Field Trips Wednesday 21 September

Field Trip A:
Best management practices: Waikato River and Lake Taupo

Kindly sponsored by Environment Waikato

Departs from the Rotorua Energy Events Centre at 8.30 am.
This field trip combines the beautiful scenery of the upper Waikato River and Lake Taupo with best management practices designed to protect these waterways. It commences with viewing recent conversions of exotic plantation forestry to pasture in the upper Waikato River, and examining best management practices on a large, intensive dairy farm unit where there was plantation forestry until recently. A visit to Lake Taupo includes a lunch stop on the shores of New Zealand’s largest lake and then a visit to treatment wetlands for managing wastewater discharge from communities around the lake. The afternoon includes a visit to the spectacular Huka Falls where the upstream Lake Taupo discharge (200 cumecs) flows into a canyon and cascades over a natural rockfall. Issues with discharges of heavy metals arising from geothermal power discharges are discussed here including recent re-injection solutions. The final stop is to a sheep and beef farm where practices to reduce diffuse nitrogen inputs are well advanced under a regulatory framework in which nitrogen ‘units’ are traded in the Lake Taupo catchment. The field concludes with return to Rotorua at 5.15 pm.

Field Trip B:
Land use and lake water quality in the Rotorua lakes

Kindly sponsored by Environment Bay of Plenty

Departs from the Rotorua Energy Events Centre at 8.30 am.
The Rotorua lakes consist of some 15 volcanically-formed lakes renowned for their beauty, trout fishing and cultural history. This field trip examines management practices introduced to the Rotorua lakes primarily to restore water quality which has deteriorated in some of the lakes. It begins with a visit to Lake Okaro, the smallest of the lakes, where innovative dairy farming techniques have been combined with constructed wetlands and in-lake nutrient removal treatments, to being about substantial improvements in the lake water quality. A return to Rotorua includes visits to natural and management features within this catchment, including: alum dosing of specific lake inflows, stormflow sampling techniques, and nitrate contamination of aquifers and springs supplying the lake. We take lunch at Hamurana Springs, the largest spring in the North Island (3 cumecs) before visiting a diversion wall to protect Lake Rotoiti from the effects of diffuse pollution from upstream Lake Rotorua. The last part of the field trip is around Lake Rotoehu where we view weed harvesting within the lake, treatment of geothermal inflows to the lake, floating wetlands, and discuss land use change. We conclude with (optional) natural outdoor geothermal bathing – bring a towel and $10 – before returning to Rotorua at 5.15 pm.

Field Trip C:
Kaituna River Rafting Trip

Pick up from the Energy Events Centre at 10 am and returning to Polynesian Spa at 1.00pm. The Ultimate Grade 5 River featuring the world’s highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world, the awesome 7 metre Tutea Falls. Adrenaline pumping,fast and furious.
Guests will be on the river for approximately 45 minutes however you will need to allow 3 hours total turn around time from Rotorua including return travel to Rotorua, safety briefing and training, getting changed etc.
The Kaituna River is reasonably full on but is still suitable for first time rafters. While this river is fast and furious all major rapids are followed by calm water making it very forgiving for a grade 5 trip. All River Rats trips on this river have two qualified guides per raft to take care of the more technical aspects of the rafting.
The other great thing about the Kaituna River is it is a lake fed river not mountain fed which means the water temperature is generally warmer than other rivers rafted in New Zealand.
Cost $90 (Rafting only, Polynesian Spa treatments and or refreshments are additional cost)

Polynesian Spa

Relax and unwind after a day of thrill seeking

Polynesian Spa is one of New Zealand's oldest international spas and attracts both New Zealand and overseas visitors from a very broad range of countries. For a number of years, we have been recognised as one of the World Top Ten Spas (natural/ thermal/ medical) by readers of the UK Conde Nast Traveller Magazine, 2004-2007 & 2009. The spa is a 100% New Zealand-owned private company, operated by the Lobb family since 1972. In almost forty years we have had a policy of continuous improvement that has seen the old government-run baths of the mid 1900’s transformed into the internationally-renowned spa that it is today. All development has capitalized on the totally unique geothermal views from the spa overlooking Sulphur Bay on Lake Rotorua and on the sustainable use of the health-giving Rotorua geothermal waters. In addition, all developments have been done in strict sympathy with the original 1930’s heritage buildings on the site.

It is essential that you book any Spa treatments you desire before arriving at the Spa. To view the available treatments and prices, please click here. Entry to the hotpools can be paid on the day.