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ChangeBlack swan spotting
Lake Rotorua is full of black swans (introduced from Australia long ago). Find the swans on the lakeshore and take a group photo with the team posed at a respectful distance, swans in the foreground.
Checkpoint: Eat Streat
Walk to Eat Streat on Tutanekai Street and check in by the heated boardwalk.
Checkpoint: Government Gardens
Drive five minutes north to the Government Gardens and check in by the Bath House (Rotorua Museum) facade.
Checkpoint: Lakefront
Walk north to the Rotorua Lakefront and check in by the jetty.
Checkpoint: Te Puia
Navigate to Te Puia in the Whakarewarewa thermal valley and check in at the entrance gate.
Croquet lawn portrait
The Government Gardens have manicured croquet and bowling lawns. Find a lawn, grab a mallet (or mime one) and take a group photo with the team in a croquet-club pose.
Cultural performance respect
At a Maori cultural performance you may see waiata (songs), poi dances and the haka. Watch attentively and, where photographs are allowed by the host, take a respectful group photo with the team in the audience and the stage in the background.
Hangi taste
A hangi is a traditional Maori earth-oven feast: meat and vegetables steamed underground. Book a hangi at Te Puia, Mitai or Tamaki Maori Village (or order at a Rotorua restaurant) and take a group photo with everyone taking the first bite at the same time.
Lake Rotorua wide shot
Lake Rotorua fills the caldera of an ancient volcano. Find a vantage point on the lakefront and take a group photo with the lake stretching out to Mokoia Island in the distance behind everyone.
Local Rotoruan tip
Convince a local Rotorua resident to share a tip about the city. Take a photo with your impromptu guide and remember the tip.
Pohutu geyser pose
The Pohutu geyser is the largest active geyser in the southern hemisphere, erupting up to twenty times a day. Find the viewing platform, time your visit for an eruption and take a group photo with the geyser steaming behind everyone.
Polynesian Spa nod
The Polynesian Spa on the lakefront is one of the best thermal-pool complexes in the country. Photograph the entrance, or if the team has time, slip in for a soak and take a group photo poolside.
Rotorua finale
Final challenge. Find a beautiful Rotorua spot (the lakefront at golden hour, steam rising in Government Gardens at dusk, a Te Puia pou in evening light) and take an amazing closing group photo. Kia ora from the geothermal heart of Aotearoa!
Rotorua kick-off
The hunt begins! Find a classic Rotorua backdrop (a steaming vent in the park, a carved pou, the lakefront in the distance) and take a group photo with the whole team in shot.
Spot a flat white at a Rotorua café
Find a flat white at a Rotorua café cup. Photograph the foam art.
Spot a Government Gardens croquet lawn
In Government Gardens find the manicured croquet or bowling lawn. Photograph the lawn.
Spot a Hangi feast
Find a hangi (traditional earth-oven feast) on a menu, in a cultural village or a deli. Photograph the meal.
Spot a hot-spring footbath
Find a free public footbath fed by geothermal water (Kuirau Park has them). Photograph the bath.
Spot a kiwi-bird shop sign or souvenir
Find a kiwi-bird image on a sign, souvenir or T-shirt. The national bird. Photograph it.
Spot a koru fern spiral
Find a koru (unfurling fern frond) carved on a building, painted on a wall or as a souvenir spiral. Photograph the spiral.
Spot a Lake Rotorua trout sign
Find a trout-fishing reference: fish-and-chip shop, trout statue, lake fishing tour sign. Photograph the reference.
Spot a Maori carved post (pou)
Find a carved Maori pou (post) at a marae, park entrance or shop. Photograph the carving.
Spot a Maori greeting (kia ora) on a sign
Find "Kia ora" lettering on a shop window, welcome sign or souvenir. Photograph the lettering.
Spot a NZ silver fern in Rotorua
Find a silver fern on a souvenir, flag or facade. Photograph the fern.