How to get there

Waimangu Volcanic Valley is 20 mins from Rotorua or 45 mins from Taupō. If you’re coming from Rotorua, head out of town towards Taupō along SH5 Thermal Explorer Highway. The turnoff is signposted - turn left into Waimangu Road (the surrounding farmland is stunning by the way) and keep going until you reach the carpark.

Sometimes, I like being a tourist in my own backyard. It turns out, so does the tall fella. Sunday is our day to go exploring together. He once told me that when he was a kid he wanted to grow up and become a geologist, it didn’t happen, so I guess a two-hour walk in a geothermal valley is the next best thing. Oh and the tall fella does have a name. His name’s Aaron, and he’s lovely.

Waimangu Volcanic Valley is about 1.5 hours from Whakatāne. It’s a paid tourist attraction with the options of a self-guided walk or hike, as well as a boat cruise on Lake Rotomahana. The walk starts and finishes at the info centre, which also has a gift shop and cafe. We booked our self-guided walk tickets online, and tickets can also be purchased on the day. 

This was actually the second time I’ve done the self-guided walk at Waimangu Volcanic Valley. Back in 2021, I was researching easy walks around the Bay of Plenty to do with my parents. We had started doing day walks and some beginner tracks as a family when the COVID-19 restrictions started to ease. Waimangu Volcanic Valley had just reopened and were running specials, so I took Mum and Dad, Kuya Jovial and Kat to check it out. The photos are a combination of my 2021 and 2023 visits.

If you’re like me and have dodgy knees, don’t worry, the path is well formed. There are some steps, but the track would be suitable for most pushchairs. It’s a 4km walk from the info centre to the lake, with the option to take the bus back to the info centre at three different sections of the track. If you’re up for a hike, take the Haszard Hiking Trail at Inferno Lake (I’ve yet to do this). The trail rejoins the main walking track to the lake.

The self-guided walk comes with a detailed brochure of the awesome sights along the way. Some of the highlights for me were Frying Pan Lake, Cathedral Rocks, Inferno Lake, silica terraces, stalactites and the massive crater from the Mt Tarawera eruption. The walk took us about two hours - we definitely took our time, stopping for lots of photos, reading the info and just enjoying the views.

Aaron and I are hobby photographers, and maybe because it was my second time that I didn’t take as many photos as last time. He’s so much more observant than I am, and he pointed out a few things I don’t remember from my 2021 visit. Make sure to check out # 5 - at face value it’s average looking, but it has a lot of historical significance to the area.

The Bay of Plenty has had record levels of rain in the last six months and it’s caused a lot of flooding in the Rotorua lakes and surrounding areas. The wetland part of the track (about 20 mins from Lake Rotomahana) was flooded and closed to the public. Just follow the arrows and walk along the road until it connects back onto the track. You still have views of the wetlands from the road.

We had plenty of time before the scheduled bus pick up at the lake, so we hung out at the jetty admiring the view of the massive crater on Mt Tarawera. Part of the lake (including an epic lakeside picnic spot) was closed off because of high lake levels. I had to do a bit of kung-fu fighting with the sandflies, so if you’re a bloodsucker magnet like me, bring some bug spray. We even got chatting to a few tourists, including a family from Germany and a couple from Auckland. When the bus arrived, about 10 people got off to check out the lake. The bus driver told the rest of us to grab our seats and they wouldn’t be long. I think the drive back was about 15 mins, which was plenty of time for Aaron to get chatting to a family from Taiwan. They had a toddler and were encouraging her to practice her English with Aaron - she was adorable. 

I reckon that Waimangu Volcanic Valley self-guided walk is good value for money. We were a bit short for time so decided to save the boat cruise for another day. We read that it goes past the site of the old Pink and White Terraces, so we’re keen for that. That’s another adventure with the tall fella…watch this space.

Ronna Grace Funtelar is a 40-something desk-fit creative, weekend explorer and cheese enthusiast in Whakatāne, New Zealand. She has a big butt, chunky thighs and shakin’ more jelly than Destiny’s Child. Her creaky knees discovered an appreciation for Type 2 adventures in the bush and mountains in her thirties, and she’s been hiking ever since.

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