Rotorua

Infobox Settlement
name=Rotorua
native_name=Rotorua-nui-a-Kahu (Maori)
total_type=Territorial


mapsize=200px
subdivision_type=Country
subdivision_name=flag|New Zealand
subdivision_type1=Region
subdivision_name1=Bay of Plenty
subdivision_type2=Territorial authority
subdivision_name2=Rotorua District
established_title= Settled
established_date= pre-European
established_title1= Founded
established_date1= 1883
established_title2= Borough status
established_date2= 1922
established_title3= City status
established_date3= 1962
established_title4= City status revoked
established_date4= 1989
seat_type= Electorate
seat= Rotorua
leader_party=Labour
leader_title= MP
leader_name= Steve Chadwick
leader_title1= Mayor
leader_name1=Kevin Winters
population_as_of=2006 Census
population_urban=55100
population_density_km2=25.2
population_total=65901
area_total_km2=2614.9
timezone=NZST
utc_offset=+12
timezone_DST=NZDT
utc_offset_DST=+13
postal_code_type=Postcode(s)
postal_code=3010, 3015
area_code=07
blank_name =Local iwi
blank_info =Te Arawa, Ngāti Ranginui

Rotorua is a city on the southern shore of Lake Rotorua in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand, and Rotorua District is the encompassing local authority area. The city has a population of 64,509. It is 60 km south of Tauranga, 105 km south-east of Hamilton and 82 km north-east of Taupo. The District is divided between the Bay of Plenty (61.52 percent of its land area) and the Waikato (38.48 percent) Regions. Rotorua's suburbs are Ngongotaha, Fairy Springs, Selwyn Heights, Kawaha Point, Western Heights, Pukehangi, Pleasant Heights, Mangakakahi, Sunnybrook, Pomare, Utuhina, Ohinemutu, Koutu, Hillcrest, Matipo Heights, Glenholme, Fordlands, Springfield, Rotorua West, Fenton Park, Whakarewarewa, Waipa Village, Tihiotonga, Ngapuna, Lynmore, Te Ngae, Owhata, Hannahs Bay, Holdens Bay and Rotokawa.

Rotorua is well-known for geothermal activity. There are a number of geysers, notably the Pohutu geyser at Whakarewarewa, and hot mud pools located in the city, which owe their presence to the Rotorua caldera.

Rotorua won the "New Zealand's Most Beautiful City Award" in 2002 and 2006. [ [http://www.rdc.govt.nz/Our+Services/Engineering+Services/Keep+Rotorua+Beautiful+-+Litter+Control/default.htm Keep Rotorua Beautiful - Litter Control] ]

Rotorua is connected to the north by State Highway 5, to the east by State Highway 33, to the west by State Highway 30, and to the south by State Highway 5. Increasingly though travellers to Tauranga are selecting the newly commissioned State Highway 36 via Ngongotaha, Kaharoa and Pyes Pa.

Rotorua Regional Airport provides daily flights to Auckland International Airport and Wellington International Airport via turbo-prop services and Christchurch International Airport using turbo-props and a daily jet service. Plans are afoot to increase the runway length to allow trans-Tasman flights.

Rotorua is also connected to the rail network with a branch line from Putaruru to the north, currently disused.

Rotorua is also home to the largest tertiary institute outside of the university centres, Waiariki Institute of Technology.

Rotorua has its own regional television channel, [http://tvrotorua.co.nz/ TV Rotorua] .

History

The name "Rotorua" comes from Māori, the full name being "Te Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe"; "roto" means lake and "rua" two - "Rotorua" thus meaning 'Second lake'. Kahumatamomoe was the uncle of the Māori chief Ihenga, the ancestral explorer of the Te Arawa.Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. p383.] It was the second major lake the chief discovered, and he dedicated it to his uncle. It is the largest of a multitude found to the north-east of the city, all connected with the Rotorua Caldera and nearby Mount Tarawera. The name can also mean the equally appropriate 'crater lake'.

The area was initially settled by Māori of the Te Arawa iwi. The first European in the area was probably Phillip Tapsell who was trading from the Bay of Plenty coast at Maketu from 1828. He later married into Te Arawa and became highly regarded by them. [http://www.teara.govt.nz/1966/T/TapsellPhilipOrFelkalsoSpeltFalkHans/TapsellPhilipOrFelkalsoSpeltFalkHans/en New Zealand Encyclopaedia 1966: Tapsell Biography] ] Missionaries Henry Williams and Thomas Chapman visited in 1831 and Chapman and his wife established a mission at Te Kouto in 1835. [http://www.dnzb.govt.nz/dnzb/default.asp?Find_Quick.asp?PersonEssay=1G23 New Zealand Dictionary of Biography: Thomas Chapman] ] This was abandoned within a year but Chapman returned in 1838 and established a second mission at Mokoia Island.

The lakeshore was a prominent site of skirmishes during the New Zealand Wars of the 1860s. A "special town district" was created in the 1883, in order to promote Rotorua's potential as a spa. The town was connected to Auckland with the opening of the Rotorua Branch railway and commencement of the Rotorua Express train in 1894, resulting in the rapid growth of the town and tourism from this time forward. Rotorua was established as a borough in 1922 and declared a city in 1962 before becoming a District in 1979.

Geography

Climate

Infobox Weather
metric_first=yes
single_line=yes
location =Rotorua
Jan_Hi_°C =23
Feb_Hi_°C =23
Mar_Hi_°C =21.1
Apr_Hi_°C =18.3
May_Hi_°C =15.1
Jun_Hi_°C =12.6
Jul_Hi_°C =12.1
Aug_Hi_°C =13
Sep_Hi_°C =14.7
Oct_Hi_°C =16.7
Nov_Hi_°C =19
Dec_Hi_°C =20.9
Year_Hi_°C =17.5
Jan_Lo_°C =12.7
Feb_Lo_°C =12.9
Mar_Lo_°C =11.6
Apr_Lo_°C =8.8
May_Lo_°C =5.9
Jun_Lo_°C =4.2
Jul_Lo_°C =3.1
Aug_Lo_°C =4.4
Sep_Lo_°C =6
Oct_Lo_°C =7.9
Nov_Lo_°C =9.6
Dec_Lo_°C =11.3
Year_Lo_°C =8.2
Jan_Precip_mm =99
Feb_Precip_mm =101
Mar_Precip_mm =115
Apr_Precip_mm =112
May_Precip_mm =104
Jun_Precip_mm =134
Jul_Precip_mm =130
Aug_Precip_mm =148
Sep_Precip_mm =119
Oct_Precip_mm =122
Nov_Precip_mm =102
Dec_Precip_mm =115
Year_Precip_mm =1401
source =NIWA Climate Datacite web
url=http://www.niwascience.co.nz/edu/resources/climate/|title=Climate Data|accessmonthday=November 2|accessyear=2007
publisher=NIWA|language=]
accessdate =1971 – 2000

Geothermal areas

Thermal activity is at the heart of much of Rotorua's tourist appeal. Geysers and bubbling mud-pools, hot thermal springs and the Buried Village (Te Wairoa) - so named after it was buried by the 1886 Mt Tarawera eruption - are within easy reach of the city.

Kuirau Park, to the west end of the central city, is also remarkable - hot bubbling mud pools dot the park, lending a surreal air to the setting. Visitors can soak their feet in hot pools.

Rotorua is nicknamed Sulphur City, because of the aforementioned thermal activity. The sulphur gives off an odour unique to Rotorua that adds to the visitor experience.

The especially pungent smell in the central-east 'Te Ngae' area is due to the dense sulphur deposits located next to the southern boundary of the Government Gardens, in the area known as 'Sulphur Point'.

Lakes

With 17 lakes, the Rotorua region is an aquatic paradise. Fishing, waterskiing, swimming and other water activities are popular in summer. The lakes are also great event venues; Rotorua hosted the 2007 World Waterski Championships. Lake Rotorua is also used as a departure and landing point for float planes.

Other activities

Rotorua is also home to botanical gardens and interesting historic architecture. Known as a spa town and major tourist resort since the 1800s, many of its buildings hint at this history. Government Gardens, close to the lakeshore at the eastern end of the town, are particularly worthy of note.

Another of Rotorua's attractions is the mountain biking. Whakarewarewa (also known as the "Redwoods") Forest has been described as 'the Disneyland of mountain biking' and has some of the best mountain bike trails in New Zealand. Rotorua hosted the UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships, in August 2006.

Famous people

*Jean Batten
*Susan Devoy
*Alan Duff
*Bevan Hari
*Tame Iti
*David Kosoof
*Danny Lee
*Elizabeth Marvelly
*Sir Howard Morrison
*Temuera Morrison
*Christopher Perkins
*Wayne "Buck" Shelford
*Miriama Smith
*Peter Tapsell
*Cliff Curtis
*Michael Barker (drummer)
*Liam Messam, rugby union player for Waikato
*Julian Dean, road racing cyclist
*Sam Bewley, NZ bronze medalist in cycling.

ister cities

Rotorua has four sister cities:

*flagicon|United States Klamath Falls, Oregon, USA [ [http://www.sister-cities.org/icrc/directory/usa/OR Sister Cities International] ]
*flagicon|Japan Beppu, Kyūshū, Japan
*flagicon|Australia Lake Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia
*flagicon|China Wuzhong, Suzhou, China

TV

The free-to-air TV stations received in Rotorua come from the Pukepoto transmitter. They are broadcast on the following frequencies:

References

External links

* [http://www.rotoruanz.com/ Official Rotorua Website]
* [http://nz.youtube.com/user/DestinationRotorua Official Rotorua YouTube channel]
* [http://itvlive.co.nz/ Visitor Information TV & Website]
* [http://tvrotorua.co.nz/ TV Rotorua]
* [http://www.kiwiherald.com/Rotorua.html Glorious Mud: A Tourist's Introduction to Rotorua]
* [http://www.zoomin.co.nz/nz/rotorua/ Rotorua Street Maps]
* [http://www.riderotorua.com/ Mountain Biking in Rotorua]
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