91430

Conduct geographic
research with consultation

Melody Currey
Tourism Development In Rotorua
Hypothesis
Tourism development has had a positive and a negative impact on the natural environment of Rainbow Springs,
Skyline, and the Agrodome in Rotorua.

The aim of the Geographic research
I would like to analyse how the tourist attractions in Rotorua, specifically Rainbow Springs, Skyline, and The Agrodome,
have affected the natural environment in positive and negative ways. I will also be researching how the natural
environment has effected the location of the attraction to get a better understanding of how the environment has been
effected.

Tourism Development
Tourism development is the activities associated with providing facilities for tourists. Tourism Development involves
activities such as skills development, job and wealth creation, and marketing and it is about the interaction between
people and the environment.1 In this report I will be looking at the Tourism development in Rotorua, how the attractions
effect the environment positively and/or negatively and how the natural environment has effected the location of the
tourist attraction.

Tourism Development started in Rotorua in 1939. The first tourist known was John Bidwell. Before John Bidwell had
arrived, in 1350, Te Arawa Maori reached Maketu. Ihenga, who was the grandson of Tamatekapua (the head of the
Arawa canoe), explored the area and named paces such as Ngongataha. In 1930s the first traders and missionaries
began a European settlement and in 1940 the missionaries settled around Te Ngae and Tarawera. They offered
services to the first visitors, accommodation, refreshments and guides. The area was known as the Thermal
Wonderland. The major attractions that the visitors came to view was the Pink and White Terraces, which became
popular around the 1970s and was known as the main attraction of Rotorua.




















By 1873 there were at least four hotels; an example was the Lake House. Thermal districts Springs Act allowed
access of the spa assets to Europeans. In 1886 Tarawera erupted, the Pink and White terraces buried and tourism
decreased. There was a need for new attractions to encourage tourists to return to Rotorua, so in 1887 there was a
major shift in tourist focuses. Thermal Baths, Trout fishing, boat cruises and many more attractions/businesses where
created to resolve the problem. The building of infrastructures such as the rail way from Auckland to Rotorua and the
information centre opened in 1894, which provided easy accessibility to Rotorua, making tourism to increase. The New
Zealand Governments first major investment in the tourism industry was The Bath House, which cost 48,000 and was
part of a plan to establish Rotorua as The Great South Sea Spa. 1914 to 1918 World War I started, which resulted in a
decrease in tourism and an even further decrease occurred during the Great Depression between 1929 to 1939. The
thermal spa industry declined and tourism stopped because of World War II between 1939 to 1946. After the war there
was a mass tourism development phase, starting with the first motels being built on Fenton Street in the 1950s. The
airport at Rotorua opened in 1964 which allowed even more easy accessibility to the region. The council was then
involved in the 1990s to redevelop the city and the lake front by adding more accommodation. Eco tourism also started,
which mean that all the attractions in Rotorua had the main focus of sustainability.
Tourists in the Pink and White Terraces, which was known as a major tourist attraction in Rotorua.
Source from:
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/6444/bathing-at-the-white-terrace
In 2009 international flights could be accessed in and out of Rotorua. Presently, the tourist attractions in Rotorua
continue to develop to add interest and to meet the needs of tourists, which creates tourism development.

Through the history of tourism development in Rotorua, accessibility became easier and attractions have changed to
encourage tourism. The activities have became broader to showcase the natural and cultural features of New Zealand.
Tourism Development has shaped the way that the attractions operate today. In this report I will be discussing how
tourism development has had a positive and a negative impact on the natural environment of Rainbow Springs, Skyline,
and The Agrodome in Rotorua and how the environment effects the location.

Where the attractions are located

Spatial patterns of the tourism development process in Rotorua. - Satellite map showing an overview of the
agglomeration of attractions; Agrodome, Rainbow Springs and The Skyline on Fairy Springs Road, with the positive
and negative effects that they have on the environment and how the natural environment has effected their location
1 KM
N
The Agrodome
The Agrodome is located on flatland as it is
a working farm and it has positive and
negative effects on the environment.

Positive: The Agrodome uses energy
efficient light bulbs that conserves energy
by using lighting that does not need a lot of
power. They also ensure that lights are
switched off if they are not needed. This is
effecting the environment in a positive way
because they are being sustainable by
making sure that they conserve energy on
the farm.

Negative: Because the attraction is a farm
they do not have many rubbish bins in
places such as the farm tour. The only bins
they have are in the main building of the
attraction, so tourists tend to leave waste
on the land instead of it being recycled or
taken away.

*The positive and negative effects that the
Agrodome has on he environment will be
expanded further in this report.

Rainbow Springs
Rainbow Springs is located on land with a lot of
native vegetation planted for the native birds to
live. The attraction has had positive and
negative effects on the environment.

Positive: Rainbow Springs are a partner in the
Operation Nest egg, lead by the Department of
Conservation. In 2004 The Kiwi encounter tours
opened to allow tourists to see the work that
they do to conserve kiwis. Rainbow Springs take
Kiwis from the wild and raise them in captivity,
which helps to decrease the 95% mortality rate
that they have in the wild. The encounters also
help to educate people about how to save the
environment.

Negative: When the new ride The Big Splash
was being constructed, trees had to be cut
down. A few Totara trees were relocated, but
died soon after they were planted, which has a
negative effect on the environment.

*The positive and negative effects that Rainbow
Springs has on he environment will be expanded
in this report.
Skyline
Skyline is located on the side of Mt
Ngongataha for the gravity rides to
function, such as the luge. The attraction
has positive and negative effects on the
environment.

Positive: A positive impact that Skyline has
on the environment is that they recycle
old materials that they use. A few
examples of this is; the empty milk bottles
used from the caf are collected by the
milk supplier that recycles the bottles,
food scraps from the caf are collected by
a pig farmer weekly and glass goes to
Waste Management Collection for
recycling.

Negative: The land had to be changed on
Mt Ngongataha for the attraction to be
built. This means that the natural land
had been damaged e.g the land had to be
flattened for the luge track to be
constructed. The land used to be full of
forest before they built on the side on the
side of the mountain.

*The positive and negative effects that
Skyline has on he environment will be
expanded further in this report.



Rainbow Springs

About: Rainbow Springs was opened to the public in December 1932. It is a tourist attraction that offers two main
services; Rainbow Springs (which is a walkway through native forest to view wildlife such as trout, tuatara and more.)
and the Kiwi encounter (where they hatch kiwis in captivity.) In 1998 Tapu was lifted on Rainbow Springs ground. It
became an established tourist attraction in 1907, and now there are 35 employees that work at the attraction. In 1975
the kiwi house was built and April 2004 was the opening of the Kiwi Encounter, which was New Zealands first open-
view kiwi hatchery facility. The 1000
th
kiwi chick was hatched in October of 2011. Without Rainbow Springs Kiwi
encounter and kiwi saving program there would be more of a negative impact in the environment, which is helped from
the money of 2000,000 visitors per year. From this, Rainbow Springs was developed and has become a successful and
environmentally friendly site for tourism. Rainbow Springs has contributed to tourism development in Rotorua.

Location: Rainbow Springs is located east of Mount Ngongotaha on Fairy Springs Road. Rainbow Springs has easy
accessibility from other attractions such as the Skyline, Agrodome and accommodation in the Rotorua district so this
effected its location. The natural environment effected the location of Rainbow Springs because the site needed to be
able to contain large forests of native flora and fauna in 22 acres of land that they have so that native birds could be
placed. The development of the attraction began through the natural features of the springs and has grown to include
the trout, kiwi, tuatara and native birds. It is 4km from Rotorua CBD, so this provides easy access for tourists. The
location of the attraction being on this land has effected the environment in positive and negative ways.





























How this attraction affected the natural environment positively: Rainbow Springs has many positive impacts on the
environment. One is that they have planted 100,00 native bushes such as Totara and Rimu on the 22 acre site with the
help of the community and local schools. This has had a positive impact on the environment because they are using
native vegetation.

Rainbow Springs are a partner in the Operation Nest egg, lead by the Department of Conservation. The Kiwi
encounter tours was opened in April 2004 and allowed visitors to see the work that they do to conserve kiwis and to
teach them about sustainability. Rainbow Springs take Kiwis from the wild and raise them in captivity. This helps to
decrease the mortality rate of kiwi because without human intervention they have a 95% mortality rate. The Department
of Conservation receive the eggs from places all over the North island and they give them to Rainbow Springs.
500m
N
Satellite map showing the location of Rainbow Springs
(Including some of the positive and negative effects that
the attraction has on the environment)

Topographic Map showing the area of
Rainbow springs

Where Rainbow Springs is located on Fairy
Springs Road.
The land at Rainbow Springs has 22 acres
of forest with more than 10,000 types of
native trees such as Totara and Rimu.
Rainbow Springs needed land with lots of
trees to house 16 different breeds of
native birds including the Tui and Kaka,
which has a positive impact on the
environment.
Rainbow Springs is 4km from Rotoruas
CBD, so it is easy for tourists to access.
Rainbow Springs has operation
Nest Egg on site that has kiwi
hatchings. The centre opened in
2004 and allowed tourists to view
how Rainbow Springs conserve the
environment. This helps to educate
20,000 tourists per year.
An example of Rainbow Springs not being sustainable is that when
they were constructing The Big Splash, trees had to be cut down. A
few Totara trees had to be relocated for the ride to be placed. The
plants where replanted, but died soon after.
The Kiwi encounters enables the visitors to view the stages of a kiwis development before they are released back into
the native forest. The conservation program, it is helping to increase the endangered kiwi population by keeping the
kiwi in predator free areas, which helps the natural environment. The attraction also is teaching people about
sustainability. This is positive to the environment because Rainbow Springs are teaching future generations about how
to save the planet and are ensuring kiwi chicks have a fair chance at life before they are placed back into the native
forests.

The tourism operator representative of Rainbow Springs states; Rainbow Springs main focus is on providing a native
experience of New Zealand, exhibiting its native flora and fauna for tourists and implicitly of educating all visitors about
the conservation of native plants, animals and birds. This means that Rainbow Springs not only provides services of
viewing a kiwi, but it also helps people to understand the importance of the environment. This educates not only tourists
from around the world, but also domestic tourists. In 2013 half the visitors where international and half were domestic,
so it is important that Rainbow Springs helps to educate everyone about conservation in order to make an improvement
to the planet.

Apart from operation nest egg, Rainbow Springs also have reptile enclosures where they run breeding programs for the
Tuatara and have successfully hatched several clutches, which also has a positive impact on the environment.

To decrease the negative impacts of the environment through tourism development, Rainbow Springs must obey the
laws and guidelines of the Resource Management Act. Rainbow Springs must also comply with the Eastern Fish and
Game and Department of Conservation for the display of animals. By complying with the laws, Rainbow Springs has
won Tourism and Architectural awards, as well as the envriogold award in 2012, which means that through following
the law there are less negative dangers on the environment. The resource consent has minimised and monitored the
negative environmental effects of the developments on the site. Through following these laws, they are making sure
that they are being sustainable and are impacting the environment in a positive way.

Sustainability is an important aspect of the Rainbow Springs attraction. The Rainbow Springs Tourism Operator
representative says; As a business, Rainbow Springs is now committed to achieving its sustainability goals, becoming
carbon neutral and continuing to grow its conservation and environmental initiatives. Rainbow Springs is now part of
many environmental oragnisations such as The Rotorua Sustainable Tourism Charter. They also have active comities
where the employees of Rainbow Springs attended sustainability workshops to be informed about how to protect the
natural environment. From these workshops, staff have learnt to take environmental action in their own homes too. This
has a positive impact on the environment because they are making sure that they are setting and completing goals
regarding the environment of the attraction.

Rainbow Springs also calculate the carbon emissions that occur monthly to monitor the sustainability of the site. 360
cubic meters of rubbish has been retired from landfill in 06/07 financial year. They also install recycled paper products
in all toilets, and use biodegradable cleaning products where possible. This is good for the environment because they
are not using harsh chemicals and are recycling where they can. There has been installation of worm farms on site,
which go through 1 tone of waste a year. The product from the worm farm is used as fertalisation to the plants. Organic
vegetables and herb gardens have been planted to supply the caf and animal parks. Rainbow Springs use all fern
fronds and cuttings to recycle them in bird aviaries. 750 native trees such as Rimu and Totara have been purchased in
2014 to be planted within the attraction which has a positive impact on the environment and there are currently more
than 20,000 native trees placed around the site that a landscaper decides where they are planted.

When Rainbow Springs constructed the Big Splash. Instead of letting the land that they dug up go to waste, they filled
an unwanted under road tunnel with the sediments. This is good for the environment as the soil is not going to waste.

Also, any bins are located around the area to make sure that visitors use them so no waste is left in the area.

How this attraction affected the natural environment negatively: With all types of constriction of infrastructure, there are
negative effects and this is because the land is being changed as people interact with the environment. The land
Rainbow Springs is located on used to be a dairy farm, consisting of swamps, so changing the shape of the land did not
have a positive impact on the environment.

An example of Rainbow Springs not being sustainable is that when they were constructing The Big Splash, trees had
to be cut down. A few Totara trees had to be relocated for the ride to be placed. The plants where replanted, but died
soon after.
Skyline

About: The Skyline Rotorua, has been operating for 29 years. Their mission statement says; [We aim] To operate in
harmony with the environment. They make sure that they look after the land that they are located on. The Skyline has
three core products gondola, restaurant and luge. They have on average 400,000 visitors per year which contributes to
then tourism development in Rotorua. The adventure attractions that they have on site are the Luge, Gravity Swing
a 120kph ride 50m above the ground, Zoom Ziplines- transports tourists to the top of the mountain and Mountain Bike
Gravity Park.

Location: The Skyline in Rotorua is located around central Rotorua on Mt Ngongataha. Views of the lake and
geothermal areas can be seen from the top of the site which attracts tourists and was one of the reasons why they
located there. The natural environment effected where the attraction could be constructed because there needed to be
three luge tracks on the 94 hectare site. The Scenic Luge Track is a 2km ride, the second track is the intermediate luge
track which is a 1.7km ride, the third is the advanced track which is 1km. The luge also includes a restaurant, nature
walks, and other attractions. The natural features have influenced the location of the Skyline Luge because the
attraction needed to be placed on a hill for the karts to flow down, so Mt Ngongataha was the ideal place because it
was steep and is a large piece of land for all of the attractions. It also features views of Rotorua, so this was ideal for
the Gondola ride so tourists could see the view. The attraction is placed 5 minutes away from Rotoruas CBD, so
tourists would be able to access the Skyline easily. The location of the attraction has both positive and negative impacts
on the environment for where it has been placed.




























500m
N
Satellite map showing the location of the Skyline attraction
and some of the positive and negative effects that it has on
the environment

Photograph showing some of the area of the
Skyline on Mt Ngongataha
Topographic map showing the area of the
Skyline

Where Skyline is located on Fairy Springs
Road.
For the attraction to function, they
needed to be located on a hill. Skyline
is located on Mt Ngongataha, where
views of the lake and geothermal
areas can be see, which encourages
tourists. The total area of the
attraction is 94 hectares so that all the
different attractions could be placed
on the land.
Skyline rides are 5 minutes from the
Rotorua CBD, which provides easy access
for tourists.
Over 10,000 plants
onsite, including
Redwoods
To have a positive impact on the natural
environment, Skyline recycle any goods they can.
For example, empty milk bottles used from the
caf are collected by the milk supplier that
recycles the bottles.
Skylines gondola technology has improved to have a
positive impact on the environment. The Doppelymayr
Gondola System. Has fewer towers for the gondola track
to be on and the new system has double the capacity so
there are fewer rotations of gondola cabins. Less rides
mean they save electricity and fewer towers are needed
which means that the natural shape of the land does not
have to be changed for the poles to be placed.
Before the luge was built, the land was filled with a forest of Redwood
trees. For the construction of the three luge tracks, gondola and other
Skyline attractions, the trees had to be removed and built over with
concrete. This has a negative effect on the natural environment.
How this attraction affected the natural environment positively: Skyline is very committed to continuously showing our
innovative ways of dealing with our impacts on the environment albeit in energy or waste, The Skyline tourist attraction
representative states. A way that they have a positive impact on the environment is that they recycle as much as they
can. For example, empty milk bottles used from the caf are collected by the milk supplier that recycles the bottles.
Also food scraps from the caf are collected by a pig farmer weekly, cooking oil is kept in drums for bio-oil and tree
felled is recycled as chips for the garden at the attraction. Cardboard and glass goes to Waste Management Collection
for recycling and plastic is delivered to an in-town recycling centre. Tonner cartridges from printers go to a toner
recycling centre. Skyline purchases recycled toilet paper to be placed in the entire site. Recycled paper is used for
customer survey cards and they made sure that they reduce the paper cups and punnets that staff use in the
restaurant. Sustainability and recycling is important to Skyline as this is how they make a positive impact on the
environment.

Skyline Gondola is also environmentally friendly as the technology has improved. Skyline used to own the
Swiss Muller System and changed it to the more developed; Doppelymayr Gondola System. What this has meant for
Skyline is that they now have fewer towers for the gondola track to be on and the new system has double the capacity
so there are fewer rotations of gondola cabins. Less rides mean they save electricity and fewer towers are needed
which means that the natural shape of the land does not have to be changed for the poles to be placed, which creates a
positive impact on the environment.

The Skylines aim is to get tourists to see the view of Rotorua on top of Mt Ngongotaha, so transportation has been an
issue. Skyline have made a comparison between two options they may use to transport the tourists up the mountain; a
bus and the gondola. The results showed that the gondola was more environmentally friendly as the bus would cause
pollution, there would be tire damage on the land and oil consumption would also become an environmental hazard.
Skyline make sure that they are being sustainable towards the environment by transporting tourists in an
environmentally friendly way, as the gondola saves 34,00 litres of diesel output, which shows that Skyline is having a
positive impact on the environment.

Skyline also provide sustainable products. The luge was designed and built to be sustainable by using no electricity or
gas, but gravity to go down the mountain, which is better for the environment. Other examples of a rides that use
gravity is The Sky Swing, And the Zoom Ziplines attraction. The other gravity attraction is the bike park, which allows
people to go on bike down the mountain, which give a positive impact on the natural environment.

Water consumption was an issue for Skyline to be environmentally friendly, so they incorporated new toilets and toilet
blocks, with dual- flushes, so that they could monitor the water usage on site. They also use gas rather than power in all
the kitchens which helps to reduce the power consumption and helps the environment in a positive way.

To make sure that they are sustainable to the environment, Skyline has kept count of how many vegetation types they
have. For example, they have 10,000 Californian redwoods, 70-80 cherry blossom trees, they also plant native trees
such as Rimu, Red and White Pine, Mountain Totara, Kahikatea, Matai Kawaka, Kowhai, Hebe, Corokai and
Coprosma. They also have a wide range of ferns. By making note of the vegetation they have, they are encouraging a
more environmentally friendly environment and are planting more plants to have a positive impact.

To cater for the environment's natural species Weta hotels have been constructed to help to protect the them. Ponds
have been constructed to trap sediment run off, which inturn have created a aquatic area for ducks and Pukekoes.
They have made use of the natural resources that they have, for example, instead of building a wall by using wood,
they used volcanic rock from the Rotorua area for items such as walls. This is more sustainable because they are not
wasting other valuable resources and they are conserving the environment to have a positive impact.

Skyline has won the Enviro-gold award for being sustainable. The business views sustainability as an important part of
the operation of their business. Skyline Tourist Operator Representative states; We are continuously improving and
striving to ensure that we manage our environment and the way we work in all we do. A way that Skyline ensure that
they protect the environment is by being a member of the Rotorua Sustainable Tourism Charter, which is a committee
that attend regular meetings to share ideas and encourage other businesses to act in a sustainable way. This proves
that Skyline take sustainability seriously so that they can have a positive impact on the environment.

How this attraction affected the natural environment negatively: The land before the luge was built was a forest of
Redwood trees. For the construction of the three luge tracks, gondola and other Skyline attractions, the trees had to be
removed and built over with concrete. This has a negative effect on the natural environment. The construction of
infrastructure is changing the natural shape of Mt Ngongotaha, which also leads to negative effects on the environment
as it is being changed form its natural state.

Agrodome

About: The Agrodome started in 1971 and has contributed to tourism development in Rotorua. Godfrey Bowden
showcased New Zealand sheep sheering in the world trade fair, it became popular so he brought it back to New
Zealand to make a business with George Harford (who was a businessman). The Agorome is a working sheep and
cattle farm that continues to feature a sheep show. 350,000 people visit each year, as the attraction has become more
developed over the 42 years of it operating. The attraction used to be a shearing demonstration with a talk after, now
the company offers experiences such as the cow and dogs in the sheep shearing show, as well as having the farm tour.
Agroadventures is the second part of the attraction features a bungy and more thriller rides. Last year they were
awarded the supreme business award and in 1994 they won the outstanding service and contribution to the new
Zealand tourism industry which encouraged the tourism development in the Rotorua region and helped tourism to grow.
The whole attraction has positive and negative effects on the environment, which contributes to the development of the
tourism industry.

Location: The Agrodome needed a large piece of flat land in order for it to be a working farm. The Agrodome is located
10km from the CBD and is 350 acres, so it is easy access for tourists and is able to contain over 100 animals that they
own. The natural features of the land have effected where the attraction is because they also needed to have fertile soil
to grow fruits in their orchard and to grow grass for the many animals that they have. The overall location of the
attraction has effected the environment in positive and negative ways.




























500m
N
Satellite map showing the location of the Agrodome

The Agrodome is 10km
rom the Rotorua CBD,
making it easy access for
tourists because the
main accommodation
and Information Centres
are in the CBD.
The Agrodome is 350
acres of flat land with
fertile soil for the
orchard and the grass to
grow for the animals on
the farm.
The Agrodome has at
least 100 animals that
need a lot of land to live
on, so this land was ideal
to show tourists about
New Zealand farming.
The Agrodome has a positive
impact on the environment as they
conserve energy by using lighting
that does not need a lot of power,
by using energy efficient light bulbs.
They also ensure that if the lights
are not in use, they are switched
off.

The Agrodome has a recycling
program which helps to keep waste
on the farm under control. They re-
use scrap timber for signage, they
also do their own gardening to
make sure that the vegetation is
being looked after sustainably, for
example, they use their own animal
waste as fertiliser for their
vegetation so no harsh chemicals
are being used.

With any type of construction of infrastructure, it is
changing the nature environment, so this has a negative
effect as there is a change being made. The Agrodome has
many buildings including the main building for customer
service, a few souvenir shops, the main sheep show
building, the education centre, sheds.
Topographic map showing the area of the Agrodome attraction and some of the positive and negative
effects that it has on the environment


How this attraction affected the natural environment positively: It is very important for us here at the Agrodome to
reduce our carbon foot print as much as possible, Tourism Operator representative for the Agrodome states. The
Agrodome won the 2012 enviro-gold award for sustainable practices. The types of things that they did to receive the
award was conserving water by installing dual flush toilets and having water meters around the farm to see how much
water had been used and to motor is if there are any leaks. This has a positive impact on the natural environment
because they try to find any possible ways to reduce the amount of water they were using.

The Agrodome conserves energy by using lighting that does not need a lot of power, by using energy efficient light
bulbs. The Agrodome Tourist Operator Representative also said that when the lights are not needed they ensure that
they are switched off. This is effecting the environment in a positive way because they are being sustainable by making
sure that they conserve energy on the farm.

They have a recycling program which helps to keep waste on the farm under control. They re-use scrap timber for
signage. They also do their own gardening to make sure that the vegetation is being looked after sustainably. For
example, they use their own animal waste as fertiliser for their vegetation so no harsh chemicals are being used.

The Agrodome supports the SPCA because, being a farm they take great care about animals. They have a monthly
donation to the charity. The Agrodome has 19 breeds of sheep, with a total of 12,000, over 200 cattle, 50 Alpaca and 6
pigs. By donating to the charity they are showing that the support the environment and the animals that live there which
is giving a positive effect on the environment.

When constructing the infrastructure for the attraction, the Tourism Operator representative for the Agrodome said that
they tried to avoid main features of the natural land as much as possible to reduce the negative impacts on the
environment. For example, when the Agroadventures was being constructed, they built it around the Ngongataha
Stream to protect the environment as much as possible.

How this attraction affected the natural environment negatively: Because the attraction is a farm they do not have many
rubbish bins in places on the farm tours. The only bins they have are in the main building of the attraction, so tourists
tend to leave waste on the land instead of it being recycled or taken away.

With any type of construction of infrastructure, it is changing the natural environment. The Agrodome has many
buildings including the main building for customer service, a few souvenir shops, the main sheep show building, the
education centre, sheds and many more places that have changed the environment. All of which are causing a negative
effect on the environment, as this is changing the natural shape of the land.

Evaluation

Evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the research process

Strength One The first strength I had with the report is that I met the aim and answered the hypothesis that was set.
The data I collected also supports the aim. Researching secondary data helped me before we left for the trip, because I
knew what information I needed to collect at the tourist attractions and it helped me to understand more about tourism
development in Rotorua and how it effects the environment. This impacted the findings because as I was listening to
the lectures and collecting paper work off them and it helped with the accuracy of my findings knowing background
information about the attraction, so that I could answer the hypothesis. My aim was to analyse how the tourist
attractions in Rotorua, specifically Rainbow Springs, Skyline, and The Agrodome, affected the natural environment in
positive and negative ways. I planned out my aims fully and I planned an in depth investigation of questions that I
thought would answer my hypothesis as clearly as possible.

Strength Two - The second strength I had with the report was the maps I used, which had specific information that
supported my hypothesis. This impacted the findings because the maps helped to communicate the facts that could not
be said as clear within the report. The maps had annotations to explain the different features that the map contained
and related back to the hypothesis. The first map I made was a satellite map of the attractions on Fairy Springs Road to
show a few positive and negative effects that the attraction had on the environment. This map was able to show an
initial introduction into what I would be discussing throughout the report and where the attractions were located. The
other maps I used where both satellite and topographic for all three attractions I researched. The satellite maps were
used to show the location of the attraction and to use to refer to when looking at the topographic map to show how the
natural environment influenced the location of the attraction that I also discussed throughout the report. The
photographs used also helped to visually support the information that I discussed in the report. By displaying the maps,
I showed clearly what I researched and I was able to answer my hypothesis.

Weaknesses One The first weakness I had during the investigation was in the conclusion of the research. I found that
most attractions had more of a positive impact than a negative. This could be a true statement, but as the tourist
operator representatives are attempting to market their company it was more a one sided argument, as they cannot
really say anything too negative about the company that they work for. This impacted the findings as they may not be
as accurate as possible, however I have used other resources to answer my hypothesis such as; brochures,
information from websites and from the lecturers, all of which showed more positive than negative information about the
attraction.

Weakness Two- Another weakness from carrying out the research task, was although I was able to collect a maximum
amount of information from the tourist operator lecturers, it was hard to find in-depth answers about both positive and
the negative effects that the attraction had on the environment. This impacted the outcome of the research because the
information may not be as accurate as it possibly could have been. They did answer my questions, however I felt that I
could have changed the way I worded my questions so that it would have helped me to get more in-depth answers. I
would have asked a question such as; What problems did you face during the construction and development of the
attraction, instead of what I did ask that was; What were the negative/positive impacts on the environment. It could
have helped if I had collected information from other people that worked at the attraction to get a fairer argument,
although I was able to get enough information from secondary resources to support my statements so that I could
answer the hypothesis sufficiently.

Validity of my findings
I think, the information that I gathered during the trip in Rotorua about the tourism development and the attractions
having a positive and negative effect on the natural environment, were valid as possible because the facts were
supported by primary and secondary information. I received information from websites, brochures and lectures from the
Skyline, Agrodome and Rainbow Springs. As the information that I have collected was carefully and accurately
researched, I believe that the outcome of the project is that the tourist attractions in Rotorua have positive and negative
effects on the natural environment but more positive than negative. This could be because people are more aware of
being sustainable to save the environment, especially with the help of developed technology etc. The outcome could
however have been slightly unfair, as the information I gathered was from lecturers that would not say anything too
negative about their business. However, as I was able to support my findings with specific details using both primary
and secondary data, it was as accurate as possible, so the validity of my findings was correct and we can assume that
the attraction have a more positive effect than a negative because I was able to support my answers with specific
information.




Alternative methods
The alternative methods and approaches I could have taken if I was to do this investigation again, I would fix up the
mistakes that did not make my report as clear and accurate as possible.

The first thing that I would do to improve the results of the report is to make a few questions for people around the
attraction, to get a perspective on if they think that the environment is positive or negative effects of the environment.
This could clarify the conclusion of my findings more. I would ask all different people; children, adults and the elderly
of both sexes, as they might have different perspectives on the topic. By asking a wide range of people for
information and their personal thoughts would increase accuracy of the findings. This may be hard to achieve
because there may not be many elderly people on the attractions because they tend to be more adventure based.
There also may be an issue finding young people because the research was conducted during school hours, so
there may not been enough equal amounts of people to answer the questions. I would also ask other tourist
operators on the attraction for their perceptions, because this would give a second opinion to allow accuracy for my
findings.

By fixing the weaknesses in my research, makes the results more accurate and easier to understand. For example, I
would make the questions to ask the attraction operators easier, so that I could receive more specific information. I
would ask questions such as; What problems did you encounter with the environment while constructing this
attraction? instead of asking; What positive effects was there on the environment? It may have also been better to
collect this information through questionnaires because people would answer better with the use of multichoice
questions. By doing this I may be getting clearer results, especially for the negative effects that the attraction had on
the environment. From this, I may be able to create a graph so that I could display all the information clearly and I
could ensure that I had used a range of presentation forms.

I would continue to make sure that I used the different maps and photographs to show a clear understanding of what
has been said in the report, like I have done. I would also make sure they are annotated with specific information
and use geographic terminology to explain the effects that the attraction has on the natural environment. I would
also make sure that the geographic terminology was used throughout the report, having a clear plan by identifying
the aims in the research, completing the plan with specific methodology, collecting information from both primary
and secondary sources would also help to support my hypothesis.

Through using alternative methods, I would be able to make my findings more accurate and I would be able to answer
my hypothesis to find out the positive and negative impacts that the attractions have on the environment.

Conclusion
In conclusion, through the research I have investigated, I have answered the question which was Tourism development
has had a positive and a negative impact on the natural environment of Rainbow Springs, Skyline, and the Agrodome in
Rotorua. I found out that there are both positive and negative effects that the attractions have on the environment, but
more positive than negative. This could be because of more awareness of the protection of the environment and the
development of technology that has helped people to understand how important it is to be sustainable. The primary
research was the information I gathered from the lecturers and the secondary data I collected form the brochures and
information we were given from the tourist operator representatives, which back up my points using specific examples
and geographic terminology. I completed a plan that included specific methodology in order to find the information to
answer my hypothesis clearly. Using a range of maps, made the report accurate and effective and followed correct
geographic conventions. I used the maps where appropriate. Throughout the report I critically analysed the findings by
stating the positive and negative effects that the Skyline, Agrodome and Rainbow Springs had on the environment. I
have provided a detailed and accurate conclusion that relates to the aim as I have stated that I have answered my
hypotheses. I have also supported my conclusion with relevant evidence. I have provided a critical evaluation of the
research process by building on the detailed evaluation and discussing the alternative research methods as possible
implications.
BIBLIOGRAPHY

1 Google Definitions: https://www.google.co.nz/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=google+definitions&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&gfe_rd=cr&ei=6CayU_vZCsaN8Qf9toHYAw
History information from: The History of Toursim Development in Rotorua booklet and from education representative Taupopoki George McLeod

All Satellite and topographical maps from:
www.googlemaps.com

Primary information from: Tourist operator representitives
Secondary Information from: Booklets from lectures and brochures from the attractions