Sam Smith and Christian Cowan visit Rotorua Canopy Tours for ziplining adventure

International superstar Sam Smith has spent a “low-key” day in Rotorua, ziplining through the native forest.

It’s not the first time the British singer and four-time Grammy winner has holidayed in the world-famous tourism hotspot.

Smith visited Rotorua last week, after the Stay With Me hitmaker delivered a captivating performance to a crowd of nearly 12,000 at Auckland’s Spark Arena on November 11, marking the end of their Gloria world tour.

Rotorua Canopy Tours general manager Paul Button said Smith and British fashion designer Christian Cowan arrived for their private Ultimate Canopy Tour booking last week.

Button said they were “cruising around” on holiday and were “low-key” and “chill” with the award-winning ziplining attraction’s team, who were told the day before who was coming to visit.

“They were very private. They’re on their own mission, they don’t want to make a lot of noise and just [want to] have a nice time in New Zealand.”

Button said they were “lovely people and lovely customers” who were engaging and there to enjoy the experience.

The tour is billed online as a 3.5-hour adventure “not for the faint of heart”, gliding through an ancient forest via 1200 metres of ziplines and other features.

Smith was photographed looking relaxed and pointing their toes while suspended from one of the ziplines.

Button said a couple of energetic guides led the tour, with the staff and their celebrity guests “loving” the experience.

Smith and Cowan agreed to pose with staff for a group photo and for it to be posted on social media, Button said.

Rotorua’s tourism industry has been bouncing back from a pandemic-induced beating, and Button said the star visit demonstrated it had “world-class” and “incredible” offerings - including adventure tourism, Māori culture, geothermal, and the lakes.

At the Spark Arena concert, Smith delighted Kiwi fans, telling them: “Every time I’ve come back here [New Zealand], whether it’s for a show or for a holiday, it has just got better and better”.

“This is my third time in this room. I came here to your incredible country when I was 21 years old, and I tell everyone back at home, the minute I stepped off the plane, I felt something different here.”

Smith was previously spotted in Rotorua in 2017, with staff at Ōkere Falls Store reporting a quiet lunch visit and TVNZ reporting they made some holidaymakers’ day by hopping on board their boat on Lake Tarawera.

Cira Olivier is a social issues and breaking news reporter for NZME Bay of Plenty. She has been a journalist since 2019.