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Lying on a volcanic plateau above a vast underground lake of magma, Taupo is alive with astonishing geothermal activity.
From steaming vents and bubbling mud lagoons, to rainbow-coloured silica terraces and rejuvenating hot springs and mineral pools, the ever-changing landscape can be both entrancing and formidable.
From the warm water crater lake atop Mt Ruapehu, to the steaming cliffs at Hipaua, and the thermal areas along the Thermal Explorer Highway - geothermal activity is obvious.
Throughout Taupo you’ll also spot steaming geothermal power stations generating sustainable energy by capturing the power of scalding water from deep underground.
Orakei Korako is a hidden gem around 30 minutes drive north of Taupo town. Its candy-coloured landscape is the closest you’ll come to seeing the legendary lost Pink and White Terraces, which were destroyed in an eruption in 1886.
At Craters of the Moon you can expect burping fumaroles, steamfields that constantly shift, collapse and regenerate, bubbling craters, colourful soils and heat-loving plants. It’s an easy, wheelchair and buggy friendly boardwalk trail.
There are numerous hot pools around Taupo town and Turangi. Several have health spas and water playgrounds for children on site.
If you’re on a budget, there’s free access to the natural Otumuheke Stream at Spa Thermal Park, and locals can even point you to spots around the lakefront where warm water bubbles up naturally.
Turtle Pools is located in the centre of Tūrangi and offers entertainment for all ages. A fully enclosed swimming pool facility with an air temperature of 24 degrees and is Poolsafe accredited.
Kayaking through geothermal features along the Waikato River, bathing under a hot springs waterfall or wandering through Orakei Korako Geothermal Park is without a doubt one of the best ways to experience the geothermal wonders of NZ.
Unique hot pools with outdoor and indoor pools, two amazing heated racing slides, children's interactive warm water playground, private pools and spa treatments.
See steaming hot mineral pools and spluttering mud pools on this short, easy walk.
Silcia terraces, thermal bathing pools, massage therapy, Maori cultural experiences, geothermal tours.
Our guides are personable, qualified and ready to guide you on the Whanganui River. Adrift provides instruction, transport, equipment and gear hire. We guide every day and guarantee trip departures with wind, rain, snow and shine.
An eighteen-kilometer loop joins together some of the favorite bike trails near the Wairakei Tourist Park, from Huka Falls to Aratiatia Dam as well as the Wairakei Resort Track. Ride through a geothermal wonderland in the Taupo region.
Soak, soothe and relax in the magical mineral waters of Tokaanu Thermal Pools.
Warm geothermal waters from Otumuheke Stream flow gently into the Waikato River at Spa Thermal Park, providing a hot spot where bathers can relax in healing mineral water.
Our guides are personable, qualified and ready to guide you to the top of Mt Ruapehu, the largest of the three volcanoes in Tongariro National Park. This is a great hike and does require a good level of fitness.
At Huka Falls nearly a quarter of a million litres of water per second erupts from a natural gorge and thunders 11m into the Waikato River below.
More infoBorn on the eastern slopes of Mt Ruapehu, the longest river in New Zealand drains Lake Taupo through Taupo town, blasts through a narrow rock chasm to create the Huka Falls, then winds more peacefully northwards towards Port Waikato, south of Auckland.
More infoAt the heart of New Zealand’s central volcanic plateau sits the largest freshwater lake in Australasia, Lake Taupo.
More infoThe 78,000ha Pureora Forest Park is an ancient rainforest of giant native New Zealand trees, totara, rimu, matai, miro and kahikatea, and rich with rare native bird life.
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