Set high in the hills this workshop is a great place to spend the morning. Very welcoming and friendly atmosphere. With no past experience we crafted a piece of artwork under Rob's skilled guidance. Enjoyed a scrumptious morning tea and left with a great sense of achievement. Even got to keep our prized creation! Amazing to see the skill and passion Rob has for blacksmithing Thanks Rob and family

There are not many most do in Nz but this is definitely one. Just go for it. You wont doubt it. I did it with my father and we both enjoyed it really much. Together with the waitomo caves the two best things on the north island. It is just awesome, Rob is funny, friendly and knows and loves what he does. The food is good and so are the drinks. It came out that the knife in the end was just ,,Das Sahnehäubchen" as we would say in Germany. Hands down that's a 5/5 without any hesitation.

Rob & Arja were very welcoming and the course was awesome. I did full day course so i was available to forge my own kitchenette knife i'm so grateful to have a knife i'll carry for all my carrer. I'll not forget to tanins Arja for the beautiful lunch. (And thank's again for the receipe!!!!) well if you want to spend a good day and learning some blacksmith that's definitly the place to be Cheers Seb

I'd give it 6 stars if I could. For anyone wanting to learn the ancient art of the Blacksmith or just have a fun day and go home with something you've made and a great story to tell, this experience is well worth it. Rob is always willing to pass on his wealth of knowledge and experience. His enthusiasm for the craft is contagious and the full day experience is honestly not enough for any avid fan of crafting glowing hot metal. I could have spent a week there. Arja's authentic, home cooking was phenomenal and really added to the whole experience. You can't learn on an empty stomach. I will definitely be going back to Kowhai Forge.

This was such an awesome experience. Blacksmithing is SO HARD! But Rob makes it look so easy, bringing life into steel! So good.

We had no idea this place existed! After visiting many other thermal areas this was by far in the top 3. We will be back for sure

I took my 2 grandchildren of 7 and 11 years. The three of us had a great time. The ferry ride was a lovely way to start and end the trip. The boardwalk made the walk easy to negotiate. The mudholes fascinated us. The geysers had us waiting for the big one. The terraces were really interesting. The views were great. The seating was appreciated. The whole experience was casual, at our own pace and enjoyable because of that. The staff were very friendly. Thanks

The whole family really enjoyed this. My 4yo who never walks anywhere walked the whole way so must have been having a great time.

Fantastic experience, very different from the usual stuff, super friendly staff, well worth the money & the journey

Amazing landscape. Incredible colours and textures. It all looks like if it were another planet. The park is very organized and the walk is easy. It is definitely a must do!

Thoroughly enjoyed our trip! Our 1 year old was super comfy in the free baby carrier, and our 3 year old surprisingly walked the whole way! Very well organised, well maintained tracks, and bonus of the nice cafe for a hot drink before/after.

Awesome.Cool boat driver....

Amazing!

Beautiful view, All family members like the place

I didn't know fully what to expect when booking this activity but I am soooooo glad I did!!! I love that a small ferry takes you across the lake to the geothermal park where you are free to take your time to wander around and take it all in! The rise in temperature is noticeable even on a overcast day so recommend taking at least a water bottle over with you. Free to roam until you have had enough then simple return to the dock and push a buzzer to notify the boat driver you're ready to come back and they will collect you. Staff were great in explaining what happens and what to do in the event of an emergency!

Easy walk, so many cool things to see! Book it, you won’t regret it!

Amazing experience

Loved being able to explore at our own pace. Boardwalk and stairs are well maintained and we were able to get really close to all the amazing features of this park. Easily accessible from Taupo. Highly recommend.

Wonderful walk, very pleasant and doable for most! Beautiful views!

Orakei Korako was exactly as described in the brochure. It was set in beautiful, peaceful surroundings and was a wonderful experience. The pathways were clearly signposted and the information interesting. We spent more than 2 hours wandering around the site enjoying nature at its best. Highly recommended.

Great experience, even better on a wet day like ours. Seemed to make the experience more mysterious. My kids loved it. Great service and the tracks were easy to navigate and family friendly. Definitely recommend.

Fantastic geothermal experience! The reception briefed us the health & safety and important instuctions and the ferrymen operated the ferry with great expertise. The geothermal park & cave are beyond my expectation. I am so pleased to see the gushing geysers, hot springs, and bubbling mud pools in my short trip.

It was so nice out there. We camped in the carpark and were the first one on the island, so it was quiet and nice. Due to a little bit of rain the experience got even better :-) A must do! If you have a camper van just stay there the night before!

Wonderful

We had a great experience in Orakei Korako. Not only was it breathtakingly beautiful and an unforgettable experience but the staff/owners were all friendly and accommodating. Thank you heaps!

Really great experience! Strongly recommend and is a must-do if you pass around Taupo/Rotorua. We're moved to another planet or age! The staff was very friendly and kind! Please reserve at least 1.3hour to have a good experience.

New Zealand has lots of beautiful places but this one is really special. Raw thermal energy. Self guided meant we could spend as much time as we wanted to see the geysers. Hosts were very welcoming.