Catching the Magic

Travels in New Zealand and beyond, going back to 2003!

Menu
  • Home
  • About
  • Blasts from the past
  • Country Kids
  • Motherhood
  • Poetry
    • 2011 Poetry
    • 2012 Poetry
    • 2013 Poetry
    • 2014 Poetry
    • 2015 Poetry
    • 2016 Poetry
    • 2017-2018 Poetry
  • Travel
    • Auckland
    • Fiordland
    • Kapiti Coast
    • Nelson, Tasman, Marlborough & Canterbury
    • Otago, Queenstown, Wanaka & Southern Lakes
    • Taupo, Rotorua & Tongariro National Park
    • Wairarapa
    • Byron Bay and the Gold Coast (2005 and 2016)
    • Californian Adventures, 2013-14
    • Canada, Dec. 2018
    • Cook Islands
    • Copenhagen, July & August 2014
    • Japan
    • Singapore
    • Sydney
    • UK Visits from 2014 to 2022
    • England via Santa Barbara & San Francisco, 2012
    • England via San Francisco – July 2007
    • NZ to UK, with our 9 month old, 2004
  • Running
  • Special Days
Menu

Rotorua Skyline Gondola & thrills

Posted on October 10, 2015October 10, 2015 by BritMumInNZ

On a glorious spring day in the school hols we spent a day of thrills in Rotorua, just under a one hour drive from where we were staying in Taupo.

IMG_7879-1 (dragged)
From the top of the Gondola.

Rotorua is well known for its smoking fumaroles, geysers, natural mineral spa and mud pools, all of which we’ve visited on previous trips to this beautiful part of the central North Island of New Zealand. There are an abundance of places to visit, but on this occasion we were focused on one place in particular…

Rotorua bathed in colours of spring.
Rotorua bathed in colours of spring.

We spent the day at ‘Skyline Rotorua‘, where the day started with a gondola ride up Mt Ngongotaha.

Sisters, Charlotte, Alice & Sophie riding up the Skyline gondola in Rotorua.
Sisters, Charlotte, Alice & Sophie riding up the Skyline gondola in Rotorua.

The first thrill, after the gondola ride up, was the ‘sky swing’ – for my two oldest daughters and hubby. Alice and I watched on with much amusement!

Charlotte, Dad & Sophie on the big-swing!
Charlotte, Dad & Sophie on the big-swing!

Their facial expressions when the swing makes the first, huge, plunge, travelling up to 150 kph are hilarious…

OMG!
OMG!

Check out the video!

Next on the agenda was ‘luge time’!

IMG_7882-1 (dragged)

This is incredible fun and something we’ve done on previous holidays to Rotorua and also Queenstown, in the South Island of New Zealand.

Dan caught a little footage of the girls and I enjoying a ride (I had Alice sat with me – and she was freaking me out by pushing the lever forward to go faster! Hence the screaming…!).

There were a number of trails to zoom down-hill on, before riding back up on a chair-lift.

IMG_7875-1 (dragged)
Sophie & Charlotte riding up the chair-lift in Rotorua
Dad & Sophie selfie!
Alice preparing to ride!
DYua8
Alice and Mummy, waving from the chair-lift, with one of the luge trails running down-hill behind.

The scenic trail had some dinosaurs, which young Alice enjoyed taking a closer look at!

IMG_7898-1 (dragged)
Alice takes on the dinosaurs in Rotorua!
IMG_7895-1 (dragged)
Alice, the brave!

And there were beautiful nature trails that we enjoyed exploring in between rides.

Gorgeous blossom trees!
Gorgeous blossom trees!

As well as some adorable Llamas…

Hello there Llama!
Hello there Llama!

Alice tried to get as close as possible.

Alice greeting the Llamas
Alice greeting the Llamas

Whilst Alice and I enjoyed the scenery, Sophie went for a ride on the zip line with her Daddy.

Here she goes….

She really flew down!

Sophie whizzing down on the zip-line.
Sophie whizzing down on the zip-line.

Dan went next…

The other attraction – for the girls – was the huge jelly-bean store at the top of the gondola! There was some impressive jelly-bean artwork, but the ‘Bean Boozled Challenge’ was what my youngest most loved!

Jelly bean store Rotorua Skyline
Jelly bean store Rotorua Skyline

Yes, we had a scream of a time and drove back to Taupo in the late afternoon feeling high as kites (that may have had something to do with the number of jelly beans we ate!).

We relaxed by the pool that evening, watching the colours of the sunset.

Sunset over Lake Taupo
Sunset over Lake Taupo

Young Alice joined me for a little pool-side yoga too!

Poolside yoga.
Poolside yoga.

Great fun day all round.

_____________________________________

Linking up with…

Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall

Related posts

  • Summer holiday in Rotorua & TaupoMarch 29, 2023 Summer holiday in Rotorua & Taupo
  • A spring holiday in Wanaka and Queenstown’s outdoor playgrounds!November 1, 2020 A spring holiday in Wanaka and Queenstown’s outdoor playgrounds!
  • Getting back into the home education grooveNovember 6, 2016 Getting back into the home education groove
  • Home in England & beating the jet-lag outdoorsSeptember 11, 2016 Home in England & beating the jet-lag outdoors
  • Outdoor snapshots from our last days of winter in WellingtonSeptember 4, 2016 Outdoor snapshots from our last days of winter in Wellington
  • Crystal Castle dreaming…August 9, 2016 Crystal Castle dreaming…
Category: Holidays Life in action - Videos

Post navigation

← A ride on the wild side of the Waikato River, Taupo, New Zealand
The magic moments that make a holiday – snippets from Taupo →
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

Archives

Recent Posts

  • A holiday in paradise – ten blissful days in Rarotonga, in the beautiful Cook Islands. August 8, 2023
  • Marlborough Food & Wine Festival Birthday Celebration August 7, 2023
  • A few running events to kick off the year & a sub-4 PB at the Rotorua Marathon! May 10, 2023
  • Auckland mid-week break away for Harry Styles! April 4, 2023
  • Celebrating a Birthday with a Meerkat Encounter! March 30, 2023
  • Summer holiday in Rotorua & Taupo March 29, 2023
  • Christmas and a Birthday in Wellington January 12, 2023
  • Summer highlights from the Wairarapa January 8, 2023
  • A long weekend with friends near Goat Island Marine Reserve January 6, 2023
  • It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas – southern hemisphere style! December 23, 2022
  • Wellington Lantern Festival – in the spring rain December 18, 2022
  • Toast Martinborough – Wine and Food Festival December 16, 2022

Things I Write About

Art (100) autumn (42) Baking (37) beach (67) Birthday (51) birthday party (31) breastfeeding (29) cafes (46) christmas (70) Country Kids (59) family (115) family time (57) featured (34) friends (38) Garden (43) holiday (36) Holidays (131) Lyall Bay (47) Lyrical Sunday (68) milestones (62) motherhood (37) New Zealand (38) parenting (36) photography (39) poem (69) poetry (92) running (57) Santa Barbara (32) school (75) school holidays (49) seasons (45) Silent Sunday (51) sisters (29) sleep (35) spring (38) summer (60) swimming (28) the gallery (62) Things I'm Loving (118) UK (30) Walks (47) weather (34) Wellington (137) winter (42) writing (50)

Poetry

Follow Sarah's board Poetry by Sarah Lee on Pinterest.
20 Of The Best Expat Blogs To Follow In 2017

Related posts

  • Summer holiday in Rotorua & TaupoMarch 29, 2023 Summer holiday in Rotorua & Taupo
  • A spring holiday in Wanaka and Queenstown’s outdoor playgrounds!November 1, 2020 A spring holiday in Wanaka and Queenstown’s outdoor playgrounds!
  • Getting back into the home education grooveNovember 6, 2016 Getting back into the home education groove
  • Home in England & beating the jet-lag outdoorsSeptember 11, 2016 Home in England & beating the jet-lag outdoors
  • Outdoor snapshots from our last days of winter in WellingtonSeptember 4, 2016 Outdoor snapshots from our last days of winter in Wellington
  • Crystal Castle dreaming…August 9, 2016 Crystal Castle dreaming…
© 2023 Catching the Magic | Powered by Minimalist Blog WordPress Theme