From Hot Pools to Huka Falls - Our Taupō Adventure

Day 7 & 8 of our North Island, NZ, Road Trip

The Town of Taupō

Taupō is a charming little vibrant town on the banks of New Zealand's largest freshwater lake which is its namesake. A lake so large at 622 sq km that it is comparable in size to the city of Singapore. Filling up a huge volcanic caldera, Lake Taupō is very ancient formed some 25000+ years ago. However, the area is volcanically active with the recent volcanic activity happening only some 1800 years ago. Even today, the volcano is active and is being monitored.

Thanks to its geothermal activity, the town of Taupō is home to many natural geothermal wonders and the beautiful Waikato river, which is the only river which flows out from the caldera lake. Not only it abounds in natural beauty, but the town is also a heaven for adventure lovers. Bungy jumping, skydiving, white water rafting, jet boating parasailing - you name it and you have it!

Tip: It is highly recommended to book your adventures well in advance as this place gets booked out in summers.

Reaching Taupō

From Rotorua: Taupō is approximately 80 kms away and an hour's drive from Rotorua

From Auckland: Taupō is around 275 kms away and takes around 3 hours by car.

Our Day in Taupō

We had an early start to our first day in Taupō. My husband had booked a round of gold at the Kinloch Golf Club early in the morning and I decided to join him. After an active morning without much food, we decided to head to the lakefront for lunch. The lakefront is the hub of all activities in Taupō - from shopping, to food and even some quirky contests. Yes, there was this golf contest happening right at the lakefront where you have to aim a few golf balls given to you from a fixed platform on the shore to a floating golf hole in the middle of the lake. The winner would get a prize trophy of 25K NZD. While, we wonder how to aim the ball right in the swaying golf hole in the lake, the proprietor was happily minting money with his ingenious business idea!

Coming back to our lunch, we decided to eat Indian food that afternoon. There was this Indian restaurant with a good lakefront seating and good reviews where we enjoyed a pretty good biryani. Like Australia, here too in NZ, raw onions are to be paid for by the plate as a side dish. It is not given as a complimentary item in any Indian restaurant. We both barely eat a slice or two of the onion and the rest gets wasted. This is sad considering that a little bit of that raw crunchy onion which imparts so much flavour to Indian cuisine is in a way denied to the customer.

That said, Indian food options are plenty near Lake Taupo. The lakefront (near Te Atea) and the lane behind it is is buzzing with restaurants and shops. Just read the reviews and decide your spot for a good meal.

Meet the Love Taupo board near the heart of the town - A popular photo-stop for tourists.

The clear waters of Lake Taupō meet its sandy beaches at many places along the shore making it an excellent spot to relax by the lake.

Taupō Lakeside Walk - The Great Lake Pathway

The expansive bluish-green volcanic lake is undoubtedly the main attraction of Taupō. We decided to explore the lakeside by walking along The Great Lake Pathway - a flat paved walkway along the eastern side of the lake starting from the Taupō centre going south to the Two-Mile Bay. The walk is picturesque offering numerous picnic spots, elevated viewing points and a splendid exotic-looking lone coffee cart (serving freshly brewed strong coffee) along the way.

The stroll is perfect for exploring the lakeside with your partner enjoying the calm waters and the scenic vistas all along. Or if you are the more sporty type, then you can opt for an e-bike ride to cruise the pathway. I did not find a small-sized e-bike good enough for me to pedal along the Great Lake Pathway and, no regrets, we decided to walk.

Click here to browse for your e-bike rentals

The Lakefront at Te Ateā, the Maori word for 'space', is spectacular for its middle pou (column) which represents nature, family and everything above and below us.

The crystal clear bluish-green waters of Lake Taupō mesmerise every onlooker. The water is exceptionally clear as compared to world lake standards due to its low nutrient and particle levels.

A small part of the beautiful walkway along the lake near the Two-Mile Bay. (Two Mile Bay is a scenic area known for its sailing club by the same name. It is a popular hangout for wood-fired pizzes, drinks and live music by the lakeside.)

Hot Water Beach

We walked leisurely for an hour or so (around 3.5 kms) till we reached the Hot Water Beach. This is a must-see spot in Taupō known for its hot geothermal springs very close to the Two Mile Bay. It is uniquely fascinating to see the hot steaming water trickle out from the ground and flow into the lake. The beach itself is small but is a great spot for families with kids who can enjoy in the warm pools formed near the spring.

The Two-Mile Bay Sailing Club

We did visit the Two-Mile Bay Sailing Club too to grab some food and to catch some nice views of the sunset. However, we found this popular hangout with its live music too loud for our taste. Plus, there were not many vegetarian options for us. We came back to the town centre for our dinner. However, the vibe of the place was nice and you should definitely try it out for it is known for its wood-fired pizzas and lovely location.

Before going back for dinner, we drove towards the Five-Mile Bay and saw some lovely housing communities by the lakeside. These houses facing the lake had a beautiful view of the water 24/7. I honestly felt a twinge of envy. These houses have a living natural painting drawn in front of them all the time. Hmm, except may be at night when it gets pitch dark. Even then, I am sure, it is a symphony for the senses - This is what is called Nature Living at its Best.

We stopped by a secluded lakeside spot and captured some beautiful pics of the setting sun. The day was ending and in spite of the busy day we had, we felt happy and contented. There is definitely something about being near water that recharges your soul. Isn't it!

Tried to capture the beautiful sunset on our way back from the Five Mile Bay

Spa Park to Huka Falls Walk

Spa Thermal Park

We planned the Huka Falls walk on the 2nd day of our stay in Taupō. Got some juices and cheese to snack and we started driving from the Taupo town centre towards Spa Park's parking lot. From the car park, take the road meant for 'walkers' and go towards the Spa Thermal Park along the Waikato river bank, some 5 minutes away. This is the spot where the popular Otumuheke streams form warm water pools along the Waikato river; perfect for enjoying a dip in the naturally formed hot spa.

Please note that the spa park is a naturally occurring warm water pool formed along the Waikato river where people enjoy a dip admiring the surreal beautiful surroundings. It is not a resort or a managed spa. You get toilets and changing room facilities at the spa park, free of cost.

Car park timings at Spa Thermal Park: 7 am to 8 pm.

Entry: Free

Spa Thermal Park

Turquoise waters of the Waikato river surrounded by dense native bushes.

Huka Falls Walk

The walk towards Huka falls, New Zealand's most visited natural attraction, starts adjacent to the Spa Thermal Park. It is a flat, winding, well-defined walkway by the river side offering spectacular views of the surrounding lush native bush and the turquoise Waikato river. There are so many photo ops along the way that will leave you amazed. To the uninitiated, the Waikato river is the longest river in NZ and is a profound cultural heritage.

• Total walking distance: 3 kms one way. One can return via the same route or can arrange for transport from the Huka falls parking lot.

• Time taken: 1+ hour one way. Add to this the time you spend clicking pictures and admiring the falls at the end of the walk.

• Pet-friendly walk: Dogs on leash are allowed.

• Car Park Timings: From 8 am to 5:30/6 pm

• Entry: Free

• Fitness level required: Great for all ages as it is a flat walk with little or no climbing involved.

This trail is popular with the mountain bikers too. Bikers have a separate path different from this walking path, which goes round the bush in 30 minutes to reach Huka falls.

The direction boards for walkers and bikers.

The well-defined walkway to Huka falls along the Waikato river

The bridge connects the walkway to the Huka falls parking lot. From the bridge one can see the water cascading with great force towards the 11 -metre (36 feet) tall precipice.

The 11 metre tall roaring Huka falls where around 220,000 litres of water is forced through the narrow volcanic falls every second.

Huka falls - the river narrows down in the gorge from over 100 metres to just around 15 metres forcing several thousand gallons of water forward with great force towards the falls.

The entire walk to and fro Huka falls took us around 4 hours including the photo stops along the way. There is a small tuck shop in the parking lot of Huka falls where you can buy some snacks and ice creams. No coffee though was available there :( All this walking can make you very hungry,;so remember to carry enough snacks and water for your walk here.

Don't miss this walk or a bike ride here when you are in Taupō! I

OR

f you are an adventure enthusiast, then you might like experiencing the Huka Falls Jet Boat Ride that takes you to the base of this thundering falls at an exhilirating speed of 80kms per hour!

Taupō's Geothermal Hot Pools - Wairakei Terraces

The long walk to Huka falls and back was the perfect excuse to go and relax in one of the many mineral-rich geothermal hot pools of the Taupō region. We had already booked a spot for us two in the evening at the highly reviewed Wairakei Terraces. We soaked in the thermal pools which had 4 different varying temperatures in each of its 4 differnt pools, for varying degrees of comfort.

The experience was truly soothing and therapeutic. The long soak washed away all our fatigue and left us warm and revitalized for the upcoming trip to South Island. It is the perfect way to spend your evening after walking or biking to Huka Falls during the day.

Picture courtesy: https://www.wairakeiterraces.co.nz/our-pools