Lake Taupo
Lake Taupo is a lake in the North Island of New Zealand. It is in the caldera of the Taupo volcano. The surface area of Lake Taupo is 616 square kilometers (238 square miles), it is the largest lake by surface area in New Zealand, and the second largest freshwater lake in the Pacific by surface area after Lake Murray in Papua New Guinea. Lake Taupo has a perimeter of approximately 193 kilometres and a deepest point of 186 metres. It is drained by the Waikato River (New Zealand's longest river), and its main tributaries are the Waitahanui River, the Tongariro River, and the Tauranga Taupo River. It is a noted trout fishery with stocks of introduced brown and rainbow trout. Lake Taupo was created by a supervolcanic eruption about 26,500 years ago. The volcano has erupted 28 times in the last 27,000 years.
In Lake Taupo there is so much to do, just north of Lake Taupo you'll find New Zealand's most visited attraction, the magnificent Huka Falls, where more than 220,000 litres of water thunder over the cliff face every second. Taupo is a great lake for water-skiing, sailing and kayaking. The Maori rock carvings at Mine Bay, which can only be seen from the water, make for a great boat trip or kayaking excursion. The forests surrounding the lake offer hiking and mountain biking to suit all levels of experience. But what Lake Taupo is really known for is fishing. The town of Turangi has the largest natural trout fishery in the world, this is the place to cast a line and look for the big one. Turangi also happens to provide a convenient base for exploring Tongariro National Park, whether it be walking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing (New Zealand's most popular day walk) or skiing at Whakapapa and Turoa ski fields. Lake Taupo is centrally located in the middle of the North Island, approximately 3 1/2 hours drive from Auckland and 4 1/2 hours drive from Wellington. There’s lots of accommodation so there’s lots of places to stay, so you can stay for as long as you want.
I’ve been to Taupo many times and have experienced many of the things that Taupo offers. I along with the 1,026,832 visitors to Taupo each year, and we know that all of these things to do are on the doorstep of Taupo, and that’s why I think it makes New Zealand special.
