Great Lake Taupo Holiday Park

GREAT LAKE TRAIL Cycling Great Lake Trail © Bike Taupo BELOW LEFT: Taking a leap, Taupo BELOW RIGHT: The Tongariro Alpine Crossing; BOTH © Destination Great Lake Taupō 2 DAYS 71km

GREAT LAKE Trail

The stunning Great Lake Trail follows the shores The Great Lake Trail can be ridden in of beautiful Lake Taupo, New Zealand’s largest all seasons due to its volcanic pumice Trail Info surface, however the track can be lake, from Waihaha to Whakaipo Bay. slippery in places when wet. Knobbly mountain bike tyres are advisable at all his trail was ofﬁ cially opened sections of trail that can be ridden as times of the year. There can be a cold in April 2014 and provides standalone rides. A water taxi can ferry wind blowing off the mountains, even

71km of all-weather riding riders and bikes to four access points in summer, and parts of the Great Lake 2 Days T Trail are exposed and remote, so be 71km through native forest with views across along the trail. Lake Taupo to the majestic Tongariro prepared. The Great Lake Trail is a Grade National Park. 3 (Intermediate) cycle trail, so a Taupo is an International Mountain Riders have the option of riding the full reasonable level of ﬁ tness is required to Biking Association (IMBA) Silver Level TRAIL GRADES: trail over two days or choosing shorter ride the entire trail. Mountain bikes with Ride Centre and the Great Lake Trail riding options to suit ﬁ tness, experience front suspension are recommended. forms part of the Taupo trail network WAIHAHA TO KOTUKUTUKU STREAM - GRADE 3 and the time available. There are three that has been awarded this recognition. (INTERMEDIATE)

WHANGAMATA RD TO LOOK OUT FOR... KAWAKAWA BAY & KINLOCH - Lake Taupo – the ‘Great Lake’ Tongariro National Park GRADE 3 (INTERMEDIATE) W2K (KINLOCH TO WHAKAIPO Lake Taupo’s reputation as a trout the size of Singapore. An abundance of Views of this magnifi cent national park BAY) - GRADE 3 (INTERMEDIATE) fi shing haven stretches across the globe, brown and rainbow trout can be fi shed are visible along the trail. The park’s and this is in no all year round here (with a licence). landscape and MOBILE PHONE COVERAGE: small part due But this is just one activity of the many scenery ranges Cell phone coverage is limited to its massive on offer; get a feel for the immensity from desert to outside of Taupo. size. This is the of Lake Taupo by kayaking, canoeing, vast tussock land, DRINKING WATER: Carry enough biggest lake wind surfi ng or sailing. Walking and mountain beech drinking water for the entire trip. in Australasia mountain biking tracks along the shore forest and and is roughly are also popular. wetlands.

56 Waihaha Bridge Kotukutuku Stream Whangamata Kawakawa Bay Kinloch Whakaipo Bay GREAT LAKE TRAIL Road car park 30km 9.8km 9.2km 13-22.5km

WHANGAMATA ROAD MAP LEGEND Whangamata Road CAR PARK to Taupo 11km open section toilets

boat / water taxi route car park Orakau

Puketapu Road (Chinamans) start / ﬁ nish point camping Track bridge accommodation Whangamata Road hill / mountain 1 state highway K2K Track café/restaurant KINLOCH KAWAKAWA BAY Ngangautu Kotukutuku Stream Whangamata 32 Bay 794m Boat Harbour Western Bay Road W2K Track WAIHORA BAY WHAKAIPO BAY WAIHAHA BRIDGE

Te Poroporo Point W Te Tuhi Point h a Waihaha Track n ga mata Bluffs Headland Loop

Waihaha River Lake Taupo (Taupo-nui-a-Tia) © AA Traveller 2015

RIDING THE TRAIL “...The trail complements the region’s reputation as a year-round cycling destination and adds to the This is a two-day trail, but if you’re very fi t track towards the lake. There are a few and make an early start, you can ride from fantastic lookouts on the way. After 14km already extensive network of MTB tracks...” Waihaha Bridge to Whakaipo Bay in one you will pass a toilet and some signs. There Bike Taupo Chairperson, Rowan Sapsford day. You will be riding for a minimum of are no large hills in this section of the trail, eight hours, plus half an hour for a boat trip but quite a few small ones. When you are to connect the two halves. You can get a 30km from the car park, the trail descends shuttle from Taupo or Kinloch and arrange steeply via a series of bridges and for the water taxi to pick you up at 1pm. boardwalks, past Kotukutuku Waterfall, to Transport can be arranged by Tread Routes a beautiful beach on Lake Taupo’s shores. (www.treadroutes.co.nz), Great Lake This is the end of this section of the trail; Shuttles (www.greatlakeshuttles.co.nz), or there is a shelter and toilets here. From Chris Jolly Outdoors (www.chrisjolly.co.nz). Kotukutuku, it is either a long ride back to the road, or book the boat to take you to Waihaha to Kotukutuku Kawakawa Bay where the trail resumes. Stream, 30km Whangamata Rd car park The start of the trail is 54km from Taupo, on to Kawakawa Bay & Kinloch, the south side of the Waihaha River Bridge 19km Waihora, Great Lake Trail © Destination Great Lake Taupō on Western Bays Rd (SH 32). From the car park, weave through forest on a fl owing From the Whangamata Rd car park, the trail follows the Orakau Stream the long downhill to Kinloch. There are the hill then you can add 10km to your trip and harakeke (fl ax) wetland through a couple of cafés at Kinloch, as well as by doing the signposted Headland Loop. regenerating native bush down to toilets and picnic areas. There is a shelter and toilet 900m from Kawakawa Bay. The trail is mostly downhill the top of the climb where the Headland and offers views across the lake to the W2K (Kinloch to Whakaipo Loop rejoins the main track. From there, volcanoes of Tongariro National Park. Bay) and Headland Loop, it’s downhill to Whakaipo Bay where there 13-22.5km From Kawakawa Bay, where there is is a recreation area with another shelter shelter and toilets, a well graded climb From Kinloch, the fi nal section climbs and toilets. This is 13km from Taupo via leads to a rocky lookout. Take in the views Acacia Bay. Arrange for a pick-up or pedal Cycling Great Lake Trail gently over the headland to Whakaipo © Bike Taupo and catch your breath before enjoying Bay. If you are feeling fresh at the top of into Taupo.

57 GREAT LAKE TRAIL things to do...

Waihaha Waterfall © Destination Great Lake Taupō

Artist’s Palette © Orakei Korako Orakei Korako

Also known as ‘the Hidden Valley’, this thermal wonderland has silica terraces and caves and more active geysers than any other geothermal ﬁ eld in the country.

Don’t miss the Waihaha Waterfall, a great place to stop and relax along which can be seen along the Waihaha your journey. The town has a couple of ALONGSIDE to Kotukutuku Stream section of the cafés, a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf club trail. This picturesque waterfall is about and accommodation options, and you THE TRAIL 8-10m high. can take a ﬁ shing charter, scenic cruise Kawakawa Bay, on the northern shores or water taxi ride from the Kinloch of Lake Taupo, is a gorgeous spot for a Marina. The Barbary & Kayakers at the Maori Rock Carvings break along the trail. As well as having The Whakaipo Bay Recreation Reserve © Destination Great Lake Taupō shelter and toilet facilities, it also has a is a former farm that is being restored The scenery is the star of Maori Rock Carvings pretty picnic spot. by plantings with the aim of it becoming the show alongside this trail. a great recreational area. Whakaipo Bay Kinloch is a small town on the shores These impressive carvings at Mine There is a picture-worthy is one of Lake Taupo’s most beautiful of Lake Taupo, and one of the most Bay, Lake Taupo, are over 10m high view around every corner. bays, so the views are breathtaking. Free populated places along the trail. With and can only be seen from the water. brilliant lake and mountain views, it’s camping is available here.

Taupo a cloak or cape • 84km SW of Rotorua on SH 1

absolute motel rt irpo l at Rainbow Point lakeview A Mote book @ www.airportmoteltaupo.co.nz • 24 refurbished units Cottage-style units in tranquil grounds. • Lakefront, 50m to town Ideal for boaties with plenty of parking • Family & studio units and close to 2 Mile Bay boat ramp & • Indoor heated swimming pool / spa pool / sauna Lions walkway. • Quality well-appointed units Restaurant & dairy adjacent. • Heat pumps / ﬂ atscreen TVs A cosy log ﬁ re in our lounge & opening • FREE wireless internet onto a sunny deck and BBQ area. • Off-street parking Book Direct for best prices and BOOK DIRECT FREEPHONE: 0800 106 006 service! Absolute Lakeview Motel 58 Lake Terrace, Taupo | Ph: 07 378 4440 Email: [email protected] Rainbow Drive (PO Box 42), Taupo Your Hosts: John & Shona White Phone: 07 378 9681 • Fax: 07 378 9684 Reservations Freephone: 0800 72 42 72 www.airportmoteltaupo.co.nz Reception hours: 8am-9.30pm Book Online @ www.absolutelakeview.co.nz Email: [email protected] 6]J$TZ2GEB=X

ACAPULCO TAUPO MOTOR INN ALL SEASONS KIWI ■ 20 ground-fl oor rooms, serviced daily HOLIDAY PARK TAUPO ■ 3 studio units with king-size beds & spa baths MOTELSMOTELS ■ 5 studio rooms, 7 x 2-bedroom, 5 x 1-bedroom with self-fi lled whirlpools ■ Apartment – fully s/c (sleeps 6) ■ BBQ area ■ Children’s play area ■ Gym ■ 1 accessible unit ■ No traffi c noise ■ Small conference/display rooms ■ Air-con/heat pumps in all units ■ Internet & email facilities ■ FREE WiFi ■ Off-street parking ■ Private spa pool Stay once, Stay always... 16 Rangatira St, 5 Whirlpool Units New Zealand’s PO Box 122, Taupo Premier Motel Group ••G Greatreatc centralentral accomaccommodationmodation fofor Taupo Cycle Trails P 07 378 4272 F 07 378 1272 19 Rifl e Range Rd, Taupo [email protected] Email: [email protected] • HAPNZ Cycle Hub Member & Bike Hire www.acapulcotaupo.co.nz • Advice & maps for rides to suit all • Have contacts for bike mechanic & shuttle service www.acapulcotaupo.co.nz Reservations: 0800 378 7174 Freecall reservations: 0800 777 272 www.taupoallseasons.co.nz 58 GREAT LAKE TRAIL

59 GREAT LAKE TRAIL Taking in the blooms at the Taupo Botanical Asure Ascot Motor Inn Taupo Garden © Destination Great Lake Taupō 70 Rifl e Range Rd, Taupo P: 07 377 2474 • Reservations Freephone: 0800 800 670 E: [email protected] • www.ascotattaupo.co.nz

· 15 spacious modern units · Lake & mountain vistas or private courtyards · Large 2-bedroom apartment-style units · Very comfortable accessible units · Spacious conveniently appointed studios · Most units with spa baths · Cooking facilities · Electric blankets & cosy bedding on all beds · Free on-site parking & guest laundry available · Corporate rates available · Seasonal or special event rates may apply

Reservations . [email protected]

TAUPO GARDENS

A favourite holiday Taupo buzzes with action-packed destination, Taupo is recreation and geothermal activity, strategically placed on but this lively town has a softer side. the northern shores of Taupo possesses many beautiful parks Australasia’s largest lake, and gardens, including the Taupo Rose Gardens with more than 500 roses Lake Taupo. bushes, and the beautifully maintained Waipahihi Botanical Reserve.

chevron motel LAKE TAUPO • NEW ZEALAND Craters Bike Park Café Get your passes and maps from us and get your kick-start • Central location, 1 block to town • Adjacent RSA and Cosmopolitan Club, • 4-channel Sky Digital TV. 32” TVs.

centre, cafés, restaurants. 5min walk to lake. Y with our stunning Weka coffee W

• $99-$125 (2 persons), H Tariff:

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heat pumps, separate lounge & trailers and boats. extra person $20. Peak/seasonal X E KARA

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E H 102 Tamamutu St, TAUPO • P: 07 378 7360 • E: [email protected] T 415 Huka Falls Road, Taupo | Phone: 07 374 8153 FREEPHONE: 0800 CHEVRON (243 876) Email: [email protected] www.chevron-motel.co.nz • HOSTS: Allan & Glenys

TAUPO GREAT LAKE TAUPO HOLIDAY PARK

Quiet location - only 500m to lake & town centre Lake & mountain views Large apartment-style units Ideal for families/groups Comfortable, well-appointed rooms WiFi Perfect base for Taupo Cycle Trails 406 Acacia Bay Road Off-street parking PO Box 171, Taupo 3351 Closest Park to Kinloch’s popular trails Motorbike & bicycle storage P 07 378 5159 Bike hire E [email protected] 12 Fletcher St, Taupo Trail maps available Ph: 07 378 9366 Self-contained units Email: [email protected] Cabins www.mountainviewmotel.co.nz Freecall reservations: 0800 473 280 www.greatlake.co.nz RRESERVATIONS:ESERVATIONS: 00800800 114646 66835835 EGSR[6 60 GREAT LAKE TRAIL 18th green © Kinloch Golf Club things to do...

Did You Know?

The Jack Nicklaus-designed Kinloch Club golf course has often been Cruising on the lake © Destination Great Lake Taupō compared to the classic link courses in Scotland and Ireland. But instead Lake Taupo was formed by the massive thrill, fl yboarding, where high-pressure of sea views, this world-class TRAIL Oruanui Eruption, blowing a 660sq km water nozzles propel you out of the championship Par 72 course is hole in the earth and sending ash fl ying water and into the air. There are plenty positioned between panoramic views all over the world. But that was around of land-based activities to explore too HIGHLIGHT 27,000 years ago and now that the dust around the lake. One of Taupo’s most of Lake Taupo and the natural beauty of has settled and the caldera (collapsed popular walking trails is the Lions rugged farmland. crater) has been partly fi lled by our Walk, or the Great Lake Walkway, which The course was ranked New Zealand’s largest lake, it is a fantastic spot for all is an easy stroll along the lake edge, Lake Taupo, the biggest lake number one golf course in 2014 by New sorts of fun. It’s a world-renowned trout- beginning at Two Mile Bay Boat Ramp in Australasia and roughly the Zealand golf professionals and is rated fi shing paradise and used for myriad and following the shoreline south. You size of Singapore, is actually 76th of the top 100 golf courses outside water-based activities, from kayaking can also take a scenic fl ight from the an active supervolcano. of America by Golf Digest Magazine. the lake shore and scenic cruises to lake itself in a fl oatplane. parasailing, jet skiing and the latest

99 Titiraupenga St, Taupo Phone: 07 378 5754 [email protected] SACRED WATERS www.rainbowlodge.co.nz • Luxury spacious apartments • Individual thermal pools We have a ﬂ eet of Specialised Rainbow To Tongariro • 21m heated pool • Undercover in-house parking “Hard Rock” and Avanti mountain National Park, Lodge Wellington, bikes. TITIRAUPENGA ST Napier • Gymnasium • 32/42-inch LCD TVs • Cycle storage available Advice and route maps available at time of hire. There are excellent routes TANIWHA ST up to the Huka Falls and the Aratiatia SPA RD Pak n’Save RUAPEHU ST Dam, as well as the exciting Craters of

PAORA HAPI ST BUS St. the Moon tracks. TAMAMUTU ST Our bikes are available for both guests HOROMOTANGI ST and non-guests alike - a credit card or TONGARIRO ST LAKE TCELake Taupo passport bond is required. To Auckland, Rotorua

Luxury Lake Edge Accommodation PPh:h: 08000800 727437727437 • 0707 374374 80668066 Luxury Apartments

TAUPO, NEW ZEALAND

Book direct, bring in this ad & receive 221-225 Lake Terrace, TAUPO 10% off SSPECTACULARPECTACULAR P: 07 376 1400 E: [email protected] WHITE-WATERW JET BOATING & AMAZINGAMAZING SSCENERY!CENERY! reservations advisable • www.rapidsjet.com • [email protected] Book Direct @ www.sacredwaters.co.nz • Freephone: 0800 722 733 61 GREAT LAKE TRAIL Taking in the Mighty Huka Falls Fishing, Turangi © Destination Great © Destination Great Lake Taupō Lake Taupō

NEARBY DESTINATIONS

It is hardly surprising that Huka Falls basin. A bridge crosses the chasm is a re-creation of the original terraces Turangi is the perfect destination if are New Zealand’s best known falls; a just above the falls, with a number of that once existed at Wairakei and their you’re into nature and sensational visit here is an exhilarating (and free!) viewing points. beauty is striking. You can take an scenery. Trout ﬁ shing is synonymous experience. Not far from their source in independent stroll along the walkway with Turangi and anglers ﬂ ock from If you wish to combine Maori culture Lake Taupo, the waters of the Waikato to marvel at the pink, blue and white far and wide to catch a monster trout with the wonder of silica terraces and River rush at almost 250,000 litres (two cascading silica terraces, but a guided here. Other activities in Turangi include geothermal activity, then a visit to Olympic-size pools) per second through tour provides a better understanding of rafting, scenic walks and biking trails, Wairakei Terraces should be high a sudden chasm and leap over an 11m the site. the Tongariro National Trout Centre, mini on the itinerary. This man-made design ledge to foam in a deep semicircular golf and soaking in thermal pools.

5-star Qualmark/Holiday Park overlooking Lake Taupo with a bed for all budgets: • Cycle Hub • FREE WiFi Ph: 07 386 7929 Mob: 0274 700 783 • Villas, Lodges, Chalets, Motels, Cabins, PHONE AHEAD FOR A COFFEE OR A PACKED LUNCH! Campervans & Campsites • Children’s Playground, Big Bounce Air Pad Call +64 07 378 8559 & 3 hydroslides Café: 76 Napier-Taupo Road • Hot Springs & Water Park • [email protected] On the Tongariro River Trail www.taupodebretts.co.nz • Day Spa & Café • Pre or post-ride supreme coffee • Breakfast & lunches • Take-out lunches • Cooked breakfast Sat & Sun 8-11am • All food made fresh daily on site • Guide services

Turangi after Chief Turangi Tukua • 52km SW of Taupo on SH 1 TURANGI TURANGI KIWI HOLIDAY PARK Moun re! tains, lakes, rivers - explo

Closest Kiwi Park to the Tongariro National Park and 13 Te Reiti Tamara Grove TACKLE SHOP: Ruapehu skifi elds (off Ohuanga Rd), Turangi • We are in the centre of it all • Tongariro Alpine Crossing P: 07 386 8754 All your tackle needs • Licences E: [email protected] • Central Plateau has 3 from here mountains & the majestic • Accommodation to suit everyone Lake Taupo – sites, cabins, motels Check us out: • • Freecall reservations: 0800 386 875 www.turangiholidaypark.co.nz www.turangifl yfi sh.com www.creeltackle.com [email protected] 62