Taupo

Beautiful Lake Taupo beside the town of Taupo is actually a huge volcano with a fiery history. According to Maori legend, the lake is the pulsating heart of Maui’s fish .

Taupo’s geothermal areas are among the best in New Zealand. Prepare for steam pouring from unexpected vents in the earth or drifting across bush-clad hills, rainbow-coloured silica terraces and turquoise mineral lakes, boiling mud pools that bubble and plop and spurting geysers.

The town centre is a hive of activity with a variety of restaurants and several art galleries and a small museum that host changing exhibitions. The popular annual Taupo Art Trail on Queen’s Birthday weekend goes inside local artists’ own studios to show their process up close.

In spring, the Graffiato: Taupo Street Art Festival is a high-energy celebration, bringing local and international artists to add to Taupo’s surprising and diverse collection of public murals.

The Lava Glass Sculpture Garden is a must visit for art fans. Featuring more than 600 handcrafted glass sculptures and is the only garden of this kind in New Zealand.

Discover the region’s Maori culture heritage at the Taupo Museum, and visit some of New Zealand’s most significant Maori pa sites (fortified villages) where you can learn about the history of the famous Ka Mate Haka at Opotaka Historic Reserve or discover the site where the last major engagement of the New Zealand Wars was fought in 1869 at Te Porere Redoubt.

As you travel around the lake, you will find every landscape you can imagine. Snow-blanketed winter ski fields and alpine deserts. Ancient forests alive with birdsong. Trout-filled rivers and the thundering Huka Falls just north of Taupō, where more than 220,000 litres of water thunder over the cliff face every second.

Taupō is a great lake for water-skiing, sailing and kayaking. The Maori rock carvings at Mine Bay, which can only be seen from the water, make for a great boat trip or kayaking excursion. The forests surrounding the lake offer hiking and mountain biking to suit all levels of experience.

ACCOMMODATION

We intend to provide a unique experience with our special selection of properties covering the following themes. Our kiwi rating Is based on experience and not on price .

N/Nature E/Eco B/Beach W/Wine area N/Nature

C/Culture FF/Family friendly T/Town centre R/Restaurant on site

Small, friendly hotels & guest houses with a pleasantly informal ambience