March 14, 2025 • 8 mins
"In a city awash with world-class hiking and biking trails, plus geothermal spectacles, it doesn’t take long to work up an appetite amid the sizzle of Rotorua. There are dining temptations aplenty, but here’s some tried-and-true belly-pleasers that I’d strongly suggest you reserve some stomach room for."
Read Mike's full article here.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack team podcast
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
That'd be Mike Cardle's our travel corresponding. He is here now, Kilder, Mike.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Good morning, Jacket. Feels like perf and christ Church today.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Okay, how so what great white sharks everywhere? Forty degrees
second most isolated city in the world.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
No, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's scot that sort of vibe
Jack the Western forcer in town. They're going to be
smashed even though the weather is more to the liking.
It's twenty five degrees and sunny in christ.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Is there right, twenty five already?
Speaker 4 (00:41):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Yeah, yeah, right.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
So okay, have you got great and rugby? Though?
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Is the Northwest or is it.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Probably will crank up at the moment. It's calm, but
I think it will crank up. But yeah, but I
love afternoon rugby. It's just the best.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
It is a I just reckon, yeah, I did kind
of afternoon slash slash evening sports. Like there's something to
be said for the may I mean this one, but
been one of the things walking all their games have
been or their home games have been at five pm.
It's just so nice, like just you know, anyway, massive difference. Anyway,
we're focusing on things slightly further north from where you
(01:16):
are today, bites and sites in Utrua, and there is
no sort of shortage of places in town for a
hot soak. But what is so good about why Riki?
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Oh my goodness check this ebe lead luxury spa boost
onto the scene about a year and a half ago,
and they have cemented themselves as a signature experience in town.
So rather than just taking like a quick dip in
a hot pole, why Ardeki comprises five distinct experiences.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
It's like a journey. It's like a wellness journey.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
So you move from the extremities of heat to cool
mud to water, air to steam, and it's all aimed
at ramping up the therapeutic benefits of all things to
your thermal So, for example, they've got the tonguerero fire
and ice capes. So you start off baking yourself in
the sauna and then you throw a bucket of ice
(02:10):
flakes all over your body. It's so theatrical and just
really sensory.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Yeah, and like it's not uncomfortable at all.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
Well, it's funny because I'm a bit of a wasp
when it comes to pole of plunging. I had this
sort of anxiety moment in Finland some years ago watching
the fins, you know, hurling themselves into oceanic pole of
water after baking themselves in the sauna. But Edwyiki, they've
got like this magnificent sequence of geothermal poles, and they
(02:43):
are designed so that you hop scotch from forty two
degrees of hot water to nine degrees in the plunge pole.
And I did finally summon the carriage to play ball jack.
It is shockingly invigorated. I mean, my body was tingling.
At first. I thought my body was burning from the
cold sensation, right, but then it just tingles. You get
(03:05):
this warm, tingling glow all over. It is quite transformative.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Okay, yeah, good. Yes, it's like a couple of moments
of discomfort, but the benefits ultimately are yeah nice. Okay.
So that's why, ikey, if you just head out of
town on the Skyline gondola, aside from using what else
should you do at the mountaintop?
Speaker 4 (03:25):
That's funny.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Actually, I had not loosed before until a few weeks
ago when I went up to the skyline. Yeah, I know,
isn't that crazy great place to lose your lousing virginity though,
because they've got seven kilometers of newly designed loose tracks
and they've got these super cool led lit tunnels on
the upper slopes of Mount non Otaha. But the other thing,
(03:50):
Jack is, once you've done your losing and whatnot, take
a walk on that skyline nature trail because you will
not get bit of us across the city and the
lake from those upper slopes. And I just loved looking
out at mccoya Island bobbing on the horizon in the
middle of the lake. And I didn't realize until recently
(04:12):
that that island is intricately linked with the love song
Paul Kata Kadiana. So that is the island that Henny
Mowers swims across the lake to to canoodle with her
forbidden lover on mccoya Islands.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
But yeah, fabulous walk up there. Just brilliant use.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
And I also love how the locally be they believe
fairy like people live in the forest on those misty mountaintops.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
They still believe that.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Interesting. Yeah, Okay, I didn't know that either. That's really interesting.
So for geothermal spectacles in towns where is good for
the social media feed.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
Yeah, there are so many choices. Jacket's a bit like
having to pick your favorite child. But if you're after
cartoonish colors and geothermal eye candy, I reckon wyld Tapu
just cannot fail to deliver because have got the Champagne Pool,
which is our largest hot spring, over sixty meters deep,
and it's got that fabulous Aqua marine center, and then
(05:14):
all the burnt orange edges artists Pellett our largest mud pole,
and I love big masses of mud. Maybe it's the
you know, the schoolboy child and me Jack, but just
watching that monstrous mess of gloopy, gurgling mud, it's like
watching a living, breathing, belching organism.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
I just love it.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
And then you've got crazy spectacles like Devil's Bath with
that electric green sulfur color.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
It kind of looks radioactive.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
So yeah, wild Tapoo, I think it's off the deluxe chart.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
Nature in the extreme nice.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Yeah, I've been there before. It's superb. We went a
little weekend away and yeah, it was just kind of
kind of amazing. It feels like you're in another plantay. Yeah,
Rutu has always been proud of its culinary offering. Are
there any fresh peats that took you fancy?
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Well, I went to Annie's gin bar and tapas for
the first time. So this is a Malori owned eatery
and the harder town and it exclusively showcases New Zealand
produce and beverages, lots of nostalgic nods to the kai
of the owner's childhood. So she has reworked that with
her culinary finesse. But you can sort of noth away
on small plates like cream power and panchetta rubbiolo smoke
(06:36):
smoked Cahawaii croquettes with wakami seaweed, and I thought of
you Jack for dessert sink into a Cadbury caramelo moose
with fresh berries and chantilely cream. That is just extraordinary.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Yeah, I think this sounds like a bit of me,
maybe a couple of those. Why is tipar tu so popular?
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Well, people will recall the Tammiki Maldi village just out
of Roalta Rua, So this has taken over from those
guys in that woodland par and really raised the bar
on delivering a truly lavish cultural performance and feast. It's
a four hour long celebration of culture and Kai in
(07:17):
the forest, and once again it's the eats that are
just so fabulous. The canapace things like hawk and apple
wrapped in cover color leaps we had pickled pickle, pickle,
native fun fronds pickled absolutely sensational. And of course the
three course dinner is Headlines with Honey as the hero.
(07:38):
But once again the ice cream another smash ship there,
Jack Kumerara ice cream superb.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Yeah, cheeky Okay, that sounds superb, very good. Well, good
luck against the force this afternoon. Enjoy that game and
we will make sure that all of your tips for
bites and sights and are up and available on the
news Talks He'd be website Mike Gardley, our travel correspondent
there before midday. She Hard's final tour. Their last show,
of course, is being performed at home Grown in Wellington tonight.
(08:06):
Plus we've got your book picks for this weekend, including
a fantastic book about Formula one which will give you
the details on very shortly. It is just coming up
to eleven thirty For.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
More from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame. Listen live to
News Talks ed B from nine am Saturday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio,
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack team podcast
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
That'd be Mike Cardle's our travel corresponding. He is here now, Kilder, Mike.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Good morning, Jacket. Feels like perf and christ Church today.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Okay, how so what great white sharks everywhere? Forty degrees
second most isolated city in the world.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
No, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's scot that sort of vibe
Jack the Western forcer in town. They're going to be
smashed even though the weather is more to the liking.
It's twenty five degrees and sunny in christ.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Is there right, twenty five already?
Speaker 4 (00:41):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Yeah, yeah, right.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
So okay, have you got great and rugby? Though?
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Is the Northwest or is it.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Probably will crank up at the moment. It's calm, but
I think it will crank up. But yeah, but I
love afternoon rugby. It's just the best.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
It is a I just reckon, yeah, I did kind
of afternoon slash slash evening sports. Like there's something to
be said for the may I mean this one, but
been one of the things walking all their games have
been or their home games have been at five pm.
It's just so nice, like just you know, anyway, massive difference. Anyway,
we're focusing on things slightly further north from where you
(01:16):
are today, bites and sites in Utrua, and there is
no sort of shortage of places in town for a
hot soak. But what is so good about why Riki?
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Oh my goodness check this ebe lead luxury spa boost
onto the scene about a year and a half ago,
and they have cemented themselves as a signature experience in town.
So rather than just taking like a quick dip in
a hot pole, why Ardeki comprises five distinct experiences.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
It's like a journey. It's like a wellness journey.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
So you move from the extremities of heat to cool
mud to water, air to steam, and it's all aimed
at ramping up the therapeutic benefits of all things to
your thermal So, for example, they've got the tonguerero fire
and ice capes. So you start off baking yourself in
the sauna and then you throw a bucket of ice
(02:10):
flakes all over your body. It's so theatrical and just
really sensory.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Yeah, and like it's not uncomfortable at all.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
Well, it's funny because I'm a bit of a wasp
when it comes to pole of plunging. I had this
sort of anxiety moment in Finland some years ago watching
the fins, you know, hurling themselves into oceanic pole of
water after baking themselves in the sauna. But Edwyiki, they've
got like this magnificent sequence of geothermal poles, and they
(02:43):
are designed so that you hop scotch from forty two
degrees of hot water to nine degrees in the plunge pole.
And I did finally summon the carriage to play ball jack.
It is shockingly invigorated. I mean, my body was tingling.
At first. I thought my body was burning from the
cold sensation, right, but then it just tingles. You get
(03:05):
this warm, tingling glow all over. It is quite transformative.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Okay, yeah, good. Yes, it's like a couple of moments
of discomfort, but the benefits ultimately are yeah nice. Okay.
So that's why, ikey, if you just head out of
town on the Skyline gondola, aside from using what else
should you do at the mountaintop?
Speaker 4 (03:25):
That's funny.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Actually, I had not loosed before until a few weeks
ago when I went up to the skyline. Yeah, I know,
isn't that crazy great place to lose your lousing virginity though,
because they've got seven kilometers of newly designed loose tracks
and they've got these super cool led lit tunnels on
the upper slopes of Mount non Otaha. But the other thing,
(03:50):
Jack is, once you've done your losing and whatnot, take
a walk on that skyline nature trail because you will
not get bit of us across the city and the
lake from those upper slopes. And I just loved looking
out at mccoya Island bobbing on the horizon in the
middle of the lake. And I didn't realize until recently
(04:12):
that that island is intricately linked with the love song
Paul Kata Kadiana. So that is the island that Henny
Mowers swims across the lake to to canoodle with her
forbidden lover on mccoya Islands.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
But yeah, fabulous walk up there. Just brilliant use.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
And I also love how the locally be they believe
fairy like people live in the forest on those misty mountaintops.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
They still believe that.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Interesting. Yeah, Okay, I didn't know that either. That's really interesting.
So for geothermal spectacles in towns where is good for
the social media feed.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
Yeah, there are so many choices. Jacket's a bit like
having to pick your favorite child. But if you're after
cartoonish colors and geothermal eye candy, I reckon wyld Tapu
just cannot fail to deliver because have got the Champagne Pool,
which is our largest hot spring, over sixty meters deep,
and it's got that fabulous Aqua marine center, and then
(05:14):
all the burnt orange edges artists Pellett our largest mud pole,
and I love big masses of mud. Maybe it's the
you know, the schoolboy child and me Jack, but just
watching that monstrous mess of gloopy, gurgling mud, it's like
watching a living, breathing, belching organism.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
I just love it.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
And then you've got crazy spectacles like Devil's Bath with
that electric green sulfur color.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
It kind of looks radioactive.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
So yeah, wild Tapoo, I think it's off the deluxe chart.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
Nature in the extreme nice.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Yeah, I've been there before. It's superb. We went a
little weekend away and yeah, it was just kind of
kind of amazing. It feels like you're in another plantay. Yeah,
Rutu has always been proud of its culinary offering. Are
there any fresh peats that took you fancy?
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Well, I went to Annie's gin bar and tapas for
the first time. So this is a Malori owned eatery
and the harder town and it exclusively showcases New Zealand
produce and beverages, lots of nostalgic nods to the kai
of the owner's childhood. So she has reworked that with
her culinary finesse. But you can sort of noth away
on small plates like cream power and panchetta rubbiolo smoke
(06:36):
smoked Cahawaii croquettes with wakami seaweed, and I thought of
you Jack for dessert sink into a Cadbury caramelo moose
with fresh berries and chantilely cream. That is just extraordinary.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Yeah, I think this sounds like a bit of me,
maybe a couple of those. Why is tipar tu so popular?
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Well, people will recall the Tammiki Maldi village just out
of Roalta Rua, So this has taken over from those
guys in that woodland par and really raised the bar
on delivering a truly lavish cultural performance and feast. It's
a four hour long celebration of culture and Kai in
(07:17):
the forest, and once again it's the eats that are
just so fabulous. The canapace things like hawk and apple
wrapped in cover color leaps we had pickled pickle, pickle,
native fun fronds pickled absolutely sensational. And of course the
three course dinner is Headlines with Honey as the hero.
(07:38):
But once again the ice cream another smash ship there,
Jack Kumerara ice cream superb.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Yeah, cheeky Okay, that sounds superb, very good. Well, good
luck against the force this afternoon. Enjoy that game and
we will make sure that all of your tips for
bites and sights and are up and available on the
news Talks He'd be website Mike Gardley, our travel correspondent
there before midday. She Hard's final tour. Their last show,
of course, is being performed at home Grown in Wellington tonight.
(08:06):
Plus we've got your book picks for this weekend, including
a fantastic book about Formula one which will give you
the details on very shortly. It is just coming up
to eleven thirty For.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
More from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame. Listen live to
News Talks ed B from nine am Saturday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio,
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