Taupo
Encyclopedia
Taupo is a town on the shore of Lake Taupo
in the centre of the North Island
of New Zealand
. It is the seat of the Taupo District Council
and lies in the southern Waikato Region.
Taupo has a population of In 1953, Taupo was officially constituted as a borough, but from 1989 it has been administered by the Taupo District Council, the district including both Taupo itself and the surrounding hinterland. Despite this, it is occasionally referred to as a city.
The name Taupo comes from Māori
Taupō-nui-a-Tia. Literally translated, it means "The great cloak of Tia" where Tia
is the name of the discoverer of the lake.
In 2009 a team of Taupo citizens won the TV2 programme Top Town
.
, New Zealand's largest lake, in the northeast part of the lake where it discharges to the Waikato River
. The river flows over one of New Zealand's most spectacular waterfall
s, Huka Falls
, a short distance north of the town. Taupo is a centre of volcanic and geothermal
activity and hot springs suitable for bathing are located at several places in the vicinity. The volcanic mountain of Mount Tauhara
lies six kilometres (4 mi) to the east. Some forested area exists near Taupo, with understory
vegetation consisting of certain shrubs and fern
s.
Somewhat to the northeast are significant hot springs. These springs are the site of occurrence of certain extremophile
micro-organisms, that are capable of surviving in extremely hot environments.
Taupo is situated on a stretch of State Highway 1, running concurrenly
with State Highway 5
. It is situated 53 km North of Turangi. It is one of the few centres in New Zealand that were never linked to the rail network.
The small but growing satellite town of Kinloch
, where a Jack Nicklaus
golf resort is being constructed, is 20 kilometres west along the lake.
to the south. It offers a number of tourist activities including sky diving, jet boating and paragliding.
Taupo services a number of surrounding plantation pine forests including Kaingaroa Forest
, the largest manmade forest in the world, and related industry. A large sawmill is sited approximated 3 km to the north east of the town on Centennial Drive.
The Wairakei geothermal power station
is a few kilometres north of the town.
, Taupo Nui-a-Tia College and the private Lake Taupo Christian School. It also has St Patrick's, Waipahihi, Hilltop, Mount View, Taupo and Tauhara primary schools, and Taupo Intermediate School
.
SH 1 and SH 5
, and the Thermal Explorer Highway touring route. All three highways run concurrently
for 11 km from Wairakei in the north, along Tongariro Street and Lake Terrace, to southern Taupo.
Taupo is one of the few towns in New Zealand that have never had a link to the national rail network, although there have been proposals
in the past.
Taupo Airport
is located south of the township. The airport is served by Air New Zealand
subsidiary Eagle Airways
, with direct flights using Beechcraft 1900D aircraft to Auckland and Wellington
, Japan
Noumea
, New Caledonia
Suzhou
, China
Xi'an
, China
Lake Taupo
Lake Taupo is a lake situated in the North Island of New Zealand. With a surface area of , it is the largest lake by surface area in New Zealand, and the second largest freshwater lake by surface area in geopolitical Oceania after Lake Murray ....
in the centre of the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It is the seat of the Taupo District Council
Taupo District Council
The Taupo District Council is a local council located in the Central North Island of New Zealand.-Area:The district stretches from the small town of Mangakino in the northwest to the Tongariro National Park in the south, and east into the Kaingaroa Forest, covering 6,970 km2...
and lies in the southern Waikato Region.
Taupo has a population of In 1953, Taupo was officially constituted as a borough, but from 1989 it has been administered by the Taupo District Council, the district including both Taupo itself and the surrounding hinterland. Despite this, it is occasionally referred to as a city.
The name Taupo comes from Māori
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
Taupō-nui-a-Tia. Literally translated, it means "The great cloak of Tia" where Tia
Tia (Maori explorer)
Tia was an early Maori explorer and chief. He is responsible for the names of various features and settlements around the central North Island. Horohoro is named after an incident when he touched the dead body of an important chief and was cleansed by a priest in a ceremony known as Te...
is the name of the discoverer of the lake.
In 2009 a team of Taupo citizens won the TV2 programme Top Town
Top Town
Top Town was a New Zealand game show series where teams from different towns in New Zealand competed in various obstacle challenges against each other, along the lines of the earlier British series It's a Knockout. The show first ran in New Zealand between 1976 and 1990 and made a return in a...
.
Geography
Taupo is located at the outlet of Lake TaupoLake Taupo
Lake Taupo is a lake situated in the North Island of New Zealand. With a surface area of , it is the largest lake by surface area in New Zealand, and the second largest freshwater lake by surface area in geopolitical Oceania after Lake Murray ....
, New Zealand's largest lake, in the northeast part of the lake where it discharges to the Waikato River
Waikato River
The Waikato River is the longest river in New Zealand. In the North Island, it runs for 425 kilometres from the eastern slopes of Mount Ruapehu, joining the Tongariro River system and emptying into Lake Taupo, New Zealand's largest lake. It drains Taupo at the lake's northeastern edge, creates the...
. The river flows over one of New Zealand's most spectacular waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
s, Huka Falls
Huka Falls
The Huka Falls are a set of waterfalls on the Waikato River that drains Lake Taupo in New Zealand.A few hundred metres upstream from the Huka Falls, the Waikato River narrows from roughly 100 metres across into a narrow canyon only 15 metres across...
, a short distance north of the town. Taupo is a centre of volcanic and geothermal
Geothermal
Geothermal is related to energy and may refer to:* The geothermal gradient and associated heat flows from within the Earth- Renewable technology :...
activity and hot springs suitable for bathing are located at several places in the vicinity. The volcanic mountain of Mount Tauhara
Mount Tauhara
Mount Tauhara is a dormant stratovolcano, reaching 3,569 feet above sea level, situated within the Taupō caldera towards the centre of the Taupō Volcanic Zone, which stretches from White Island in the north, to Mount Ruapehu in the south, to Mount Taranaki in the west....
lies six kilometres (4 mi) to the east. Some forested area exists near Taupo, with understory
Understory
Understory is the term for the area of a forest which grows at the lowest height level below the forest canopy. Plants in the understory consist of a mixture of seedlings and saplings of canopy trees together with understory shrubs and herbs...
vegetation consisting of certain shrubs and fern
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s.
Somewhat to the northeast are significant hot springs. These springs are the site of occurrence of certain extremophile
Extremophile
An extremophile is an organism that thrives in physically or geochemically extreme conditions that are detrimental to most life on Earth. In contrast, organisms that live in more moderate environments may be termed mesophiles or neutrophiles...
micro-organisms, that are capable of surviving in extremely hot environments.
Taupo is situated on a stretch of State Highway 1, running concurrenly
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
with State Highway 5
New Zealand State Highway 5
State Highway 5 is the second shortest of New Zealand's eight national highways. It extends from SH 1 at Tirau, on the plains of the Waikato River to SH 2 close to the Hawke Bay coast at Bay View, 10 km north of Napier...
. It is situated 53 km North of Turangi. It is one of the few centres in New Zealand that were never linked to the rail network.
The small but growing satellite town of Kinloch
Kinloch, New Zealand
Kinloch is a small but growing town on the most northerly bay of Lake Taupo, northwest of Taupo on the North Island Volcanic Plateau of New Zealand. It is in the Waikato Region....
, where a Jack Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a...
golf resort is being constructed, is 20 kilometres west along the lake.
Neighbourhoods
Taupo's neighbourhoods include:- WharewakaWharewakaWharewaka is a suburb of Taupo, New Zealand. It stretches from Rainbow Point to Five Mile Bay on the west side of State Highway 1. Wharewaka lies on a small point of land next to Lake Taupo and 1.6 km northwest of the Taupo Airport.It has a population of 462 Wharewaka is one of the more upper...
- Nukuhau lies north of the Waikato River. To the south west lies Acacia BayAcacia BayAcacia Bay is a community on a small inlet on the western shores of Tapuaeharuru Bay, Lake Taupo in New Zealand. There are four main beach areas. It is located approximately 2 miles west of Taupo....
and to the south lies Taupo town centre. - Richmond Heights lies to the east of Rainbow Point and south of Mountain View. It is home to the Waipahihi Primary School, Richmond Heights shopping center, and the Waipahihi Botanical Gardens.
- Mount View
- Acacia BayAcacia BayAcacia Bay is a community on a small inlet on the western shores of Tapuaeharuru Bay, Lake Taupo in New Zealand. There are four main beach areas. It is located approximately 2 miles west of Taupo....
- Rainbow Point is an affluent area and has its own dairy. It lies north of WharewakaWharewakaWharewaka is a suburb of Taupo, New Zealand. It stretches from Rainbow Point to Five Mile Bay on the west side of State Highway 1. Wharewaka lies on a small point of land next to Lake Taupo and 1.6 km northwest of the Taupo Airport.It has a population of 462 Wharewaka is one of the more upper...
and west of Richmond Heights. To the west lies Lake TaupoLake TaupoLake Taupo is a lake situated in the North Island of New Zealand. With a surface area of , it is the largest lake by surface area in New Zealand, and the second largest freshwater lake by surface area in geopolitical Oceania after Lake Murray ....
. - Tauhara lies just north of HilltopHilltop-Place names:England*Hilltop, Buckinghamshire*Hilltop, DerbyshireHong Kong*Hilltop Building, Cloud View Road, North PointUnited States*Hilltop, former name of Fuller Acres, California*Fairmede-Hilltop, Richmond, California, commonly referred to as "Hilltop"...
and east of Mount ViewMount ViewMount View may refer to:* Mount View School* Mount View, New South Wales, Australia, town in the state of New South Wales, Australia* Mount View, Taupo, New Zealand, neighbourhood of Taupo on the North Island of New Zealand...
. Mount TauharaMount TauharaMount Tauhara is a dormant stratovolcano, reaching 3,569 feet above sea level, situated within the Taupō caldera towards the centre of the Taupō Volcanic Zone, which stretches from White Island in the north, to Mount Ruapehu in the south, to Mount Taranaki in the west....
lies just east of Tauhara. Tauhara is the location of Tauhara primary school and Tauhara Golf course. - Hilltop lies south of Tauhara. Hilltop is the location of Hilltop School, Taupo Intermediate SchoolTaupo Intermediate SchoolTaupo Intermediate School is a medium sized school located in Taupo, New Zealand. It is the only intermediate school located in Taupo...
and the Taupo Hospital. Plus the Taharepa shopping centre,And the Hilltop shopping centre. - Gradwell is a suburb of Taupo. To the south lies Rainbow Point to the north is Hilltop. Gradwell is the location of the Waipahihi Botanical Gardens.
- Taupo CBD
- Five Mile Bay is located south of WharewakaWharewakaWharewaka is a suburb of Taupo, New Zealand. It stretches from Rainbow Point to Five Mile Bay on the west side of State Highway 1. Wharewaka lies on a small point of land next to Lake Taupo and 1.6 km northwest of the Taupo Airport.It has a population of 462 Wharewaka is one of the more upper...
and north of Waitahanui on State Highway 1State Highway 1 (New Zealand)State Highway 1 is the longest and most significant road in the New Zealand roading network, running the length of both main islands. It appears on road maps as SH 1 and on road signs as a white number 1 on a red shield, but it has the official designations SH 1N in the North Island, SH 1S in the...
just west of the Taupo AirportTaupo AirportTaupo Airport is a small airport 8 km to the south of Taupo township on the eastern shores of Lake Taupo, New Zealand....
. On the east side is Lake TaupoLake TaupoLake Taupo is a lake situated in the North Island of New Zealand. With a surface area of , it is the largest lake by surface area in New Zealand, and the second largest freshwater lake by surface area in geopolitical Oceania after Lake Murray ....
.It is home to a popular swimming/water skiing beach, though it has very few houses it gets very busy in summer. The bay is of Taupo bays the others are 2 mile bay,3 mile bay and 5 mile bay. - WairakeiWairakeiWairakei is the name of a power station, small settlement and a geothermal area a few kilometres north of Taupo, in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand, on the Waikato River.- Geothermal field :...
- Waitahanui
Climate
Economy
Taupo is a tourist centre, particularly in the summer, as it offers panoramic views over the lake and to the volcanic mountains of Tongariro National ParkTongariro National Park
Tongariro National Park is the oldest national park in New Zealand, located in the central North Island. It has been acknowledged by UNESCO as one of the 28 mixed cultural and natural World Heritage Sites....
to the south. It offers a number of tourist activities including sky diving, jet boating and paragliding.
Taupo services a number of surrounding plantation pine forests including Kaingaroa Forest
Kaingaroa Forest
Kaingaroa Forest is the largest forest in the North Island of New Zealand, and the largest plantation in the southern hemisphere.The forest covers 2900 km² in the inland East Cape and Bay of Plenty regions, and stretches south past the east coast of Lake Taupo...
, the largest manmade forest in the world, and related industry. A large sawmill is sited approximated 3 km to the north east of the town on Centennial Drive.
The Wairakei geothermal power station
Wairakei Power Station
The Wairakei Power Station is a geothermal power station near the Wairakei Geothermal Field in New Zealand. Wairakei lies in the Taupo Volcanic Zone.- History :...
is a few kilometres north of the town.
Education
Taupo has three high schools: Tauhara CollegeTauhara College
Tauhara College is a medium-sized, decile five school in Taupo, New Zealand. The co-educational high-school currently has about 600 students.Tauhara College is one of three high-schools in Taupo; the others being Taupo-Nui-a-Tia College and Lake Taupo Christian School .As well as normal school...
, Taupo Nui-a-Tia College and the private Lake Taupo Christian School. It also has St Patrick's, Waipahihi, Hilltop, Mount View, Taupo and Tauhara primary schools, and Taupo Intermediate School
Taupo Intermediate School
Taupo Intermediate School is a medium sized school located in Taupo, New Zealand. It is the only intermediate school located in Taupo...
.
Sporting events
Since the mid-1990s Taupo has become increasingly popular as a venue for major sporting events, increasingly of an international nature. The town's compact size, clean environment, central location and supportive council and community have been cited as the reasons for this. Major events in Taupo include:Annual events
- Ironman New ZealandIronman TriathlonAn Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation consisting of a swim, a bike and a marathon run, raced in that order and without a break...
- Lake Taupo Cycle ChallengeLake Taupo Cycle ChallengeThe Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge is New Zealand's largest mass participation cycling event. First held in 1977, it circumnavigates Lake Taupo, a volcanic crater lake in the centre of the North Island. The ride starts and finishes in Taupo with one full circuit being approximately 160 km. Over...
- Oxfam Trailwalker
- Great Lake RelayGreat Lake RelayThe Great Lake Relay is an annual team running event over approximately 160 km. It is held at Taupo, New Zealand on the third Saturday of February...
- Mizuno Half Marathon
- Taupo Half Ironman
Past events
- World Water Ski Racing Championships
- FIM International Six Day EnduroInternational Six Days EnduroThe International Six Days Enduro is the oldest 'off road' motorcycle event on the FIM Calendar.The ISDE was first held in 1913 at Carlisle, England. It has occurred annually, apart from interruptions due to World War I and World War II, at various locations throughout the world. The early...
- Cricket One Day Internationals
- A1 Grand PrixA1 Grand PrixA1 Grand Prix was a 'single make' open-wheel auto racing series. It was unique in its field in that competitors solely represented their nation as opposed to themselves or a team, the usual format in most formula racing series. As such, it was often promoted as the "World Cup of Motorsport"...
Transport
Taupo is served by State HighwaysNew Zealand State Highway network
The New Zealand State Highway network is the major national highway network in New Zealand. Just under 100 roads in both the North and South Islands are State Highways...
SH 1 and SH 5
New Zealand State Highway 5
State Highway 5 is the second shortest of New Zealand's eight national highways. It extends from SH 1 at Tirau, on the plains of the Waikato River to SH 2 close to the Hawke Bay coast at Bay View, 10 km north of Napier...
, and the Thermal Explorer Highway touring route. All three highways run concurrently
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
for 11 km from Wairakei in the north, along Tongariro Street and Lake Terrace, to southern Taupo.
Taupo is one of the few towns in New Zealand that have never had a link to the national rail network, although there have been proposals
Taupo railway proposals
There have been a number of proposals to build a Taupo Line as a branch railway linking the township of Taupo in the central North Island of New Zealand to New Zealand's rail network...
in the past.
Taupo Airport
Taupo Airport
Taupo Airport is a small airport 8 km to the south of Taupo township on the eastern shores of Lake Taupo, New Zealand....
is located south of the township. The airport is served by Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited is the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, and is...
subsidiary Eagle Airways
Eagle Airways
Eagle Airways is a regional airline based in Hamilton, New Zealand with ten crew bases from Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands to Blenheim in the Marlborough region. It is wholly owned by Air New Zealand and operates regional services under the Air New Zealand Link brand...
, with direct flights using Beechcraft 1900D aircraft to Auckland and Wellington
Wellington International Airport
Wellington International Airport is an international airport located in the suburb of Rongotai in Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. It is a secondary hub and focus city for Air New Zealand and its subsidiaries...
Twin cities
HakoneHakone, Kanagawa
is a town in Ashigarashimo District in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 13,339 and a density of 144 persons per km². The total area was 92.82 km².-Geography:...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
Noumea
Nouméa
Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, and is home to the majority of the island's European, Polynesian , Indonesian, and Vietnamese populations, as well as many Melanesians,...
, New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
Suzhou
Suzhou
Suzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part...
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
Xi'an
Xi'an
Xi'an is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty...
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
See also
- Taupo AirportTaupo AirportTaupo Airport is a small airport 8 km to the south of Taupo township on the eastern shores of Lake Taupo, New Zealand....
- Taupo Motorsport ParkTaupo Motorsport ParkTaupo Motorsport Park is a motorsports circuit located in Broadlands Road, Taupo, New Zealand. It is owned and operated by MIT Development Ltd....
- Taupo railway proposalsTaupo railway proposalsThere have been a number of proposals to build a Taupo Line as a branch railway linking the township of Taupo in the central North Island of New Zealand to New Zealand's rail network...
- Taupo Times
- Owen Delany ParkOwen Delany ParkOwen Delany Park is a multi-purpose sports stadium located in Taupo, New Zealand. The main sports are Rugby and Cricket though, several other sports are accommodated on a permanent basis with numerous other events on an oneoff basis.-History:...