Lake Taupo - Relaxing by the lake!

From Napier we turned inland. The destination was the town of Taupo, located on the beautiful and largest lake in New Zealand. We initially drove on a small road towards the west, and then took SH 5 after a comfortable 150 km drive through volcanic hills to reach Taupo. The mountains of Tongariro National Park were always visible in the distance, and as you may recall from this blog, you could see Lake Taupo from the Tongariro Crossing hiking trail.

We originally planned to stay in Taupo for only 2 days. However, the campsite, although not by the lake, had great facilities and a relaxing atmosphere. Combined with the attractive leisure activities and the fact that we had almost 3 weeks until Auckland, we ended up extending our stay twice and stayed for a whole week.

One day, we traded our motorcycles for bicycles and went on a beautiful tour, including a visit to the Huka Falls, where you could take a jet boat ride almost to the base of the waterfall. It was evident that we were in a very volcanic area again, especially when we visited the "Craters of the Moon" landscape park, where there was steam coming out of many corners, small lakes had strange colors, and some mud pools were bubbling. The hike through this park was very nice, and there were great views from some hills. However, compared to Rotorua and the "Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland", this park was less spectacular.

Funny and typical of New Zealand is another attraction: in the 1950s, when the Waikato River was dammed by the construction of the Aratatia Dam, the famous and popular Aratatia Rapids dried up, causing an outcry among the population. As a result, the sluices of the dam are opened three or four times a day, causing the dried-up riverbed to transform into a frenzy of rushing water for a few minutes, before drying up again. To observe and experience this spectacle, you stand on the dam and wait for the siren signal announcing the opening of the sluices, and then continue along a beautifully laid out path along the river with two very nice viewpoints. This created a visitor attraction that attracts a significant number of people on sunny days.

Another enjoyable activity was a sailing trip on Lake Taupo. With about 20 people on a sailboat with an electric motor, we silently explored a small portion of the immense lake during a leisurely 2-hour tour. It was incredible how vast this lake is. We passed by beautiful houses in spectacular waterfront locations and Maori art carved into the rocks, took a swim in the lake from the boat, and otherwise enjoyed the sun on deck. It was truly a successful excursion!

Other than that, we relaxed in the good weather (finally!), preferably in the warm water pool at the campsite. With a bar integrated into the pool and a large outdoor screen where a movie was shown every evening after dark, it was a great place to hang out. Yes, the Kiwis certainly know how to enjoy life!