Know&Go Guide: Great Lake Taupo, Taupo, North Island
Great Lake Taupo is New Zealand's largest lake.
Approximately the size of Singapore, it's looked upon almost as an inland sea.
The town of Taupo is located on the outlet of the lake in the northeast, where it discharges to the Waikato River which then flows over Huka Falls, just north of the town.
An adventure sport capital, Great Lake Taupo sees jetboats, water-skiing, yachts, kayaks and anything else these sport crazy Kiwis can invent.
When compared to other regions in New Zealand, Taupo can be cold and windy due its inland location resulting in the build up of dry air causing severe frost during winter. While frost is prevalent, snowfall is rare. Summer's are mild with a maximum average temperature reaching 23 C (73 F).
Sadly, New Zealand hadn't received the "It's Summer" memo as it was cold and blowing a gale, with rain travelling horizontally at painful speeds. I arrived in town to discover that my Rapids Jet excursion had been cancelled with the explanation that the rain would be travelling even faster, around 80 kms/hr (50 miles/hr), straight at us...good call!
Happily there is still much to do in Taupo, even on a rainy day.
Taupo
Centrally located on the North Island, The Great Lake Taupo district is 278 km (173 miles) from Auckland and 371 km (230 miles) from Wellington.
Taupo is a volcanic and geothermal hotspot and a massive volcanic eruption nearly two thousand years ago created Great Lake Taupo, darkening the skies spreading as far west as China and east to Europe. The region is known for its geysers, steaming craters, boiling mud pools and geothermal hot springs.
The town's full Maori name is Taupō-nui-a-Tia which literally means "The great cloak of Tia," after the lake's discoverer.
Experience
Taupo is located at the outlet of Lake Taupo, New Zealand's largest lake, in the northeast part of the lake where it discharges to the Waikato River. The river flows over Huka Falls, a short distance north of the town. It’s New Zealand's highest volume waterfall with more than 220,000 litres (58,117 gallons) of water passing over the cliff face every second. It's by no means a tall waterfall, but the sheer volume of water more than makes up for its small scale.
There are many vantage points to overlook the falls – and I recommend that you do (notice people on the bridge in the picture) – but really the best way to see the falls is from the river.
Finding the boat was a bit tricky but, thankfully, they waited for me and we set off for a 90-minute round-trip on New Zealand's longest river. A highlight was learning about the eco-friendly Wairakei Geothermal Power Station which we passed on our way to the falls. It was the first of its type, a wet steam operation, when it as built in 1958. It's still going strong today, using the acidic river water for fuel and returning it safely to the lake to begin to the process again.
Once we arrived at the falls it was a wild ride due to the massive amount of water that was coming at us. The churning turquoise water battered us about like we were inside a massive washing machine. Our captain handled it beautifully and we all got some great, albeit wet, shots before we turned around and enjoyed warming cups of tea or coffee on the return trip.
Not far down the river is the world-famous Huka Lodge, which is a favourite of the royal and rich, consistently being voted one of the best in the world. Sadly, it wasn't my home for the night, but one day...
I may have missed out on a jet boat ride this morning but that was more than made up for with a trip to WWW. The downtown location boasts the world’s first 4D adventure cinema allowing you to experience extreme sports from the comfort of your seat.
We took a virtual ride down scenic rivers, plunged off waterfalls, ran the rapids, flew over volcanoes, took a free fall from 4,572 metres (15,000 feet) and jet boated the rapids. 4D means you get to experience some wind and water in your seat. It's a chance to experience the whole region in an inexpensive and safe way, which in reality would cost you a fortune, take courage and many days.
The motion is so realistic that I admit I got mildly motion sick. Thankfully they monitor the room and if you put your hands up, they'll get your out of there stat! I managed to make it through without embarrassing myself or interrupting the ride.
I highly recommend this when visiting Taupo, especially if you're a bit wary of extreme sports, like me!
Of course if the real thing appeals as well, you can book white water rafting, sky diving, jetboat and lake cruises all at the front desk while enjoying a coffee from the café.
An aquaculture facility, Huka Prawn Park propagates and rears the Great Malaysian River Prawn which spawn five times a year, perfect for a commercial operation. They heat their ponds using waste geothermal heat from the Wairakei Geothermal Power Station just up the river to recreate the tropical waters of the prawns natural habitat. When fully stocked the park can produce up to 5 tons of prawns annually.
It's a great day out for all the family: from touring the nursery to fishing for the adults to dining on them in the popular restaurant. An all day pass includes access to the Fishing Park, Guided Nursery and Hatchery Tours, plus a ten-minute fishing lesson. Hand feeding some of the more than million baby prawns raised in the nursery is a highlight. Fishing for your own prawns is very popular and you can take your catch home with you as the staff will put them on ice or cook them yourself on the spot.
Another feature is "Shawn's Walk" which boasts jumping rocks, a nature walk where you can feed wild trout and a geothermal foot bath where you can soak your feet and take in the river views. There's also 'Killer Prawn Golf' where you can attempt a hole-in-one.
Rest
Consume
Lunch time is a great time to visit Huka Prawn Park. Where better to get the freshest prawns next to catching them yourself (which you can do here as well)?
Huka Prawn Park’s restaurant is Taupo’s only al fresco riverside eatery and there are many prawn and non-prawn meals available. Seating up to 400 guests at a time, children have a special menu and indoor/outdoor play areas. Kids love meeting Shawn the Prawn the park's mascot and I grabbed a photo, too. It's not everyday you see a huge walking prawn!
My meal of Crispy Battered Prawns with a chili citrus dipping sauce was excellent and perfect for a drizzly, cold day.
The restaurant is exempt from the admission fee, so it's a popular spot for locals as well.
A five minute drive from town and the airport, this lovely motel is located on Lake Taupo at Two Mile Bay. This busy stretch of water was invisible when I arrived due to rain and clouds, but later that afternoon it was bathed in the most stunning sunset (see below taken from just in front of the motel) with a huge rainbow (that was too big to get in one photo) dwarfing the massive lake.
My room - Lake View Unit A - was the first on the right in the above picture and was equipped with free WIFI, cable TV, kitchen, dining table, separate bedroom, bathroom and single bed in the living room. I only stayed the one night, but it would be a great base for a longer stay with all the comforts of home.
There's an area for BBQs behind the building and a play area for kids. A spa and laundry are provided for both sides of travelling: relaxing and maintenance. You can borrow bikes for riding into town or along the popular Lion's Walk around the lakefront, they just ask for a donation to Kidsbike Taupo for the privilege.
Read my TripAdvisor review.
Great Lake Taupo at sunset