What's on in Rotorua, New Zealand through the year

Peak crowds — New Zealand summer holidays, Summer holidays in New Zealand

Nothing new starts in January.

Still on: New Zealand summer holidays (20 Dec – 1 Feb (usually))

Peak crowds — Tarawera Ultra-Trail, New Zealand summer holidays

• Festival

  Tarawera Ultra-Trail

  8–20 Feb · usuallyMajor festivalCrowded

  The country's biggest trail race, run through the forest and around the lakes in February, with distances up to a hundred miles and a start line in the middle of town. Source ↗

Still on: New Zealand summer holidays (20 Dec – 1 Feb (usually))

Busy — Crankworx Rotorua

• Festival

  Crankworx Rotorua

  5–20 Mar · usuallyMajor festivalCrowdedBook early

  Five days of mountain biking on Mount Ngongotaha: slopestyle, downhill and a lot of people in the forest. The town's accommodation goes months ahead for it. Source ↗

Busy — Term 1 (April / Easter) break in New Zealand, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in April.

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in May.

Busy — Matariki, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

• Season

  Steam on cold mornings

  1 Jun – 31 Aug

  Every vent, drain and lakeside pool in the city steams on a cold winter morning, and the geothermal parks look twice as active as they do in February. Get there when they open.

• Holiday

  Matariki

  20 Jun – 15 Jul · usuallyMajor festivalClosures

  The Māori new year is a public holiday on a date that moves with the star cluster's rise, and Te Arawa mark it here with dawn ceremonies, lights and hāngī. Shops keep the holiday. Source ↗

Peak crowds — Matariki, Term 2 (July) break in New Zealand

Nothing new starts in July.

Still on: Steam on cold mornings (1 Jun – 31 Aug), Matariki (20 Jun – 15 Jul (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Steam on cold mornings (1 Jun – 31 Aug)

Busy — Term 3 (Sept/Oct) break in New Zealand, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in September.

Peak crowds — Trout season opens, Term 3 (Sept/Oct) break in New Zealand

• Opening

  Trout season opens

  1–10 OctCrowded

  The lakes open to fishing on 1 October and the boat ramps are busy at first light, though Rotoiti, Ōkataina and Tarawera hold their boat opening until the Saturday after. Source ↗

Busy — one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in November.

Peak crowds — New Zealand summer holidays, Summer holidays in New Zealand

• Holiday

  New Zealand summer holidays

  20 Dec – 1 Feb · usuallySchool holidaysCrowded

  Families from Auckland and the Waikato fill the motels and the luge queue over the holidays, and the lakes turn into a boating carnival. Book the thermal parks for early in the day. Source ↗