A Google review from a German tourist complaining that Rotorua is a place of "stench, overwhelm and mental exhaustion" has been making waves on Reddit. 

The lengthy, furious post was shared by Reddit user PoliceTekauWhitu on the NZ Subreddit, where it quickly grabbed a lot of attention for claiming Rotorua is a city "literally built on HELL". 

"Social media and other sources assured us that Rotorua was one of the most beautiful places in New Zealand - a must-see," the one-star review begins. 

"All lies. During our stay there, we were not only physically but also psychologically traumatised. This city was literally built on HELL." 

The unnamed reviewer first took issue with the "thermal springs touted as attractions", proclaiming they instead emitted a "pervasive stench" that caused "nausea, headaches, mood swings, fatigue, and at times, even a death wish". 

Bit extreme, no? But that's only the beginning. 

"Driving was nearly impossible, and walking through the city was pure torture," the review continued. 

"The extent of the air pollution can only be compared to cities like Venice or Kolkata (Calcutta).

"We were laughing on the floor in frustration and crying in the car in despair. We were genuinely surprised that no one was wearing gas masks, because the bestial stench truly permeated everything. The smell was overwhelmingly of rotten, fermented eggs." 

For such an avid Google user, you'd think maybe the reviewer might have done a quick search on Rotovegas before booking a trip there, eh? 

But wait, there's more. 

"Even if you try to escape the city centre somehow, the disastrous architecture, the absurd layout of the streets, and the overall ugly cityscape will mentally break you and leave you psychologically overwhelmed."

I'll save you the ordeal of hearing about the finer points of the criticism, including taking jabs at the Kiwi Museum, Zorbing and even the mall food court, but rest assured, nowhere was safe. 

"In short, Rotorua was a place of stench, overwhelm, and mental exhaustion that we wouldn't recommend to anyone," the review wrapped up (finally). 

Shout out to the Willowhaven Holiday Park on the outskirts of town, though, which got the only positive mention in the piece.

Kiwi redditors mostly saw the funny side, with the post racking up over 2,000 upvotes and over 660 comments. 

Don't worry, Rotorua, we still love ya, even if you stink.