As you drive into Rotorua, one of the first things you notice is the smell. The city is world-famous for its geothermal activity, but it comes at a cost. Do not fear; you will quickly get used to it. One of the second things you notice just off Highway 5 are the meandering luge tracks and cable car on the hill behind town. The entire complex is called Skyline Rotorua, and aside from the Luge and Gondola, it offers fine dining, mountain biking, superb viewpoints, hidden mountain raves, and a whole host of activities for thrill seekers.
Getting There
The most convenient way is to drive, the car park is just off State Highway 5 and has plenty of space — most of the time. Watch out for school holidays and long weekends. Whether you have just flown into Auckland and plan to rent a car or are doing a campervan tour of the North Island, the luge at Rotorua is an easily accessible activity to tick off the bucket list. If you find yourself in Rotorua without a car, do not despair; a bus regularly travels from the visitor centre in town to Skyline.
Upon arriving at the Skyline complex, you will realise that all the fun is a few hundred metres away at the top of the mountain. Luckily, some savvy Kiwi decided to set up a gondola to ferry passengers up and down. Said gondola runs from the visitor centre at the bottom to a small complex of restaurants and activities at the top — with amazing views all the way.
What is a Luge Anyway?
I have visited luges in a few places — Germany, Israel, and NZ. The German variation was somewhere in the Schwarzwald and differed from the other as it was on tracks, like a tiny one-person train with only a brake to control it. The Skyline Luge Rotorua is a bit different; you start by choosing a helmet before queuing for your luge cart. These are three-wheeled carts that sit very low and combine elements of both a toboggan and a go-cart.
3,2,1 Go!
You pull the handlebars backwards to go, and whoosh, the little things get up some incredible speed. There is a choice of tracks that split off from the main, scenic route, some faster, some slower, with plenty of hairpin bends, fast straights and tunnels. At first, the carts seem incredibly unstable, but the low centre of gravity makes them hard to tip over and the tracks are designed so you have to brake occasionally for corners.
Along several of the luge tracks, there are pit stops? Parking areas? — I’m not sure what the correct terminology is, but places you can stop and wait for your mates to catch up. One such place is the Hidden Forest, where parties are occasionally held. You can even rent out the hidden forest as a venue and have your guests arrive via luge.
Towards the bottom, all of the tracks converge, forming a couple of lanes, and you hop off your cart and onto a smaller chair lift to go back up to the top. This means you don’t actually take the gondola after every ride and can get back up a lot faster for non-stop excitement. Hold on to your phone when taking the chairlift, we saw an unfortunate lady’s iPhone plummet (about 10 metres) into the bush below.
The Night Luge
If the prospect of hurtling down a mountain in broad daylight isn’t your cup of tea, or you want to hide that terrified face from your mates, do not fear — the Skyline Rotorua night luge is a recent addition to the roster that makes it possible to luge 24/7 — well, almost. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, the luge opens after 5 p.m., and the tracks are illuminated with colourful lights. As this is seasonally dependent, hours will change throughout the year, so be sure to check out the Luge Rotorua opening hours or, even better, book in advance.
Other Activities
The luge itself is by far my favourite activity — and the main highlight of the skyline complex, but it is certainly not the only highlight. The gondola is set up for mountain biking, and tracks extend all the way down the hill with many small and large jumps and bumps. In fact, Skyline Rotorua hosts Crankworks, a yearly mountain biking festival where world-class riders perform some crazy stunts on the giant jumps. If, like me, you can’t perform a 360 on a mountain bike thirty meters into the air, rest assured there is plenty more to do. A personal favourite after a tiring morning of luging is the buffet at the Stratosfare Restaurant & Bar, which has a spectacular view over the city and a decent spread of fresh NZ food, as well as salads, sushi, and desserts.
If you are looking for an activity somewhere in between the buffet and bike park, there is a 400-meter-long zipline, or rather two ziplines next to each other so you can race a friend down. This option is included in some of the day passes and activity passes on offer.
For serious thrill seekers, there is something called the ‘Skyswing,’ which looks like an open-air pod with a few seats in it suspended on a string that attaches to a couple of huge towers right at the top of the mountain. I imagine you take a seat, brace yourself, and are quickly flung out into the air screaming.
Prices and Entry
The Skyline luge Rotorua prices do vary depending on exactly what you want to do; packages range from $91 for five luge rides ($59 for kids) to $189 for half-day passes that include a whole host of the aforementioned activities. Before you get to the top, check the luge Rotorua weight limit and height requirements to avoid disappointment — I did ride on my parent’s lap as a child, but modern health and safety requirements may no longer allow that.
Making a Day of it
Many will head to Rotorua for a weekend at least — there is plenty to keep you there even longer, from thermal pools to skydiving and Kiwi spotting, unique activities are plentiful. The Skyline gondola and luge rides in Rotorua are but one of so many attractions, just next door is the Kiwi Sanctuary; the Redwood forest is about 10 minutes away with treetop walks and more ziplines. There are more thermal pools than I care to count within 15 minutes of Skyline and places where you can roll in the mud (apparently it’s good for the skin). The bottom line is to make a day of it, prioritise what you want to see, and come back again for more.
