Rotorua and Bay of Plenty

A hot destination for a very cool time

Two of New Zealand’s most distinguishing features - volcanism and Maori culture - are served up with a side dish of five star comfort in the Central North Island. If you want to see hissing geysers and taste steaming hangi food, this region’s your kind of place.

Slideshow     11 shots AN EXPLOSIVE PAST The landscape around Rotorua and the Bay of Plenty is a vivid reminder of New Zealand's volcanic history. View Slideshow

On a world scale, the Taupo Volcanic Zone is rated ‘extremely active’. It
runs from the Tongariro National Park all the way to White Island, a simmering marine volcano 50 kilometres off the coast of Whakatane.

A major attraction of the volcanic zone is the geothermal city of Rotorua. Maori people have lived here for more than 600 years, so it’s a hotpot of indigenous New Zealand culture as well as a visual symphony of volcanic phenomena. Against a backdrop of boiling mud pools, geysers and steaming craters, you can discover Maori song and dance, cuisine and visual arts. World-class hotels offer rooms with geothermal or crater lake views.

	Imagine exploring the massive crater of White Island, New Zealand's most active volcano.
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If you head east from Rotorua and Taupo, you’ll discover the beautiful Pacific coast of the Bay of Plenty. At one end of an almost-endless white sand surf beach is Whakatane, the launching point for trips to White Island, where it’s possible to walk right into the volcano’s main crater. At the other end is Mount Maunganui, a resort town that’s easily identified by the extinct volcanic cone Mauao - you can climb to the summit of this mountain for outstanding views. On Mount Maunganui’s harbour side there are numerous charter boats available to whisk you out to sea for fishing, diving or dolphin swimming adventures.

Episode 7 - Rotorua and Bay of Plenty

Flying over Lake Rotorua in a 1954 Sea Otter, the chefs got the ‘big picture’ of Rotorua’s unique geography before landing at Mokoia Island. Here they met Mark’s mate Charles Royal, a chef who specialises in cooking with native herbs and spices. A freshly caught trout was smoked with herbs grown on the island; another trout was gently poached in a hot pool, to demonstrate how Maori cooked in pre-European days. Clever use of geothermal energy was also exhibited at the Taupo prawn farm, then it was time to check out a biodynamic kiwi fruit farm and score some fresh tuna straight off a trawler.

BEN & MARK'S RECIPES Check out the recipes cooked in this episode and try to replicate the guy's meals at home using the best of New Zealand's produce. Read More