Explore New Zealand's 'Bay of Plenty' In 4 Days

While the towering peaks and hulking fjords of the South Island are legendary, the North Island has equally impressive scenic beauty, especially in the fabulously named Bay of Plenty

DAY ONE

A town of 56,000 built on the southern cusp of its namesake lake, Rotorua has a strong indigenous influence—the population is about one-third Maori, the highest concentration in the country. Rotorua is also the thermal capital of New Zealand, with the ubiquitous nosetingling smell of sulphur a reminder of the geothermal activity that dominates the region. Historically it was thermal springs in the area that lured the Maori to settle here in the 14th century and today Rotorua is a busy tourist destination, the landscape forged by volcanic explosions over the millennia.