Take a Taupō spring holiday break

Congratulations, you made it. Time for a leisurely breakfast then off out to give the kids some exercise and a taster of what’s to come. 

If you’re on a first visit to Taupō, there’s one place you simply won’t want to miss—New Zealand’s most visited natural attraction, the mighty Huka Falls. Kids are generally less interested in scenic attractions, but the raw power and thundering of the water cascading through the narrow rocky chasm and down over the 11-metre water fall makes compelling viewing. It’s a short walk from the carpark to the viewing platforms or an easy 3-km walk from town—Spa Thermal Park to Huka Falls—which could include a soak in the natural hot springs in the Otumuheke Stream on your return. There are a few uphills but the trail is buggy-friendly. Bikers can use the nearby Rotary Ride to get to Huka Falls.

Take a picnic lunch and eat in Spa Thermal Park or continue on into town and find something to suit the family in a friendly café or eatery. Younger family members may have spotted the unique Maccas offering—the world’s only McDonald's restaurant inside a plane. Views are good from here, too.

Once you’ve refueled the mob, spend some time exploring town and the lakefront. Check out street art in the back streets then go on a dinosaur hunt in Riverside Park—at 7-metres tall, Boom Boom is certainly not hard to find, and fun for kids and art lovers alike. Around town activities suitable for most ages include the famous Taupō Hole-in-One Challenge on the waterfront ($10,000 prize up for grabs), Confinement Escapes and Swingers Putt Putt. And, since it’s Taupō, you can finish off the day letting off steam with some family fun in the hot pools. 

FAMILY TRAVEL TIP #2: Taupō region has more than 60 playgrounds to explore. You won’t need to go far to find one. 

Today’s the day when you might want to go a bit further afield. The Taupō region extends right around the lake and encompasses several smaller towns and lakeside settlements with a huge variety of different attractions and activities. Wherever you go, you will find all sorts of trails for walkers and mountain bikers so pop the bikes onboard if you’ve got some riding in mind.  

Craters of the Moon—at Wairakei, just 10 minutes up the road from town—is a firm family favourite. Follow the easy trail across an active thermal landscape between steaming vents, bubbling craters and rainbow colours. It’s also the home of Craters Mountain Bike Park—60 km of forest tracks with rides for every level of mountain biker and convenient bike hire (2 hrs for kids) right across the road.

Wairakei has other family-friendly options if there are some family members who’re not into biking. Huka Prawn Park is a unique theme park with a restaurant and a bunch of quirky rides (paddleboard or giant swan?) and other activities to keep the family occupied. And, the Huka Honey Hive is the place to go for free tastings (honey-themed sweet treats) and to learn about the lifecycle of our precious honey bees. It’s also the launching pad for thrilling jet boat rides to Huka Falls.

Nature lessons are all around in spring—a beautiful time in the forests around Taupō when birds are busy nesting. Delight the little ones at Kinloch, following the family-friendly Whangamata Stream Trail through the trees to discover a surprisingly expansive fairy dell—a veritable township of fairy dwellings among the trees. Complete your walk with a generously proportioned ice-cream from the Kinloch store.

FAMILY TRAVEL TIP #3: Skate boarders and BMX riders can test their skills on the trails at Taupō Bike Park and in Taupō Skatepark, both adjacent to Spa Thermal Park.  

Holidays are all about creating lasting memories so you’ll probably want to add in a couple of extra special treats for the family. Taupō has some of the best family activities you could find anywhere in Aotearoa. Picture yourselves hanging on tight while the jet boat 360s or white water rafting on the river, exploring geothermal wonders, saddling up for a four-legged adventure or catching that first ever fish. 

Off-the-beaten-track, Taupō reserves some extraordinary landscapes and ways to explore them. On the banks of the Waikato River just north of Wairakei, Ōrakei Kōrako is a spectacular hidden gem—a geothermal park in a hidden valley filled with active geysers, silica terraces, bubbling mud pools and a geothermal cave. 

On the southern end of the lake at Turangi, the kids can learn all about the lifecycle of trout and cast a line in to catch a trout at Tongariro National Trout Centre. Or, if you want to see where the fish go wild, the whole family can go on a roller coaster ride to rival any theme park—white water rafting the wild Tongariro River. 

Take the family up Mt Ruapehu to Whakapapa ski area—less than an hour from Taupō—for a spring ski or snowboard lesson in Happy Valley. Rent a toboggan or sit back and relax as you take flight over a volcano on the Whakapapa Sky Waka—a thrilling 1.8km gondola ride to high tea on the mountain. 

Celebrate your last night with dinner out. Choose between family-sized pizzas, icecreams and beer at Two Mile Sailing Club or Jimmy Coops gourmet burgers and fries, served up with their own craft brews.   

FAMILY TRAVEL TIP #4: On any Sunday morning, shop and nibble your way round the cruisy Taupō farmers and craft market. There’s always a good buzz on the lakefront reserve with around 100 stall holders selling their goods.