The sunny community of Taupo (pop. 23,000) lies at the headstream of the Waikato River and presides over the largest lake in the Southern Hemisphere, Lake Taupo (616 sq. km). The lake lures anglers with its world-class trout fishing year after year. If trout fishing isn’t enough to get your blood racing, Taupo is also home to world-class adventure activities guaranteed to set your teeth on edge. The western terminus of the Pacific Ring of Fire, Taupo rides the same belt of smoking volcanic activity that powers Mt. Ruapehu and White Island.
Taupo is tucked into the northeastern bulge of the river where the Waikato River runs from Lake Taupo. SH1 and SH5 are in town as Tongariro Street, home to the Tauranga i-Site, and bend south along the lakeshore as Lake Terrace. Spa Road runs east along the south bank of the Waikato. Following the Waikato River north of the town center, Wairekai Park is the site of Huka Falls. Parallel to SH5, Huka Falls Road runs 3km north-south. At its northern end, a turnoff leads to Karetoto Road.
Older, cheaper accommodations are clustered along the streets a few blocks east of the town center. Otherwise, the least expensive riverfront bed in town is the free camping available at Reid’s Farm 2km north of town along Huka Falls Rd.
For the true Taupo experience, delight in some trout. Many places around town will prepare your catch for a fee. Pak ’N Save, at Ruapehu and Tamamutu St., stocks groceries and has a nightly wine sale. (Open daily 8am-9pm.)
The incredible geothermal energy that seethes beneath Taupo’s surface has captivated scientists and spectators for decades. Manifesting itself in the form of geysers, springs, and lunar landscapes, this energy powers much of Taupo’s tourist activity, drawing in thousands of visitors year after year.
Craters Of The Moon. A 1954 explosion, resulting from the drilling of a geothermal bore, created a steaming pockmarked landscape of craters and boiling mud pools so special that it is now managed by the DOC. (Turn-off is 6km north of town on SH1; it’s an additional 4km from SH1. Open daily until dusk. Parking lot closes at 6pm. Free.)
Orakei Korako Geyserland And Cave. Though distant and inaccessible to those without their own transport, this dramatic and less developed private geothermal reserve is well worth the trip. A shuttle boat crosses the idyllic lake during the day to reach a range of steamy wonders. Don’t miss the spectacular fern-lined amphitheater of Aladdin’s Cave with its warm mineral pool. (Follow the signposted road that winds through hills off SH1 about 25min. north of Taupo. ☎378 3131; www.orakeikorako.co.nz. Open daily 8am-4:30pm. In winter 8am-4pm. $25, children $10.)
Taupo Hot Springs. After a day of touring, pay a visit to one of Taupo’s bubbling pools of tranquility. Public and private indoor or outdoor pools are available. (On the Taupo/Napier Hwy. or SH5, 3km from town. ☎377 6502; www.taupohotsprings.com. Open daily 7:30am-9:30pm. Last entry 9pm. Public pools $12. Private pools $15.)
Wairakei Park. Following the Waikato River north of town, Wairakei Park is a slightly bizarre agglomeration of tourist sights and recreational areas: Huka Falls, Hukajet , and the Taupo Volcanic Activity Centre. Maori for “long white water,” the Huka Falls are a popular place to watch nature fight reason—here, the 100m wide, 4m deep Waikato River forces itself into a 15m wide, 3m deep rock chute. Spurting out of the bottleneck , the water rushes below a footbridge over the channel and finally ejects into a pool below, dumping enough water to fill two Olympic-size pools every second. The cheapest and most aerobic way to capture the falls on your roll of film is via the Huka Falls Track. ( Leaves from Spa Thermal Park, off Spa Rd. at the end of County Ave. 1hr. round-trip. For those who would rather watch from their car, Huka Falls is accessible off SH1 on Huka Falls Rd., about 4km north of town. Parking lot open 8am-6pm.) The public side of the adjacent Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences (IGNS), the Taupo Volcanic Activity Centre has a team of researchers who monitor the Taupo volcanic zone. Check out the seismograph readings of Mt. Ruapehu and eruption film footage. (Take the Huka Falls Rd. turn-off from SH1. 1km north of Huka Falls, on Karetoto Rd. ☎374 8375; www.volcanoes.co.nz. Open M-F 9am-5pm, Sa-Su 10am-4pm. $8, children $4.) Wairakei Geothermal Power Development (built 1959-64) has a jumbled terrain of massive, steaming, stainless-steel tubes that worm along the ground as part of the world’s first geothermal power station. (Across the Waikato Bridge on SH1, less than 8km north of town.)
Taupo nightlife revolves around the influx of backpackers and businessmen that flood the town during the summer months. For late night hunger cravings, the stand 1, across the street from Finn MacCuhal’s serves heavenly kumara chips with sour cream and chilli ($4.50). (Open Th-Sa 10pm-4am. Cash only.)
If you’ve been resisting peer pressure or sudden impulses, Taupo is the place to throw caution to the wind and your body from a plane at 12,000 ft. Or, you and your fears can plummet toward water attached only to an elastic cord. For a deal on 4hr. of four activities (bungee, skydiving, Huka jetboating, and a helicopter ride), complete the Fourplay. (☎374 8572; www.hukajet.co.nz. $500. Book ahead.)
Skydiving. A tandem jump with Taupo Tandem Skydive is cheaper than anywhere else in the world, and the views on a clear day will take your breath away. That is, if you haven’t lost it already. This professional organization has been sending people up and “escorting” them back down since 1990. (☎377 0428 or 0800 275 934; www.tts.net.nz. 100kg weight limit. 12,000 ft. $219; 15,000 ft. $314. Call ahead for early-bird specials.) Newcomer Skydive Taupo knows that the best way to throw yourself at the ground is with style; from free limo pickup to a complimentary chilled wine or beer, this well-run tandem team gets it right. (☎0800 586 776; www.skydivetaupo.co.nz. 100kg weight limit. 12,000 ft. $220; 15,000 ft. $315. Freefall video $150, DVD $150.)
Rock ’N’ Ropes. This playground for grownups has several ropes and adventure exotica including the Chicken Walk and Heebie Jeebies. (Located at Taupo Adventure Park, off SH5, just 15km north of Taupo. ☎374 8111 or 0800 244 508; www.rocknropes.co.nz. Free transport from Taupo. 15m swing $15. High beam, 12.5m giant trapeze, and swing combo $40. Half-day $65.)
Bungee Jumping. Since 1991, more than 180,000 have ventured off the cantilever platform 47m above the hauntingly crystalline Waikato River at Taupo Bungee. For $99, you can hook up and ponder the leaden cliffs, the impending water, and the pickup raft below. Or, you can just close your eyes and take the plunge. (202 Spa Rd. Free shuttle. ☎377 1135 or 0800 888 408; www.taupobungy.com. Open daily 9am-5pm.)
Kaimanawa Helibiking. Combining air and land in a remote location, Kaimanawa will take you up in a helicopter 2500 ft. and then down on a mountain bike for 10km of purpose-built track. (☎384 2816; www.kaimanawahelibiking.co.nz. Free pickup from Taupo. Bikes and safety gear provided. 4hr., $345 per person. 2-person min. Bookings essential.)
Action Quads. Ride ATVs through farmland, forest, and native bush, with a hilltop view of Ruapehu and Ngarahoe. Located 12.7km north of Taupo off SH1, down Poihipi Rd. toward Kinloch. (☎0800 342 420; www.actionquads.co.nz. Free pickup from Taupo. 1st hr. $70, each additional hr. $30. Bookings essential.)
Lake Taupo’s blue waters fill the crater of the volcano responsible for one of the most violent eruptions ever witnessed. The final blast, an estimated 1810 years ago, ejected ash and pumice across the globe creating blood-red skies recorded in ancient Chinese and Roman literature.
Kayaking. Kayaking Kiwi offers half-day paddles to the Maori carvings ($95) and customized kayaking trips and forest walks. (☎0800 529 255; www.KayakingKiwi.com.) Kiwi River Safaris takes adrenaline junkies and first-time adventurers on whitewater rafting and kayaking excursions. (45min. north of Taupo. ☎0800 7238 577; www.krs.co.nz. 1-day rafting $95, 2 days $350. 2hr. kayaking $40.)
Lake Taupo Boat Tours. On calm days, you can affordably navigate the placid waters with a rented boat or narrated cruises. The western shores of Acacia Bay end in dramatically shear rockfaces and narrow inlets. Along part of the northern coastline, a set of impressive (if not ancient) Maori carvings have been chiseled into the rock faces at Mine Bay—on private land accessible by boat only. Many cruises include the carvings, the Western Bays, Hot Water Beach, and much of the lake itself; contact the Charter Launch Office at the harbor to book (☎378 3444). The Charter Launch Office also owns the Barbary, a 1920s sailing yacht once owned by famous Hollywood swashbuckler Errol Flynn, is now captained by the colorful Bill Dawson, who teaches you to sail it. (☎0800 227 2279 or 378 3444; www.barbary.co.nz. 2hr. 3 per day. $30, children $10, under 5 free.) The Earnest Kemp, a 1920s steamboat replica, is a less arr-gressive, yet informative scenic tour of the lake. (☎378 3444. Book ahead. 2hr. $30, under 15 $10.)
Fishing. The world-famous Taupo trout, both brown and rainbow, were introduced from California and Britain in the late 1800s. Regulations appear on the fishing license you must purchase before hitting the river; licenses are only valid for Taupo. The apex of the fish phenomenon is the Mighty River Power Lake Taupo International Trout Fishing Tournament (www.taupotroutfishingtournament.org.nz) ; 450 anglers descend on Taupo on ANZAC day (Apr. 25) eager to take the biggest, prettiest, and feistiest trout of the lake. (Spinning and fly fishing permitted year-round. On rivers except for the Waikato, only fly fishing is allowed. 3 fish per 24hr. license $18.50; one-week license $55. Available from the i-Site, sports shops, or the offices at the harbor. Charters $75-140 per hr.)
Huka Jet. Take this heart-racing 30min. jetboat blast down the Waikato, performing 360˚ turns for the photo-snapping crowds at Huka Falls. (In Wairakei Park, 6km north of Taupo off SH1. ☎374 8572 or 0800 485 2538; www.hukajet.com. Free shuttle. Boats run every 30min. $79, children $49. Bookings essential.)
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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