This is the biggest tourist attraction on the North Island – a big
crater lake surrounded by steaming hotsprings, geysers and theme park
activities. We are in a cheap ($55 for two) backpackers’ hostel, which
is borderline even by my minimal standards. Since we are also too
cheap to pay $30 to see a geyser triggered on cue, we are driving
around looking for free entertainment. Thus far today we have watched
3000 spandexed people of all shapes and sizes start a 75 km bicycle
race, peered through some trees at a $30 geyser, watched a rugby
practice, looked at bubbling mud at the roadside, and now J is
chatting with a salesman at a Toyota dealer. I have passed on that
piece of excitement, which is why I am sitting here composing my blog.
Seeing Clarely 
>While you are in the area, I strongly recommend the Waimangu valley, very interesting, beautiful, exceptionally well documented [pick up and read the many info sheets in the Visitors' Ctr] – of course it has an 'entry' fee… You can even get some exercice climbing for a view of the surroundings.The lakeshore in Rotorua is calm in the evening, reminds me of Lac Leman in CH.I'm sorry your hostel sounds lousy – I guess they don't have hotspring baths for the guests, like most lodgings around… but you can certainly soak your feet in the public park, and – I think – there are free public baths and pools close to the eye-popping railway station building.
>If you have time to go to a Toyota dealer you have time to do my research!