Taupo & the Ruapehu Region
Overview
Welcome to the New Zealand you've been waiting for, a picturesque landscape characterised as much by volcanic mountains as it is by bodies of water and native forest. Much of it is thanks to the Taupo Volcanic Zone – a line of geothermal activity that stretches via Rotorua to Whakaari (White Island) in the Bay of Plenty. It’s beautiful, but it's what's on the inside that counts: thermal activity bubbling beneath the surface that's responsible for some of the North Island's star attractions, including the country's largest lake and the three snowcapped peaks of Tongariro National Park.
Attractions
Must-see attractions
Taupo
The Waikato, New Zealand’s longest river, squeezes through a narrow chasm at Huka Falls, making the dramatic 11m drop into a surging crystal-blue…
Taupo
Tucked away from other more popular thermal fields, Orakei Korako is (since the destruction of the Pink and White Terraces, at least) arguably NZ's most…
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Taupo
This small but fascinating museum has an excellent Māori gallery and quirky displays, which include a 1960s caravan set up as if the occupants have just…
Taupo
Accessible only by boat or kayak, these 14m-high carvings were etched into the cliffs near Mine Bay by master carver Matahi Whakataka-Brightwell in the…
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Taupo & the Ruapehu Region
Mt Ruapehu (2797m) is the North Island's highest mountain and one of the world’s most active volcanoes. One year-long eruption began in March 1945,…
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Taupo & the Ruapehu Region
For some peaceful moments away from the mountains, consider a walk to this bush-smothered lake, the centrepiece of the Lake Rotokura Ecological Reserve,…
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Taupo
Two kilometres off SH5, this gorge was a spectacular part of the Waikato River until a hydroelectric dam was plonked across the waterway, shutting off the…
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Taupo
This geothermal area sprang to life when hydroelectric tinkering around the power station in 1958 caused water levels to fall. The pressure shifted,…
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