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Destination Great Lake Taupo

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Business Type: Region

Overview

Catching a wild trout, swimming in a crystal clear lake, skiing on a volcano or walking in native bush – this is the essence of Great Lake Taupō.

Address: 66 Paori Hapi Street, Taupo Taupo & Tongariro

Phone: view phone+64 7 376 0040

Free Phone: view phone0800 LAKE TAUPO

Website: http://www.greatlaketaupo.com

E-mail: send an e-mail

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Description

Catching a wild trout, swimming in a crystal clear lake, skiing on a volcano or walking in native bush – this is the essence of Great Lake Taupo.

Situated right in the heart of New Zealand’s North Island, Taupo, Turangi Tongariro and Mangakino, which makes up the Great Lake Taupo region, is in the centre of it all.

Located in the heart of New Zealand’s North Island, Great Lake Taupo is undoubtedly one of the world’s most unique and picturesque areas.

The film location for The Lord of The Rings trilogy and the upcoming The Hobbit movie, the region is centred around the majestic Lake Taupo, the largest freshwater lake in Australasia.

The region is truly blessed with world-class natural attractions: Lake Taupo Australasia’s largest fresh water lake, volcanic wonderlands, silica terraces, dual World Heritage Tongariro National Park and the famous Huka Falls. When combined with the region’s exceptional line-up of events, it’s no surprise Great Lake Taupō is a popular holiday destination with Kiwis and international visitors alike.

It’s the type of place where the people are genuinely friendly; where “gidday” in the street can lead to an impromptu dinner invitation; where you arrive as a visitor but leave as a friend.

You can’t buy that kind of welcome. From world-class golf to the ultimate helicopter scenic flight, kayaking to rafting, skydiving to bungy jumping, a leisurely stroll around the lake to fishing for the region's legendary trout, the Great Lake Taupō region offers true kiwi experiences that will make your holiday a truly memorable one. Explore activities, accommodation, events, attractions, culture and more.

The towns of Taupo, Turangi and Mangakino welcome you to the Great Lake Taupo region!

Doctors, banks, internet, visitor information centres... even hangover cures and sun burn prevention!  You'll find what you are looking for in the Taupō region.  Check out our list of services:

Emergency and Medical Services

For New Zealand Emergency Services (Police, Fire & Ambulance): Dial 111.  If in doubt about whether to ask for ambulance, police or fire (such as in the event of a multi-vehicle traffic accident), always ask for the Fire Service.  The fire crews have trained paramedics and can arrange for the other emergency services as required, including organising a rescue helicopter.

Taupō Coastguard: Phone 07 377 0400
Taupō Police, Storey Place: Phone 07 378 6060

Medical Services

Taupō Hospital, Kotare St: Phone 07 378 8100
Taupō Medical Centre, 117 Heuheu St.

Pharmacy

Main Street Pharmacy, cnr Tongariro & Heu Heu Sts
Opening hours: 8.30am - 8.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-8.30pm Sat-Sun
Phone: 07 378 2636

Dentist

Taupō Dental Centre, 127 Spa Road: Phone 07 378 8005

Optometrist

Visique Taupō Optometrist, 32 Heuheu St, Taupō: Phone 07 378 8770
Taupō Vision Care, 66 Ruapehu St, Taupō: Phone 07 378 7529

Banks

Banking hours in New Zealand are 9am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday.
ANZ Banking Group 42-46 Horomatangi St: Phone 0800 180 921
ASB Bank Ltd Horomatangi St: Phone 0800 803 804
Bank of New Zealand Tongariro St: Phone 0800 800 468
National Bank of NZ Tongariro St: Phone 0800 808 908
WestpacTrust 27 Horomatangi St: Phone 0800 400 600

Visitor Information Centres

All the centres are extremely helpful and can make bookings on your behalf.  Call in for advice, information, maps and brochures:

i-SITE Taupō, Tongariro Street: Phone 07 376 0027
i-SITE Turangi, Ohuanga Road, Turangi: Phone 07 386 8999
Tongariro National Park Visitor Centre, Whakapapa Village: Phone 07 892 3729
Experience Taupō, Tongariro Street: Phone 07 377 0704

Gay & Lesbian Travel

Gay and lesbian travellers might want to check out Gay and Lesbian Tourism New Zealand PureGayNZ.com, an information gateway for travel and tourism to, from and within New Zealand. Plan, find, book and review your vacation and holiday experience in Pure Gay NZ.

Internet & Email Facilities

Global Gossip 11 Tuwharetoa St
Central Plateau REAP 73 Titiraupenga St
Computer Shop 15 Tamamutu St
Contact Cyber Cafe 10 Roberts St
Cybershed 117 Tongariro St
Log On 71 Tongariro St

Lock It or Lose It

If you're travelling around in a vehicle ALWAYS take your valuables with you when you leave and ALWAYS lock your vehicle.

Sun

Thanks to a big hole in our ozone layer, spending all day in the New Zealand sun without protection will mean some serious sunburn.

SLIP - on some protective clothing
SLOP - on some sunscreen (SPF 40+)
SLAP - on a hat

Telephones

0800 numbers are free, 0900 charge by the nanosecond and New Zealand's area codes couldn't be simpler:

09 - Auckland and Northland
07 - Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Coromandel Peninsula and Central Plateau (including Taupō)
06 - East Coast, Hawkes Bay, Manawatu, Taranaki
04 - Wellington, Kapati, Hutt Valley
03 - South Island

For international calling, dial 00 + Country Code (i.e. 00 44 = Britain).  New Zealand's telephone companies are very generous in offering capped national and international calling charges at weekends. It's worth asking a friendly Kiwi if you can use their residential phone.  You can talk for hours and it's only going to cost you a few dollars.  Be warned though: calling overseas during business hours costs a fortune.  It's worth buying a pre-pay mobile (especially if you're going to remote places) and selling it on to someone when you leave.

Locations

Taupo, Turangi & Tongariro - Getting There
Fly, Drive or Bus

Located in the centre of the North Island, Great Lake Taupo is an ideal ocation to stop and stay.

If travelling by car, make Great Lake Taupo your base camp – within a short distance you have a diverse region to explore.

Great Lake Taupo’s location at the crossroads of the North Island has a lot of advantages. State Highway 1 is the main arterial route for the North Island. It links Auckland and Wellington. From Taupo, Auckland is 3.5 hours to the north. Wellington is a leisurely 5.5 hours south.

State Highway 5 - the Thermal Explorer Highway - is a busy visitor route that runs from sunny Hawke`s Bay Wine Country (a two hour drive to the south-east) to Rotorua (a one hour drive to the north-east).

The famous Waitomo Caves are also a short two hour drive from Taupo.

Closer to Lake Taupo you will find the trout fishing mecca of Turangi, and the quiet lakeside town of Mangakino. The world famous Tongariro National Park (and Tongariro Northern Circuit) are also close by.

By AIR
Daily Domestic Flights

Air New Zealand operates daily flights to and from Taupo Airport, situated just 8 kilometres from the town's centre. Auckland and Wellington are the main gateways for both domestic and international travel. For more information about scheduled flights go to www.airnz.co.nz.

International flights direct from Sydney, Australia into Rotorua Airport are now available, making travel to the nearby Taupo region easier than ever. Check Air New Zealand for flight details.

On average, Taupo airport has approximately 35,000 aircraft movements per year, adding to the 'buzzing' vibe of Taupo.

By LAND
The drive to Great Lake Taupo takes you through a land of dramatic changing landscapes.

Great Lake Taupo is situated at the crossroads of State Highway 1 and the Thermal Explorer Highway. State Highway 1 is the country's main trunk line for road travel, connecting Auckland to Wellington. The Thermal Explorer Highway is the Central North Island's scenic touring route, starting at Auckland and ending at Napier. Along the highway you'll get to see captivating landscapes, geothermal activity, crystal clear lakes and streams, Maori culture and many wineries.