Taupo

At the heart of New Zealand’s lush North Island is sparkling Lake Taupō, what the native Māori refer to as the great inland sea. Taupō was created nearly two thousand years ago by a volcanic eruption so big it darkened the skies in Europe and China!

Circumnavigate the lake and you’ll find every landscape imaginable. From snow-blanketed ski fields in winter to alpine deserts, and from ancient forests alive with native birdsong to rivers filled with wild trout. You’ll find Mother Nature alive and well here with bubbling mud pools, steaming geothermal valleys, rejuvenating hot springs, and of course Huka Falls where more than 220,000 litres of water thunder over the cliff face every second.

Taupo is also a convenient base for exploring the three volcanos further afield in Tongariro National Park, whether it be by walking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing (New Zealand's most popular day walk) or by taking the new Sky Waka gondola into the clouds, passing waterfalls and ancient lava flows on the way to incredible heights.

Most of all however, Lake Taupō and its tributaries are known worldwide for incredible fishing opportunities. The nearby town of Turangi has the largest natural trout fishery in the world and the Tongariro River is particularly famous for catching rainbow and brown trout. The first trout ever caught in the region was in April 1904 and it weighed 1.36 kilograms.

Discover why we #LoveTaupo!