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Adventure hotspots!
Resorts in Taupo
The Heart of North Island
About Taupo
The heart of New Zealand’s North Island, Taupo is a flurry of activities and experiences collected into a destination centred around a huge lake. The was created nearly two thousand years ago by a volcanic eruption so big it blurred the skies way away in Europe and China! In fact, at the Craters of the Moon, travellers will see evidence of the lake’s fiery birth in the geysers, steaming craters and boiling mud pools. At some of Taupō’s beaches, swimmers and paddlers can enjoy warm, geothermal water currents.
The name Taupo, by which the town is commonly known, is the shortened version of its Māori name, Taupō-nui-a-Tia. Literally translated, Taupō-nui-a-Tia means ‘the great cloak of Tia’; the explorer Tia discovered the lake. As pretty as it is, it is twinned with Malaysia’s Kulim, Japan’s Hakone and New Caledonia’s Noumea.
Things to do in Taupo
Taupo’s untouched ancient forests and swamplands, impressive geothermal wonderlands, and breath-taking volcanoes are crisscrossed with excellent walking and hiking tracks of all lengths and levels of difficulty. From pleasant lakefront and riverside strolls like the Great Lake Walkway and Huka Falls trails, through to the Tongariro River Trail and Lake Rotopounamu native bush walks ringing with birdsong, to the epic full-day alpine trek known as the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, which treks across a cratered volcanic moonscape dotted with gemstone-coloured lakes.
Thermal walkways at Craters of the Moon and Orakei Korako expose the power and mystery of the earth’s inner workings in the strange and wonderful landscapes of Taupo’s geothermal areas, and walks in the Pureora Forest Park take you deep into a magical and ancient world of moss covered trees, crystal-clear rivers and melodious birdsong. Taupo has some of the best walking tracks in New Zealand, too! It is also a bikers’ paradise. There are few better ways to enjoy Taupo’s epic natural landscapes than from the saddle of a bike. From the epic Great Lake Trail to family-friendly Craters Mountain Bike Park, Taupo offers some of the best mountain-biking in New Zealand on a network of internationally recognised, purpose-built trails to suit every kind of rider!
How to reach Taupo?
Taupō is centrally located in the middle of the North Island, approximately 3.5 hours’ drive from Auckland and 4.5 hours’ drive from Wellington. There’s a genuinely friendly culture here and plenty of accommodation, too!
Hotels & Resorts in Taupo
Check out some of our partner hotels and resorts – our packages and deals bundle in stays, transfers, breakfast, discounted flights and seasonal complementaries such as free nights and more!
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