When I thought of New Zealand, Rotorua wasn't at the top of my list but having been there I now know I'll definitely return.

I arrived with the impression that I would be greeted by a mob of All Black look-a-likes keen to scare me off with the Haka. But I was emotionally overwhelmed and quite relieved to find the native people compassionate and kind-hearted.

I was welcomed in typical manaakitanga (Maori hospitality), with a friendly Maori singer performing a Waiata, a gentle welcoming song for passengers as they passed through Rotorua International Airport’s customs.

It was as though I’d stepped off the plane fluent in Maori, so sincere was the look in the singer’s eyes as she stroked the strings on her guitar and swayed to her soft lyrics. I understood that I had stepped into a country that embraced and relished the culture and language that built New Zealand.

I was emotionally arrested by the city and fell further into its web of love at Rotorua’s natural asset, Redwoods Forest. A peaceful and isolated retreat located only five minutes out of the airport, it was there that I faced my Haka fear.

Standing on the receiving end of the pre-war dance, I was no longer anxious. The three men were no longer hollering or stomping, they were sharing tales, that survived countless generations and made-up the true essence of Rotorua.

Although the inevitable came and it was time for me to leave the culture, outdoor beauty and adventure of Rotorua, I realised I wasn't saying goodbye but ka kite ano (see you again).