Terrific Taupō _{by Annabella Gamboni}

Central Plateau (Summer 2018)

Taupō is one of New Zealand’s premier tourist destinations, attracting visitors far and wide with its stunning scenery, incredible geothermal activity, and activities to get the adrenaline pumping. We at Destinationz had never ventured to this popular region, and so we thought “why not!” and booked in a weekend of adventure in the spring of 2018.

My good friend (and excellent chauffeur) Amy accompanied me for the trip. We drove up on a Friday and made it to Taupō within five hours, including a quick road stop at Taihape’s iconic Brown Sugar café. For Wellingtonians looking to save a bit of money, I’d really recommend driving over flying – the trip is relatively painless, especially with the addition of the Kāpiti Expressway along State Highway 1.

Not ones to waste time, we headed straight to HukaFalls Jet for part one of a hair-raising combo of activities. We had booked ourselves in for a fantastically well-priced deal called the JumpJet, which featured not only a jetboating tour, but a bungy jump later that day at Taupō Bungy.

Our jetboat driver, Liam, was lovely – very Kiwi, but also gentle and friendly. Before we departed for our journey, he said a karakia for the river, which I very much appreciated as a New Zealander.

The trip itself was great fun. Because the boat is rudderless, you can skim over sticks in the water, weave around obstacles, and best of all, go really fast. My favourite parts were when we spun around in a tight circle that Liam called a 360, and the approach to the bottom of the Huka Rapids.Lightly drenched (or in Amy’s case, soaked), we made our way to Taupō Bungy, just a quick drive away. The team were running a little behind schedule, but advised us to take a seat. I’m not sure whether it made me more or less nervous to watch others dive off the platform above the Waikato River. Certainly the view was very pretty.

It was suddenly our turn. The fantastic operators at the top of the jump welcomed us up and performed reassuring checks on our harnesses and ropes. I volunteered to go first. I only really allowed myself to think about the 47 metres below us as my toes shuffled towards the edge. Knowing that the longer I stood on the platform, the worse the nerves would get, I raised my arms and dropped.

Free-falling is a strange and quite terrifying sensation. It’s one that I’m not sure I liked, but one I’ve been thinking about a lot since. I think I was in shock the whole way down. Thankfully, the Irish lady in the boat that greeted me (upside down, in mid-air), was very kind and ignored my shaky limbs.

Wet and wide-eyed, but unperturbed by our adventures, Amy and I checked into the Acapulco Motel on Rifle Range Road. It’s mere minutes from the centre of Taupō, and the lake’s within spitting distance.

That evening, we treated ourselves to a fancy dinner at The Brantry, just a quick walk from our accommodation. The food was lovely and the service impeccable – but I wish we’d visited a little later in the year to benefit from a spring or summer menu. The evening was warm, and most of the dinner options were rather rich (deliciously so!). Minor gripe aside, it’s a fabulous place to share a romantic evening with a loved one.

Our second day in Taupō started early at the local farmer’s market. After grabbing a coffee and bacon butty, we headed down to the marina for our scenic cruise to Lake Taupō’s Māori carvings. The Chris Jolly Outdoors launch was roomy, with two floors. Amy and I grabbed a seat on the upper deck, sat back, and relaxed. Honestly, we couldn’t have picked a better day for it; the sky was summer’s deep blue and the water calm. The carvings were as beautiful as the lake itself.

The cruise finished at around 12:30, and with grumbling tummies, Amy and I made our way to the Huka Prawn Park, located right beside the HukaFalls Jet we’d visited yesterday. A working prawn farm, it offers family-friendly activities like fishing for prawns, feeding baby ones, and an in-house café. Unfortunately, we found the Prawn Park rather disappointing; after paying $60 to get in, we did not catch a single prawn.

Feeling a bit ripped off, to be honest, we headed back into town for lunch at The Storehouse. It had been recommended to us by locals, and it was gorgeous. With its high ceilings, minimalist decor, and thoughtful menu, it would happily slot onto any Wellington street. Our meals and coffee were very tasty, particularly Amy’s epic fried chicken sandwich with slabs of white bread.

Thinking we’d better walk off all that deliciousness, we made our way to Craters of the Moon, a famous geothermal walk just 10 minutes out of town. Although rather more bushy than I’d imagine the moon to be, the craters themselves were very cool – bubbling and hissing from the pressure stored below. It was a very pleasant walk, and one I’d happily recommend to anyone.

On our final day, we had planned to spend a whole day in Turangi, about 40 minutes south of Taupō. The weather was a little lacklustre on day three, but it didn’t prevent us from hopping on a bike for a guided tour from Tongariro River Rafting. Our guide, Finn, was patient and knowledgeable – did you know there’s a plant named tutu that’s so toxic it can kill an adult with a single leaf?

Because Turangi is known as the trout fishing capital of the world, we made sure to head to the National Trout Centre straight afterwards. We were kindly shown around by James, the aquarium manager, who spoke about the work they do there with passion and humour. Afterwards, we were invited to feed the trout inhabiting the centre’s network of creeks and streams.

Next on the agenda was a bush walk; specifically, the two-hour loop around Rotopounamu Lake in the Tongariro National Park. Even with the cloud cover, the lake was true to its name: a lovely shade of blue-grey-green. The walk itself was pleasant, too, mostly flat. In the summertime it would be a great place for a picnic and swim, as it’s got a couple of sandy beaches.

After all the day’s activities, we decided to quickly check into our accommodation, the Settlers Motel, before heading out to the Tokaanu Thermal Pools. On recommendation from Finn, we paid for 25 minutes in a private room – and it was so worth it. It was the perfect way to wind down after an active day.

Our final night was low-key; we simply relaxed in our motel rooms. I have to say that I was bowled over by the cleanliness of our facilities – the shower floor was so polished, I could have used it as a mirror.

Overall, I was supremely impressed by Taupō and Turangi. While I already knew the region would be beautiful, I didn’t realise how varied the activities would be. There’s plenty to do for families, couples, and friends on just about any budget. Taupō, you were terrific.