Anu M.
Yelp
Our first stop at Rotorua was Kuirau Park. It is open to the public with no admission fee and no closing hours really. What surprised me about this place was that, there were fumaroles emitting from every nook and corner of this huge park.
Don't worry though, as long as you stay on the boardwalks and don't walk beyond the safety fence, you are good.
The legend has it that in early Maori times, when a beautiful, young woman named Kuiarau was bathing in a lake in this park, a legendary creature named Taniwha dragged her to his lair. The irked goddesses made the water boil to destroy the creature. From then on, the water continues to boil and is named after the gorgeous woman, so the legend goes.
The park is still alive with vigorous geothermal activity; take a walk around to see the fumaroles, steam vents, mud pools and boiling lakes up close. When the wind blows, the steam swirls around emanating the rotten egg. Trust me when I say this - the smell during the first few minutes is unbearable, but you'll get used to it when you spend more time in Rotorua.