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REGION SIX
So here we were at the end of our journey around New Zealand and after staying in lodges, hostels, B and B, a campervan (thanks Damian) we thought we would try and finish with a bang. So we rang the Heritage Park Hotel in Rotorua and were pleasantly surprised when they agreed to let us stay with them. Quite often big chains have to pass it through a central office but the Rotorua Heritage is actually separately owned. It is also my idea of exactly how a hotel should be and how it should be run. If you need anything the staff are incredibly helpful but sadly they don't show off that much as nearly everything you could need is there.
They have 203 air-conditioned rooms (the air in Rotorua has its own condition anyway) and they range from standard through to suite style accommodation. Our room was spacious and allowed us to sit and relax as well as write things up for you lot. But if we had not wanted to sit in our room we could have gone downstairs to the foyer area and sat near an open fire. We were treated to a superb breakfast each day, either in bed or in the on-site restaurant. The choice was just amazing. There was a gym, which I looked at, a heated swimming pool, which I sort of swam in (I am getting better) and a spa pool which I sat in. Also on site is the Pohutu Theatre where there is a nightly cultural show but you read about that here.
And all the time, all around us, steam was rising out of the ground. We could see it each morning from the bedroom window. And my favourite bit. The bath. I mean you can stand a shower for a while but nothing beats lying back in a warm bath. And Ev was surprised that she could actually choose her pillow, another nice little touch. So to Marcus and his staff a big thank you for making our final stop so good.
Contact Details: Website www.heritagehotels.co.nz; email: info@parkheritagerotorua.co.nz Tel:0064 (0)7 348 1182 or, within NZ 0800 108 114
CAMERON THERMAL MOTEL - TAURANGA
Captain Cook, who did so much to put New Zealand on the map, is responsible for many of the names now used in these islands. He came up with the Bay of Islands because there were lots of them, the Bay of Plenty, because he found all he wanted there and Poverty Bay because you can't be right all the time. Had he ventured down Cameron Road in Tauranga today, the Bay of Plenty may well have been called the Bay of Motels. It is an amazingly long road and motels, hotels and lodges abound. So to stand out in such company you have to be a bit special and luckily we picked a special one when we stayed at Cameron Thermal Motel.
The Motel is owned by Rein and Marjory van Staalduinene from Holland. They have a beautifully clean Motel with a heated thermal pool and a private spa plus a play area for kids and those who think they are still kids. Or those who have just eaten at Harbourside restaurant down the road and are trying to work it off. Catering very much for the family the TV's have playstation compatibility.
The pool was really warm although the weather we had could have been a bit better. There was ample parking and we had a most enjoyable and relaxing stay with all attractions, such as Mount Manganui, in easy reach. A really nice stay.
Contact Details: Website www.cameronmotel.co.nz; email: stay@cameronmotel.co.nz Tel:0064 (0)7 578 259
