Rotorua to Yellowstone Comparison?

We recently spent two weeks seeing the geothermal features of Yellowstone National Park (USA). We will be spending one day in Tauranga during our upcoming New Zealand cruise and are thinking we'll skip Rotorua in favor of a beach/hiking day. (We will see Maori cultural sights in several other ports.) How do Rotorua's geothermal sights compare to Yellowstone's? Opinions from those who have seen both Yellowstone and Rotorua would be much appreciated.

We are from New Zealand and have taken our overseas visitors to Rotorua many a time, On our last visit we struck up conversation with some Amercians who had been to Yellowstone and they thought Rotorua was far superior. Which particular place in Rotorua would you likely be visiting, The wonderland of Waiatapu is the place to go.

Yellowstone is huge with lots of places to go and many things to see. It seems like Rotorua doesn't have the scale of places to visit as Yellowstone? The few places we went to weren't worth comparing to Yellowstone, but we didn't go to Waiatapu either. It seems to me though that is one place to stop, whereas Yellowstone has dozens of similar locations?

We are from New Zealand and have taken our overseas visitors to Rotorua many a time, On our last visit we struck up conversation with some Amercians who had been to Yellowstone and they thought Rotorua was far superior. Which particular place in Rotorua would you likely be visiting, The wonderland of Waiatapu is the place to go.

I respectively disagree having done both Yellowstone is miles ahead. Perhaps you had very polite tourists ???

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Thanks for the responses. This question has been posed on other forums and Blairknill's is far and away the majority opinion. Yellowstone is huge so perhaps the overly polite tourists did not see very much of it. From what I read, though, Wai-O-Taupo is very well recommended.

Thanks for the responses. This question has been posed on other forums and Blairknill's is far and away the majority opinion. Yellowstone is huge so perhaps the overly polite tourists did not see very much of it. From what I read, though, Wai-O-Taupo is very well recommended.

If you guys are fit try climbing up Mt Maunganui. Close to the port and the best views of Tauranga and it’s free! Great cafes at the base of this small mount or large hill

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Thanks again. Exactly what we're planning. We'll do Mt. Maunganui and then have some beach time. February is dead winter in New York, where we live, so the beach and a nice hike is very appealing and, as you pointed out, it's free too. If it's a rainy day we'll go to Rotorua.

Thanks again. Exactly what we're planning. We'll do Mt. Maunganui and then have some beach time. February is dead winter in New York, where we live, so the beach and a nice hike is very appealing and, as you pointed out, it's free too. If it's a rainy day we'll go to Rotorua.

February and March in Tauranga has the best weather so you should be fine, school is back after summer holidays so it will be quit. Enjoy your trip to NZ. Let me know if you have any other questions re your other ports whilst you are down under, happy to guide you through

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We've done both and Yellowstone is far superior to

Rotorua. OTOH we enjoyed the Maori Cultural center.

Only Yellowstone has Grand Prismatic Lake which is fantastic. But as for getting close to the mud pots, I think the place to go is Wai-O-Taupo.

Then again, I love watching the mud pots. I could pull up a chair and sit there all day lol

But the best I've seen is neither Yellowstone nor Rotarura. It is Iceland.

But the best I've seen is neither Yellowstone nor Rotarura. It is Iceland.

That was my question, but I am very biased..... I love Iceland. But I will gladly pay homage to another bubbling pot :cool:

I realise that this question is over 2 months old, but just wanted to throw in my 2 cents.

Yellowstone and Rotorua are, as far as I’m aware, the world’s 2 biggest geothermal areas, however having been to both, I agree that Yellowstone is superior.

The problem with Rotorua is that we kiwis have harnessed the power of the earth for geothermal power and this has weakened the geysers. Apparently there was once a time when Rotorua and Yellowstone were equally as impressive (in their explosive nature), but no longer.

Yes, if you've been to Yellowstone then you know it is truly in the middle of nowhere and still very much a wilderness area. It's remoteness as well as it's national park status protected it from commercialization. Thanks again for all the opinions.

Yellowstone and Rotorua are, as far as I’m aware, the world’s 2 biggest geothermal areas, however having been to both, I agree that Yellowstone is superior.

Plus Iceland and Kamchatka.