Waipāhīhī Botanical Reserve

For spectacular floral displays, visit during spring when more than 2,000 rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas erupt in colourful blooms intermingled between the forest trees and native plantings. But even if you visit at other times of the year, there's still plenty to see among the themed collections: thriving harakeke/flax, floral gardens, rātā and kauri – attracting native birds fluttering through the forest canopy.

Bring a bite to eat to enjoy at the picnic tables dotted around the reserve while soaking up views of Mount Tauhara and Lake Taupō, with the volcanoes of Tongariro National Park on the horizon. Children can enjoy the open, grassed areas or look for painted Taupō Rocks nestled among the nooks of tree trunks - pocket a couple to relocate or add to the reserve's growing collection.

If you're short on time, hop in the car for a short, leisurely drive around the 35-hectare reserve on a 2-kilometre loop beneath native trees and lush ferns. The driving loop includes a section of the historic Taupō-Napier Coach Road, which carried travellers from Taupō to Napier and Rotorua from the late 1800s.