Great Lake Taupo

Situated in New Zealand's North Island, Great Lake Taupo is the second largest freshwater lake in Oceania and belongs to the delightful and beautiful little town of Taupo.

The region is surrounded by beautiful forests, volcanic mountains and surrounding snowy peaks. The area is utterly picturesque and the mountains are world renowned for their beauty.

Taupo is the perfect base for exploring. A short drive from Taupo is the Tongariro Alpine National park, numerous hot springs and plenty of delicious places to eat and sleep!

When we were staying in Taupo, we stayed in a stunning free campground by the name of Reids Farm. If you do plan on camping here do ensure you try to get there relatively early as all the of the best spots by the river get snapped up and please do remember to be sustainable! Many campsites in New Zealand are free but because of poor decisions made by many travellers to not clean up after themselves, the New Zealand government is starting to change the law in regards to free camping. Please don't be selfish. Keep it clean and keep it free! For more sustainable camping tips click here.

Reids Farm Campground. 

Things to Do in Taupo. 

Hot Springs 

Taupo has some wonderful, free, natural hot springs. A perfect afternoon can be spent bathing in the small waterfalls of the spring. We would highly recommend bringing some beer and lounging around.

Hike Tongariro Alpine Crossing

A world renowned day hike is a short drive out of Taupo. Easily done in a day, the hike offers some incredible views and amazing scenery. Read more about it here.

Huka Falls

At Huka Falls you can witness the incredible phenomenon of natural hydro power. Watch as more that 220,000 litres of water per second gushes down the falls. 

Wine and Dine 

Taupo has many wonderful places to eat and drink at. Depending on what you feel, there is a delectable little bar that has underwear framed on the walls and dingy pool tables, to a delightful little restaurant where the photo above was taken, which features select beers from around New Zealand. There are also a range of cafes to dine at.