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Taupō

Taupō

Taupō Tours

A popular tour stop in the middle of the North Island, Taupō township sits on the north-eastern shore of massive Lake Taupō. Although it may look like you’re on the shores of an ocean inlet, the lake (often said to be about the size of Singapore) is freshwater and is a prime spot for water-skiing, sailing, fishing and kayaking. Taupō is conveniently located close to the main North Island ski areas and the world-famous Tongariro Crossing, and the surrounding area offers excellent hiking, mountain biking and adventure activities. If you would like to relax, book a Lake Taupō sailing tour, a popular Lake Taupō tour activity that we at Haka Tours love!

Tow Paw?

While some people may have trouble pronouncing Taupō, you don’t need to worry because here’s a quick primer: Taupō is pronounced Tow Paw. The lake’s full Māori name is Taupō-nui-a-Tia (the rain cloak of Tia). Tia was an early Māori chief and one of the great explorers of the Taupō area, and the name originally referred to cliffs that resembled his cloak.

New Zealand’s largest lake is New Zealand’s largest volcano!

Don’t be alarmed, but Lake Taupō lies in the caldera of an active supervolcano, which has been active for around 1.6 million years! But not very active recently!

Radiocarbon dating suggests that the most recent eruption of Taupō was around 230 AD, when a vent in the volcano erupted with such force that it not only buried the North Island in volcanic debris, but covered the Chatham Islands, 1000 km away with a layer of ash 18 cm deep! The supervolcano then collapsed into the caldera that it is today.

powered by nature

Nowadays, the energy beneath the lake is harnessed for geothermal energy that powers the local region. You may see evidence of the geothermal forces as you travel around Taupō: plumes of clear white steam can be seen on the lakefront and near the streams that empty the lake, and the 193km shoreline has a constantly replenished supply of pumice – great for exfoliating rough skin! If you swim in the lake, you may notice warm, geothermal water currents.

Don’t worry, if it weren’t safe to visit, we wouldn’t have our very own upmarket backpacker lodge in Taupō! If booking a Taupō holiday package make sure to request our Taupō lodge for your accommodation.

SEVEN GREAT TAUPŌ VIEWS TO CAPTURE ON CAMERA:

  1. A group shot next to the LOVETAUPO sign on the waterfront is a Haka Tours must-do!

  2. Get on the water for a scenic cruise out to the impressive Māori rock carvings which can only be viewed from the water at Mine Bay.

  3. Nearby Huka Falls is part of the Waikato River that drains this largest body of freshwater in Oceania. Here – either by footbridge or by jetboat tour – you can see (and hear) more than 220,000 litres of water per second thundering over an 11-metre high waterfall

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  1. Get a snap of you doing a water touch bungy jump off the cliffs of Waikato River Valley. Yeah!

  2. From the 1088m summit of Mt Tauhara above the town you can see much of the supervolcano / lake’s 616 sq km surface area.

  3. In winter, the view across the lake to the snowy summits of Tongariro, Ngāuruhoe and Ruapehu in Tongariro National Park is seriously photogenic.

  4. Extreme photo challenge: get a selfie as you skydive above the supervolcano!

Photo Credits: Love Taupō

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