Dinosaurs will once again roam Rotorua's geothermal landscapes as the Steven Spielberg classic, Jurassic Park comes to Waimangu Volcanic Valley tonight for an outdoor movie night.

The movie will be screened this evening, Saturday, February 27, in the geothermal valley overlooking Frying Pan Lake, the world's largest hot spring, with the towering Cathedral Rocks steaming in the background.

The outdoor movie night is one of a series of events at Waimangu, aimed at giving New Zealanders yet another reason to visit the geothermal attraction.

'We are always looking at new and exciting ways for people to enjoy this special little place and this certainly going to be exciting” says Waimangu Volcanic Valley General Manager David Blackmore.

Guests visiting the attraction already get the feeling of walking through a movie set, with bubbling streams, spurting geysers and steam swirling from giant hot springs.

'We often get comments from guests expecting a dinosaur to come out of the native forest, so we thought we'd make it happen,” says David.

Waimangu are working with local Rotorua business Night Flicks to bring this event to the geothermal valley. Night Flicks Director Matt O'Meeghan says he is excited to see the event in such a unique setting.

'We've taken outdoor movies all over New Zealand, but this location is definitely a bit different.”

The event starts from 5pm and includes live music at the Waimangu Local Store and Café and an evening walk through the geothermal valley to the movie location at Cathedral Rocks.

The movie will be played on a huge 15 square metre screen, with a steamy backdrop. Guests are encouraged to bring something comfortable to sit on and a torch to navigate the dark after the movie finished.

In the darkness after the movie, there will be a night walk to the mysterious Inferno Crater, lit up especially for the occasion. The bright blue Inferno Crater Lake is actually an underwater geyser-like feature, causing the lake levels to rise and fall over a cycle before overflowing down into a boiling stream through the valley into Lake Rotomahana.

Guests will them board an internal bus shuttle bringing everyone back to the Waimangu Visitor Centre at the top of the valley.

Tickets for the event sold quickly. David says it's been encouraging to see some good early interest, especially from the Waimangu locals.

'It's great to see our local families are keen come along,” says David. 'Since lockdown we've worked really hard to become somewhere our locals feel at home.”

The attraction won the ‘Build Back Better' award at the Westpac Rotorua Business Awards in 2020, where their resilience through the Covid-19 pandemic was recognised. Previously attracting over 85 per cent international guests, Waimangu Volcanic Valley has focussed on product development to attract domestic visitors.

Developments include an Outdoor Art Trail to showcase work from local artists throughout the valley, and redevelopment of the Waimangu Local Store and Café.

They're also offering more options to explore Lake Rotomahana, the home of the Pink and White Terraces, introducing the new Steaming Cliffs kayaking tour, and a number of evening boat cruises.

'The story of the Tarawera eruption and the Pink and White Terraces is more familiar to our domestic guests, so it's great to offer more unique ways to share those stories,” says David.

Event information and ticket sales: https://www.waimangu.co.nz/events/jurassic-park

Ticket Prices: Adults $35, Children $10, Family $80.