Rotorua

Rotorua is located on the lake of the same name in the heart of the North Island. Its name comes from Maori language, with 'Roto' meaning 'lake' and 'Rua' meaning 'second'. This refers to the fact that Rotorua was the second lake discovered by the Maori, of seventeen in the area in total. In the latter half of the 19th century, Rotorua prospered as a spa destination. This was helped greatly by the opening of the rail connection to Auckland in the 1890s, as many people would travel to escape from the city and enjoy one of the bath houses the town had to offer.

One of the town's highlights is the Rotorua Museum, which is in the main old bath house building. The museum first opened in just one wing of the structure in 1969, and continued to increase in capacity until 1988, by which time it occupied the entire building. The museum is also an art gallery, and as such its collections include fine arts along with special artefacts relating to Maori culture, and ranges of displays on social history and photography.