The Rotorua Petanque Club was established in 1995 when the Rotorua Bowling Club offered a group of interested people a practice bowling green they were not using. At the time the Rotorua District Council were in the process of upgrading the Government Gardens and helped cover the costs of building a retaining wall on the inside of the terrain after the top soil and grass had been removed.  The Bowling Club then contributed by providing the pumice fill which was compacted until a suitable playing surface was achieved.

This is the only pumice terrain with 24 pistes in the world we are aware of where competitive petanque is played. The setting has the most photograph building in New Zealand and is now the Rotorua Museum. Previously it was a Spa resort when opened in August 1908 and the old baths are visible as part of today's Museum experience. 

In 2007 the Rotorua Energy Events Centre was opened behind the Bathouse. This building containing  room for 6000 unseated or 3000 seated fans would make a fantastic venue for a future World Petanque Championship.