Te Puia

Te Puia sits in the Whakarewarewa thermal valley and combines two things that would each justify a visit. The geothermal field holds Pohutu, the largest active geyser in the southern hemisphere, which erupts to around thirty metres roughly once or twice an hour alongside the smaller Prince of Wales Feathers, plus mud pools and silica terraces. And it houses the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute, established by an Act of Parliament in 1963 to keep carving and weaving alive at a point when both were at risk: students from iwi across the country train here for years under master carvers and weavers, and visitors walk through the working schools rather than a display. There is also a kiwi house. Guided tours are led by local guides from Te Arawa, and the evening experiences include a hangi. Pohutu's timing is not fixed, so seeing it erupt is partly luck.

What you actually see

• Pohutu geyser - the largest active geyser in the southern hemisphere.
• The carving school - students working under master carvers.
• The weaving school - harakeke work in the same institute.
• The thermal valley - mud pools, silica and steam through the site.

When to go

Any season; cold mornings show the steam best. Pohutu erupts once or twice an hour but not to a timetable - allow time rather than expecting it on cue.

Honest expectations

Ticketed and expensive, with evening experiences priced on top. Geyser timing is unpredictable. The carving schools are working classrooms - photography of students may be restricted.

Nearby

Whakarewarewa Living Village is adjacent; the redwood forest and Rotorua city are close.