experiences are available ranging from one-hour shows of song and dance to complete evenings. You can watch Maori carving and weaving in practise at the Te Puia Cultural Centre. And many shops, both at tourist centres such as Te Puia and in town, offer a wide range of Maori arts and crafts, ranging from the traditional to the modern.

If you have the time and inclination, a visit to Ohinemutu, on the Rotorua lake edge is worth the effort. This is the site of the original Maori settlement of the region, and is still the centre of the Te Arawa tribe. Wharenui (carved meeting houses) are around every corner, while boiling springs (the reason why the Maori originally chose the site for a settlement) bubble at the road side and in private gardens. St Faith’s Church, with its extensive Maori carving is also well worth a visit.

You can experience the Maori culture by yourself, or arrange a personal tour with a Maori Chief as your guide to this fascinating living culture. Or, for a more “hands on” experience a master carver from the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute at Te Puia will take you on a tour, and give you a lesson in this art.

Sun and surf

Some of the most beautiful beaches in New Zealand can be found on the Coromandel Peninsula, about two hours drive from Treetops. Even closer (only an hour) are the vast ocean beaches of the Bay of Plenty, stretching in an almost unbroken swathe of sand from Waihi in the east to Whakatane in the west. Visit the popular surf beach at Mt Maunganui, and join the crowds on the sand or in the restaurants that back the beach, or choose a more secluded spot and have miles of beach to yourself. Surf board hire and surf schools are available in several locations for those who wish to try this exciting sport.

Sightseeing

The list of places in the Rotorua area worth visiting simply to look and marvel is almost endless. The Treetops Estate itself is your own private paradise, with its sparkling streams, spectacular waterfall, and magnificent views. Further afield there are the numerous geothermal areas, where well-formed paths enable you to walk safely among steaming mudpools, boiling springs, bubbling geysers and silica terraces of extraordinary colour and variety. In complete contrast are the many beautiful, forest-girt lakes of the region. You may wish to thrill to the sight of Huka Falls, about an hour’s drive away, where the entire Waikato River – the largest river in New Zealand – thunders through a narrow gorge before plunging over a 9-metre waterfall.

Or visit the towering volcanoes of Tongariro National Park – the highest mountains in the North Island – or take a helicopter to White Island for a visit to an active volcano – an experience you’ll never forget.

If wildlife is your thing, perhaps you’d like to go on a dolphin safari in the Bay of Plenty. Or visit the kiwi breeding facility at Kiwi Encounter; marvel at the ancient tuatara, and cheeky kaka and kea parrots at Rainbow Springs; or watch the rare New Zealand falcon in flight at the Wingspan falconry centre.

The list goes on…

We have not even touched on many of the things you can do in this extraordinary area:

• Rotorua Museum or the Arts Village
• Lion touching (no, we’re not joking)
• Bungy jumping
• Zorbing
• Farm shows
• Luging
• Thermal baths
• Go-karting
• Kayaking
• Rafting

For adults or children, old or young, golfers or skiers, fishermen or bikers, we are confident that you will find something to your liking within a day trip of Treetops Lodge and Estate.

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