FEATURED Port of Call
ROTORUA, NEW ZEALAND
Just as you’d expect, the dynamic geothermal region of Rotorua features an awe-inspiring collection of bubbling
mud pools, dramatic steam vents and silica terraces — but it’s also where you’ll get to experience Māori culture up
close. Long revered by the Māori, who named one of its most spectacular springs Wai-O-Tapu (“Sacred Waters”),
Rotorua is a thriving center of passionately celebrated heritage and unique natural splendor. Encounter the
world-renowned spouting Pohutu geyser at Te Puia, home to New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute, where
traditional arts like carving and weaving are taught by master craftspeople.
In nearby Matamata, very little can prepare fans of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies for the thrill of seeing
the preserved movie set of Hobbiton. It’s all there: the thatched-roof mill, double-arched bridge, Party Tree, the
Green Dragon Inn and, of course, hobbit holes with brightly colored round doors.
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HOBBITON
MOVIE SET
MAORI
CARVING
WAI-O-TAPU
CHAMPAGNE POOL