Rotorua "Geyser City"

Population 67,000

Rotorua is one of the world's true wonders and hosts the planet's most spectacular display of thermal activity with thousands of hectares of thermal wonderlands. Rotorua's history goes back to the 14th century with the arrival of the first Maori inhabitants from Eastern Polynesia. Waimangu Valley is particularly spectacular with views to Mt Tarawera which erupted in spectacular fashion on the 10th of June 1886 killing 153 people and buryining the treasured Pink and White Terraces which were one of the Seven Wonders of the World. There are however several thermal parks and the scenery will leave you breathless in this region with rich native forests, lakes and rivers brimming with trout, soothing hot mineral water pools and a range of outdoor activities virtually second to none in the country.

A 50 minute drive to the Te Urawera National Park along a 65 kilometre dust road will take you to an area of virgin native bush (rainforest) with stunning lakes and scenery, while the 3 day world class great walk of Lake Waikaremoana will leave you wondering whether it could possibly get any better, a little known lake (Lake Waikareti) accessible by a one hour walk taking you 900 meters above Lake Waikaremoana will take you to a little spot where the New Zealand Department of Conservation hires out dinghies (small boats) which you can row across the lake to a small island which has a lake on top of the island making for a unique lake within a lake environment. A short row from here takes you to a place called Sandy Bay which has a little back country hut with accommodation for 20 people (these huts cost about $12 per night). The water is claimed to be the clearest in the world and would be difficult to argue given the lake being inaccessible to power boats. To see the number of trout in this lake is simply amazing, as you row across the lake they are literally jumping out of the water all around you.

Rotorua has a particularly strong heavy equipment and heavy transport industry because of the renewable Pine tree plantations around the area. For the last 15 years I have consistently always had vacancies for diesel mechanics in this area.

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