Rotorua Canopy Tours is celebrating their latest win in the Top 10 experiences for South Pacific as judged by TripAdvisor Traveller’s Choice awards Best of the Best for 2020. Now this is not their only accolade, but the latest in a long string of awards the company has gathered in their eight years of operation. Their motivation however is to go even better by delivering the best visitor experience on the planet…now that is an ambitious KPI!
Rotorua is famous for its pristine natural beauty and is situated in the Bay of Plenty region on the North Island, New Zealand. From sparkling lakes and lush forests, to epic biking trails and explosive geysers, Rotorua has it all. However, in years gone by, Rotorua was part of a rich logging industry which destroyed old-growth forests in the region. As luck would have it, a pocket of ancient forest remained as it delivered some scenic value for those enjoying a train ride to the town. It is this pocket of ancient old-growth forest which Rotorua Canopy Tours is fortunate enough to call home.
With international borders currently closed, Rotorua Canopy Tours have lost access to 60% of their regular customers. For the interim that means quieter times with domestic and corporate customers able to enjoy the ziplining experience in smaller numbers. The forest adventure delivers a journey through prehistoric native forest and allows customers to explore the rainforest canopy through a network of ziplines, swing bridges, cliff-walks, tree top platforms and more. Perfect for families and children 6 years plus, expect a 3-hour experience that is both unforgettable and enlightening.
And here’s the twist… tourism is restoring nature!
Rotorua Canopy Tours is not your standard zipline experience. Their vision is to offer a life-changing encounter with the natural world that aims to delight guests. The ancient forest provides the magical setting – the ziplines, swing bridges, cliff walkways and other features are simply a way to experience it. Conservation was an important factor in the Rotorua Canopy Tours’ mantra since the beginning. Initially the forest was in poor health and had a total rat and possum infestation. The goal was to hear the bird song ringing loud through the forest and the aim has been to see the canopy flourish once again.
The twin bid to save the native forest and the establishment of Rotorua Canopy Tours is one of New Zealand’s leading conservation stories. Each customer who participates on a canopy tour is part of that story, as a portion of their ticket price contributes to the conservation efforts. Today, Rotorua Canopy Tours has worked to trap over 250ha of the forest thanks to customers participation. There have been amazing results with the possums gone and the trees have been able to restore and flourish. Native animals are returning including long-tailed cuckoo -koekoeā, rare striped skink, tom tit and North Island robin. See the difference in the following photos of the before and after shots on the health of the forest canopy.
A visit to Rotorua Canopy Tours is very much an emotional journey as well as an activity challenge. It is the connection and ownership of a regenerated old-growth forest that has made Rotorua Canopy Tours a much-loved nature experience in an area that is so reliant on tourism and unforgettable adventures. The beauty is with each visitor contributing to the transformation of the local eco-system. Rotorua Canopy Tours’ promise is to keep each visitor safe, create some laughs along the way and become part of the forest restoration story.
Good to know:
Rotorua is a 3-hour drive south-east of Auckland and is easily one of the most popular areas to visit on the North Island for many good reasons. It is the centre of Māori culture as well as the main geothermal hub (think bubbling mud pools, shooting geysers & natural hot springs). Rotorua is beautiful with numerous sparkling lakes and lush forests. The town has countless activities on offer, you could easily stay for 3+ nights. Rotorua delivers many iconic New Zealand experiences including thermal wonderlands to explore, visit a living Māori village and Arts and Crafts institute, don’t miss Hobbiton enroute to Rotorua for your Lord of the Rings fix, and loads of action options including white water rafting, mountain biking, luge rides and plenty more! Read more on Rotorua
And finally:
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