This was such a great experience!…read more I booked this tour on the same day through Viator. Definitely a thrill ride! The driver had some serious skills!!! They take you right up to the falls! Definitely recommend, easy parking and so close to Lake Taupo.

Expensive, about $80 US per person. But we had a lovely time. They furnished the rain gear, which…read morewe were extremely glad to be wearing. The driver/guide maximized the speed and water thrills, gauging out whoops of enthusiasm as encouragement to soak us again and again! So glad it was a sunny warm day!

Booked a tour (via bookme diacount site) during low season…read more What i liked: -it included a basic pizza and drinks -we sailed most of the trip - we visited beautiful maori rock Given the lake was only 15c, we did not do the swimming.

A worthwhile stop in the Taupo Tourist Park area. Are there flashier geothermal parks? Sure. Do…read morethey cost a lot more? Yep. We came on a blustery winter afternoon and had the place largely to ourselves. We saw other parties from a distance but encountered nobody on the path. 8NZD entry fee for grownups and our 2yo was free. The packed gravel path changes to boardwalk and back again, and with exception of a few loose places or puddles, this was definitely stroller/pram friendly. Lots of steam vents and fumaroles. It's a good long walk (1 hour according to signage) and the path takes you through steam fields, to a couple overlook platforms, a pool of mud with steam vents hissing, an area with boiling mud (vigorously boiling, I might add), and craters, with gentle ups and downs (though the uphill portions gave us a bit of a workout with pushing our son, but not too bad). Some signposts explaining what there is to see, but we ignored them since we are familiar with geothermal and volcanic features. It would be nice to see more, perhaps. Some fleeting sulfur smells but overall not bad. We've been to Wai-o-Tapu and that has a lot more to see with more varied landscapes, but again, this is only $8 and you don't have to drive up to Rotorua. It's an interesting introduction to the thermal features, especially if you plan to see others later. If you are in the area, it's worth a stop and you can let the kids burn off some energy. Gift shop had friendly staff and very reasonably priced souvenirs.

Steam holes, and one bubbling mud steam pool... Yes and a very nice nature stop…read more Visitor will encounter other similar locations, and we recommend a visit here

I took my daughter for her first fishing trip and it could not have been any better. Susan was…read moreknowledgeable, not just as to what to do but also 'why'. She made my daughter feel comfortable and she thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We caught some great fish and I would wholeheartedly recommend Fish Her charters to everyone.

Had a great fishing experience, my Dad, Brother and I each hooked and caught a decent Trout. Even…read morethough it was a little rough out on the lake Susan was able to put us in a comfortable spot and we weren't uncomfortable at all. We would highly recommend

Free outdoor and natural hot springs to enjoy. Go to the Spa Thermal Park to get access to the…read moreOtumuheke thermal stream that feeds into the Waikato river. From here, you can also do an easy hike to Huka Falls (50 mins one-way) or Aratiatia Rapids (2 hrs one-way). There's a car park at the intersection of Spa Road and County Avenue, but to get closer to the thermal stream, you can continue down County Ave to the end and park at the car park inside the park. From there, you'll do a short 10 minute walk down to the thermal stream. You'll see a bridge with the main pools near the river. This is where most people will be, but if you up a little further uphill, you'll hit a second bridge where it's more private. This area is fenced off though, so it's probably not encouraged to bathe in this part of the stream, although a lot of people still do. The water is pretty hot, so make sure to bring a towel, water to stay hydrated, and a change of clothes for afterwards. Note that there are toilets at the car park, but no changing facilities near the thermal stream itself. Even if you aren't interested in visiting the thermal stream, Spa Thermal Park is well worth a visit to see the stunning scenery of being high up a hill looking down on a large, curved river.

Tons of people, but don't let that discourage you! It's a must-visit free natural hot stream with a…read morebeautiful view/swim of the river. The park's been beautifully designed for enjoying the stream, which is a nice hot 38-39C right under the bridge, and pools down to cooler temperatures further down. It's a great place to relax in a natural setting and meet some people!

This is an excellent, challenging hike of about 5-6 miles round trip, straight up then straight…read moredown but with 360 degree views at the top, do it when the weather is clear. Do not do this when raining as it would be very slippery since most of the way is through the forest and potentially muddy tree roots at a steep grade. You start out walking up a pasture area, which has some deep track ruts where you need to take care not to twist an ankle slipping into the ruts. Then it goes through a lush forest for most of the way before opening up at the top. Wear good boots and use polls if you want to take weight off of your knees on the downhill.

Had a great time! Laura was a terrific guide and told us lots of local legends/stories. Kayaks were…read moreeasy to navigate and the small group made it quite fun. Rock carvings and little bays were quite amazing. Coffee and mince pies were a nice treat.

We engaged a condo on the banks of Lake Taupo for a week…read more Enjoyed this magical area As we planned our New Zealand holiday, it was a no brainer to engage the condo as a base for touring the area Would do again...

This was my second trip around Lake Taupo and without a doubt, both times, one of the prettiest…read moreparts of the North Island drive. This community area is stunning with beautiful lakeside hotels and Airbnb's, fantastic restaurants, and tons of available activities. Mostly what I enjoyed was strolling around the lake edge and admiring the view, but there's actually a lot more options if you have time. There's several companies offering water sports and lake activities, great locations for picnics, and several miles of hiking all around the region. The husband and I were here at the end of winter so we settled with admiring the gorgeous sunset while driving into town and stopping by the lake side and a few vista points before leaving. If you have time, definitely stop by and at least enjoy the view, or better yet actually plan to spend a few days here if you can.