For us Taupo was a place we had on our to “go list” as we travelled from Rotorua to Waitomo Glowworm Caves. Taupo is a beautiful town with a huge lake which is situated near the centre of the North Island of New Zealand. You can not miss visiting the nearby awesome Huka Falls!
You can also visit nearby hot springs, as we were time restricted we have put this on our “next trip list” to explore. We love New Zealand and know we will continue to return for more adventures.
Whilst we were in Taupo it was Autumn. The gorgeous autumn tones of the yellows, oranges, bronze and reds certainly make for awesome photo opportunities.
Where We Visited In Taupo
- Huka Falls
- Lake Taupo
- Taupo Town including the Cobb & Co station and Lion Express Train
Huka Falls
We had no expectations when we visited Huka Falls as to what the falls would be like. After leaving the carpark we walked across a foot bridge where we admired New Zealand’s largest river, Waikato River.
The river itself is beautiful. The colour of the water is so picturesque, it really is a photographers haven. It’s a place where you can take so many wonderful photos. The ice blue water arggghhhh……
The Huka Falls are definitely different to what we’ve explored previously. Here the water is a gorgeous ice-blue and looks absolutely stunning, it’s so inviting! Meanwhile the water is rushing at such a fast pace down the Waikato River you very quickly realise this is not a place to go for a dip!!
To give you an idea of the pace of the water, 220,000 litres of water fall from the Huka Falls in a second!!! That’s right in a second!! It’s absolutely incredible to witness.
You can’t help but ask, where does all this water continually come from? The water is drained from Lake Taupo. It then runs down New Zealand’s longest river, Waikato River which narrows from approximately 100m wide into a canyon 15m wide!! It’s here you witness the falls. Whilst the falls are not a big drop, 11m they certainly dispense a lot of water. Saying we were impressed would be an understatement.
Whilst at the falls there are a number of hikes you can go on around the area or if you wish to witness the falls from the river you can go on a river cruise or jet boat ride. For us as Taupo was not a destination where we were staying the night, we opted not to do these activities. If you have time the area is certainly worth exploring further.
Huka Falls Location
Taupo 3377, New Zealand
Lake Taupo
Lake Taupo is the largest lake in New Zealand by surface area. It’s a huge tourist attraction. Tourists queue to have their photo taken at the popular #LakeTaupo which is right on the lake. Here you have a gorgeous view of the 616 square kilometre freshwater lake. The lake is in the caldera of the Taupo Volcano. Imagine this area back in the day when the volcanoes were erupting!!
7 Things You Can Do At Lake Taupo
- Parasail
- Go on a sea plane
- Play hole in one on the lake
- Simply sit and take in the atmosphere of the area
- Go for a stroll
- Take a bike ride
- Have a picnic
Lake Taupo Location
Taupo District, Waikato Region, North Island, New Zealand
Taupo Town
We strolled around the lovely town of Taupo checking out the shops. What we found good about the town was that everywhere you go they have sign posts providing information on the place and suggestions where to go. The town itself is across the road from the popular Lake Taupo.
The McDonalds in Taupo claims to be the worlds coolest McDonalds Restaurant, as chosen from 34,000 restaurants. I hear you ask, why is it so cool? It would have to be the old plane which is on display. Must say we’ve never seen a McDonalds Restaurant with such a cool plane on display.
The other side of town and alongside Lake Taupo are lovely gardens. This is a great place to take the kids or go for a stroll. Here you’ll find a large play ground area and there’s a Cobb & Co train station and Lion Express Train for the kids to ride.
From the Cobb & Co station you cross the road and you are on the Lake Taupo esplanade. Such a scenic area all within a stones throw of each other. Not many towns can offer so much in such a close proximity.
After leaving the town of Taupo it was time for us to head to the Waitomo Glowworm Caves.
Other Places We Explored On The North Island
Take a look at the below links of beautiful places we explored on the North Island. Note these are just a few of the amazing places to take an adventure. We still have so many places to explore!! If anyone tells you that 10 days is enough to explore, think twice!! Suggest you take at least 3-4 weeks.
- Waitomo Caves
- Rotorua including Redwoods Forest, Waimangu Volcanic Valley, Rotorua Gondola
- Raglan
- Thames the start of the Coromandel Peninsula
- Coromandel Peninsula including Hot Water Beach, Catherine Gorge
- Karangahake Gorge, southern end of the Coromandel Peninsula
- Warkworth
Feedback/Comments
Have you explored this gorgeous island of New Zealand? If so we would love you to share with us some of your experiences and places you suggest we should visit.
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