Day 3: Hahei → Hobbiton → Rotorua
2026-11-04 · Hahei → Rotorua
153 mi · 247 km · 3h 50m @40mph
South via Tairua and Paeroa (obligatory photo at the giant L&P bottle) to Hobbiton for the early-afternoon movie set tour — book well ahead; the Evening Banquet Tour is the splurge. Then an easy run into Rotorua and a soak in the Polynesian Spa's lakefront hot pools, 50 m from the van.
Stops
- Paeroa L&P Bottle~10:11sightThe giant Lemon & Paeroa bottle — New Zealand's kitschiest and most obligatory roadside photo stop.
- Hobbiton Movie Set~12:37sightGuided tour of the 44-hobbit-hole Shire from The Lord of the Rings, finishing with a pint at the Green Dragon.
- Polynesian Spa~14:49geothermalRotorua's famous lakefront complex of tiered hot mineral pools on the edge of Lake Rotorua.
Tonight: Rotorua
No place picked for this night yet.
In Rotorua base plan
- Hamurana Reserve freedom-camp
Backup for the Hinemoa St freedom camp — 10 self-contained spaces on the quiet north shore of Lake Rotorua; park 4pm–9am, two-night max.
- Rotorua Top 10 Holiday Park holiday-park
Central Rotorua with thermal-heated pool; handy for the geothermal parks and Redwoods.
- Government Gardens Motorhome Area freedom-camp
Self-contained only — paved central area opposite the Polynesian Spa, up to 17 vehicles, max 2 consecutive nights. No toilets/water on site.
- Trout Pool Road, Okere Falls freedom-camp
Second Rotorua freedom-camp backup — 6 self-contained spaces near Okere Falls, north-east of the lake.