Sulphur Point
The Basics
Follow the boardwalk around the point to find steaming mud pools and vents. Signed placards explain the volcanic action. For a more informed look and a unique point of view, hop aboard a jet boat for a high-speed ride on Lake Rotorua while the driver points out the geothermal features of Sulphur Bay. Visitors can also enjoy an aquatic adventure on an amphibious Duck boat tour, which travels past Government Gardens before making a splash.
Things to Know Before You Go
The water in the bay at Sulphur Point is unsafe for swimming.
Bird-watchers should bring binoculars to see a wealth of different species.
Stroll the area on your own, or select from among city sightseeing, amphibious Duck, or jet boat tours.
How to Get There
The shores of Lake Rotorua can be found only 10 minutes north of downtown by car. Sulphur Point is situated at Lake Rotorua’s southern end, and is reached via a walking path behind the Government Gardens. There are multiple places to begin the trail, and the round-trip walk along the lakeshore can take as long as two hours. A hop-on hop-off tour of Rotorua highlights includes stops at the lakefront and Sulphur Point.
Trip ideas
When to Get There
On a misty morning, a lakeside stroll past Sulphur Point can have an eerie feel that is accompanied by the gurgle of mud, and on any day this is an affordable way to explore the volcanic sights. Sunrise and sunset are especially good times to take photos from shore.
What Is That Smell?
From the moment you set foot in this North Island hot spot, a pungent smell like rotten eggs seems to waft in the air like a cloud. Don’t worry; it doesn’t take long to get used to the distinctive scent, which is the result of fresh sulphur and the Earth’s volcanic flux. Here, sulphur particles suspended in the shallows turn the water a milky white.
- Things to do in North Island
- Things to do in Tauranga
- Things to do in Tongariro National Park
- Things to do in Hastings
- Things to do in Waiheke Island
- Things to do in Auckland
- Things to do in Wellington
- Things to do in Picton
- Things to do in Akaroa
- Things to do in Queenstown
- Things to do in South Island
- Things to do in New South Wales
- Things to do in Wanaka
- Things to do in Tasmania
- Things to do in Victoria
- Government Gardens Rotorua
- Rotorua Museum (Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa)
- Blue Baths
- Polynesian Spa
- Lake Rotorua
- Ohinemutu
- Te Pā Tū (Tamaki Māori Village)
- Whakarewarewa
- Te Puia
- Maori Arts and Crafts Institute (Te Puia)
- Rainbow Springs Nature Park
- Mitai Maori Village
- Velocity Valley
- Agrodome
- Redwoods Forest Whakarewarewa