Insider’s Guide to making summer magic around Lake Taupō

Dining

Taupō is packed with prime chippie spots to unwrap hot bundles from local favourites, the Double Happy Chinese Takeaways and Grasshopper Chip Bar. There’s deep-fried goodness at Tūrangi Fish and Chips, handily opposite an excellent playground. Out west, Rosie’s Takeaways in Mangakino has hearty portions, and check the socials to find Burger HQ food truck dishing out gourmet burgers (and pavlovas!). Pizzas loaded with copious toppings get served up at Russmans in Whakamaru, and lake-side crispy curly fries are menu staples at Kinloch General Store.

Hunter-gatherer types can try their luck catching lunch at Huka Prawn Park or cast a line on the Tongariro River in Tūrangi—famous for trout that play hard to get. Nearby, Tongariro National Trout Centre teaches kids to fish, then serves up their smoked catch. Still feeling hands-on? Roll up your sleeves at The River Road Kitchen and toss around some pizza and dumpling dough in their workshops.

Swap jandals for proper dining in Tūrangi. Book a table at Hare & Copper for seasonal tapas-style plates or soak up the sunshine on the veranda at Hydro Eatery. In Taupō, fuel up at Kefi, drool over the sugar-laden cabinet at Baked With Love, or grab wholesome bites at The Cozy Corner. Got a sweet tooth? Volcanic Chocolate crafts edible art, find them at the Sunday farmers' market along with plenty of other artisans touting locally made treats to devour or stash for later.

When it's time to splash out, the Taupō dining precinct delivers. Book ahead for Taupō restaurants Embra and The Bistro—both recognised in the Cuisine Good Food Guide—or savour seasonal plates at Brantry Eatery and the long-loved Plateau Bar & Eatery. Or wander, browsing sidewalk menus from Nepalese to Thai, Indian, British and Italian fare.

Swimming

Stake your claim on sandy beaches around Lake Taupō by throwing down a rug and diving into its snow-fed waters, or wandering the Great Lake Pathway for a lazy float in tucked-away coves minus the crowds.

Quick toe-dip? Hit the steamy rock pool at Taharepa Baths, or go full simmer at Otumuheke Stream, where hot water mingles with the Waikato River—best at dusk for sunsets and early stars. Dig toes into warm volcanic sand at Hot Water Beach or go classic Kiwi at Tokaanu Thermal Pools in Tūrangi. Adults can chill at Wairakei Terraces’ lagoon-style pools, while Taupō DeBretts keeps kids busy with hydro slides and a splash park.

Mangakino Recreation Reserve is a kid magnet on sunny days, splashing off the pontoon after bike adventures on the Waikato River Trails to swing bridges and lakes lurking behind the dams. Twenty minutes from Taupō, Kinloch is all holiday-bach vibes and a buzzing beach.

Activities

Turn your back on the shoreline for a few hours to summit extinct volcanoes, capture wide-eyed selfies jet boating the churning rapids of the Waikato River, or forest-bath in an ancient rainforest saved by forward-thinking tree-huggers in the 1970s.

Two-wheeling enthusiasts can Lycra-up on hundreds of kilometres of world-class mountain biking circling the supervolcano—plus there’s plenty of family tootling trails. Then there’s the parachuting, parasailing, river rafting and laid-back sailing to fit in too.

$10,000 is on the line for swingers at Lake Taupō Hole in One Challenge, maybe warm up the swing at themed mini-putt courses: Taupō Mini Golf and Swingers Putt Putt. Golf courses in wildlife sanctuaries and sweeping lakeside locations attract serious swingers.

Art

Wander the open-air art gallery of Taupō, where Graffiato—New Zealand’s longest-running street art festival—has fresh murals appearing on blank walls every Labour Weekend. Pair your stroll through art-filled laneways with a handy location guide and a cup of freshly brewed coffee.

Galleries stock local artists, and glassblowing attracts the crowds at Lava Glass, or find whimsical mosaics at L’Arte Café and Gallery with its onsite pottery studio. While you can’t take them home, the Taupō Museum and Art Gallery has special historical pieces that are well worth seeing—and for its moa!

An ice-cream stroll along the waterfront takes in more sculptures. Grab a cone from local favourites Luna’s Gelateria, which has palate-soothing gelato and sorbet with free tasters, while old-school Kona Kones has stacked cones and the Great Lake Taster for the undecided. Across the road, burn off any sugar rushes on towering nets and small-kid areas at the biggest playground in Taupō.

Geothermal

Lunar landscapes are a nod to the fiery scenes beneath this region; get up close to gaping fumaroles at Craters of the Moon or catch a ferry across Lake Ohakuri to the subterranean landscapes of Orakei Korako Geothermal Park.

Bubbling—slightly egg-whiffy!—landscapes line the buggy-friendly Tokaanu Thermal Walk near Tūrangi —follow it up with a dip in the nearby pools. Even the famed Huka Falls can’t escape its volcanic past, now churning 220,000 litres of water per second through an eroded volcanic neck.

Taupō accommodation

Summer is the season for a spot of Taupō camping. The Lake Taupō Holiday Resort’s swim-up lagoon has twisting hydroslides, or skip stones across Lake Taupō from tents pitched at Motutere Bay TOP 10 Holiday Park. Pucker the fingertips with a geothermal soak and stay at Taupō DeBretts Spa Resort— and for the nature lovers, throw some scroggin in a pack and depart to remote dark-sky high-country huts.

For crisp sheets and fancy meals, Huka Lodge and Kinloch Manor & Villas consistently deliver, but there are plenty of Taupō accommodation options for every budget. Visitors with tents and campers to motel-dwellers and mid-range hotel visitors can pick and choose between lakeside offerings to grassy reserves on the banks of the Waikato River. Don’t forget to reserve your Taupō fishing license.