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New Zealand > Mid North > Taupo
By Jessica Lloyd
 Lake Taupo lies at the heart of the North
Island about halfway between Auckland
and Wellington with the town of Taupo lying to the
north end of the lake and Turangi at the southern end with only a 45 minute
drive between the two towns. The region is renowned for its
fresh air, ski fields, pure waters,
fresh fish and fun adventures.
Further to the north lies Rotorua with its geothermal
wonderland.
To
the south lie the magnificent
volcanoes Ruapehu, Tongariro and
Ngauruhoe standing guard in the
Tongariro National Park. The Park is
New Zealand's first national park
which came into being in 1887 when
the volcanoes were gifted to the
people of New Zealand by Te Heu Heu
Tukino lV - the paramount chief of
the Ngati Tuwharetoa. It is only one
of 20 areas in the world to be
awarded dual World Heritage status as
both a natural and cultural icon.
The Big Bang
Lake Taupo itself came into being a few thousand years ago when a volcano
erupted so massively that the sun went hazy in the Northern Hemisphere and
this was the Earth's biggest eruption in the past 5,000 years. The lake is
the same size as Singapore and is the largest fresh water lake in
Australasia.
Today there are around 22,000 people living in this tourist town. The area
is stunning, with thermal activity and the massive Lake Taupo as the centre
point. It is a fun and interesting place to spend a few days, a week, or
even an entire summer. With a chilled, friendly vibe, Taupo is a New Zealand
haven in its own right.
Food and Drink
Taupo has a diverse range of eateries. From world class lodges to fine homestyle cooking or enjoy a
flat white or cappucino at one of the many sunny
outdoor cafés. Fancy a geothermally bred prawn? Or perhaps a freshly smoked
trout? The original food available in Taupo is of a high quality, and there
are some perks to being right on the main fault line of New Zealand. Going
out in Taupo is normally a pleasant experience, with a good range of eats
available to the visitor. Because this town is a tourist town first and
foremost, there are all sorts of things you don’t find in ordinary towns.
There are some very classy establishments and good bars and clubs to dance
the night away.
What’s to do in Taupo?
What’s not to do in Taupo! Outdoors, indoors, high, low, its all yours
though it’ll cost you. With the main income stemming from the huge visitor
numbers to the area, even the public
loos cost just because they
can. They are nice toilets though. The lake, mountains, and thermal zones
make Taupo a thrilling and beautiful place to visit, and it’s not a bad
place to live either. You can ski on a volcano, fly around the snow-capped
mountains or bungee jump over the Waikato River. If you prefer the tamer
side of life there are thermal spas, great golf courses, and secluded
beaches to make your visit special. Taupo is peaceful but there is usually
something interesting happening. There are also some great spots nearby
including smelly, gorgeous Rotorua
with its many amazing natural wonders.
The famous Huka Jet spins and sprays you down 30 minutes of thrilling white
water, or if you prefer the lazier side of life, take a sail boat out on the
Lake. Snow boarding or skiing on Mount Ruapehu, aerobatics in an old
biplane, bungy jumping over
the Waikato River, jet boating right
up to the base of the Huka Falls with
over 300,000 litres of water
thundering through a narrow gap every
second, 4x4 motor biking, mountain
biking forest trails, jet skiing,
tandem sky diving, horse trekking,
white water rafting, kayaking down
the Waikato River, windsurfing, water
skiing, parasailing, rock climbing or
abseiling and did I forget to mention
the golfing at an international golf
course where one of the greens is
actually a raft floating on the
lake.
For
those with a more tranquil idea of
leisure in mind you could simply go
shopping for anything from clothes to
hand tied fishing flies or spend a
few hours soaking in hot mineral
springs that have been soothing
wearied souls for centuries. To
finish your day take a barbecue on
the beach in the Western Bays and
watch one of the most beautiful
sunsets to be found in the world and
be at peace with the stars in the
skies and the gentle sound of waves
on the beach.
The People
Everyone is fairly relaxed and friendly, and visitors are welcomed though it
always pays to behave yourself. There are always the louts out and about
destroying their car tyres and clutches, but because of a reasonable police
presence, they find other places to have their fun without being too
annoying.
Accommodation
There are some great backpacker’s hostels, motels, hotels, and resort-style
accommodation. There is something to fit every budget.
We recommend:
 Millennium Hotel & Resort Motels Taupo - a Mediterranean style hotel
situated on the shores of beautiful Lake Taupo with fantastic views of the
lake and mountains. Close to the hotel there are many local attractions such
as trout fishing, jet boating, scenic flights, thermal scenic tours,
geothermal electricity plants, fresh water prawn farm, Huka Falls and Deer
World farm tours situated overlooking Lake Taupo.
Book online or search/browse the
accommodation directory.
Maori Legends
The Naming of Lake Taupo
The proper name for Lake Taupo is Taupo-nui-a-Tia, which translates to ‘the
great cloak of Tia’. Tia was an early Maori chief and explorer who arrived
in a 14th century fleet of waka (Maori canoe). He travelled with a friend of
his, Ngatoroirangi, who was a powerful tohunga, or high priest, and they
landed in the Bay of Plenty. They split up and began their trek inland.
Tia went west, hitting the murky Waikato River. The colour of the water
hinted there were already people higher up the river, and so he named the
place Atiamuri; Tia who follows behind. He was curious about the people who
he figured must be up the river, so went to find them. On the way he found
some interesting landforms which he named. One of these was tiered river
rapids, named Aratiatia, the stairway of Tia. He was disappointed when he
fell upon the people who lived there, a large tribe called Ngati Hotu.
He kept travelling around the eastern shores of the lake to Hamaria where he
came across a strangely patterned cliff face. It reminded him of a rain
cloak of flax leaves he was wearing, so he named the cliffs Taupo-nui-a-Tia
– the great cloak of Tia.
There is a different version of this story where the explorers argued about
who got to the great lake first, and Ngatoriorangi got so mad he conjured a
‘mantle or cloak of darkness’ (the great cloak of Tia) which made Tia’s
groups travels more difficult. Taupo-nui-a-Tia was the name given to the
lake by tribes who came later.
The Creation of Lake Taupo
There are some different versions of this story too. The first is that
Ngatoro-irangi was mad, and when he climbed Mount Tauhara he pulled a tree
out by its roots and threw it down the mountain, causing a crater. There are
rumours you can still see the roots of the tree sticking up about the water
at Wharewaka Point. The less popular version is that the same guy threw his
spear from the top of the mountain, creating a dry basin which filled up
with water, becoming Lake Taupo. In any case, after he had created the lake,
he then went down and threw some of his feathers or strands from his cloak
(take your pick) and they became the freshwater whitebait, native trout,
freshwater shellfish and freshwater crayfish. He also tried to put some eels
in the lake, but it didn’t work out. There are still no eels in the lake to
this day, despite many attempts to introduce them. Nobody is sure why.
Legends aside, the Lake
is serene and calm and the scene of
many an angler's triumph. It is home
to some of the finest Rainbow and
Brown trout in the world. Either fish
from a boat on the Lake or use a
guide to discover some quiet river
bend and fish to your heart's
content.
Conclusion
Taupo is many things to many people, but to the
visitor, it is an extraordinary place to be. The
lapping water of Lake Taupo soothes, cools, thrills
and relaxes. The wide space created by the water
allows the eyes and mind to wander. The rugged
backdrop of the mountains, with or without snow
whiting out their tips, gives a sense of the
awesome. If you are visiting New Zealand, or
exploring your own country, Taupo is a gotta-get-there.
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Mid North
Taupo |
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