Taupō facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Taupō Taupō-nui-a-Tia (Māori)
Secondary urban area

Taupō Location in New Zealand
Country	New Zealand
Island	North Island
Region	Waikato
Territorial authority	Taupō District Council
Ward	Taupō-Kaingaroa
Settled	Pre-European
Founded	1869
Borough status	1953
Named for	Originates from Taupō-nui-a-Tia, meaning "great cloak of Tia" in Māori
Electorate	Taupō
Area
• Urban	42.05 km² (16.24 sq mi)
• District	6,970 km² (2,690 sq mi)
Elevation	360 m (1,180 ft)
Population (June 2023)
• Urban	26,500
• Urban density	630.2/km² (1,632/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+12 (NZST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+13 (NZDT)
Postcode	3330
Area code(s)	07
Local iwi	Ngāti Tūwharetoa

Taupō is a town in the middle of New Zealand's North Island. It sits right next to Lake Taupō, which is the biggest freshwater lake in New Zealand. Taupō became an official borough in 1953. Since 1989, it has been the main office for the Taupō District Council.

Taupō is the largest town in the Taupō District. It is also the second-largest urban area in the Waikato region, after Hamilton. About 26,500 (June 2023). people live here. Taupō is famous for its beautiful nature. You can enjoy many outdoor activities like hiking, fishing, skiing, and water sports. Popular places to visit include the Wairakei Power Station, Huka Falls, and Tongariro National Park.

What's in a Name?

The name Taupō comes from the Māori language. It's a shorter version of Taupō-nui-a-Tia. This longer name was first given to a cliff at Pākā Bay. It means "great cloak of Tia." The cliff was named after Tia, a Māori explorer who found the lake. Later, Māori people started using the name for the lake itself. In 2019, the town's official name changed from Taupo to Taupō.

Many people in English say "tow-po" (like "cow-po"). However, the Māori pronunciation, "toe-paw," is usually preferred.

A Look Back: Taupō's History

In 1868, a police post was set up in Taupō. This helped improve communication in the central North Island. In the late 1870s, hot water pools in Taupō started to attract visitors. Hotels were built to welcome these tourists. In the 1890s, rainbow trout were brought to Lake Taupō. This made Taupō a popular spot for fishing holidays.

Taupō became a borough in 1953. The town grew quickly because of new developments. These included the Wairakei geothermal power station. The timber industry also grew, and new farms were developed. Between 1949 and 1953, Taupō's population increased a lot. In 1951, 1,358 people lived there. By 1961, the population had grown to 5,251 people.

Natural Wonders of Taupō

Taupō is on the northeastern shore of Lake Taupō. This lake is New Zealand's largest. It sits inside the caldera of the Taupō Volcano. The Waikato River flows out of the lake and through the town. It separates the town center from the northern areas. A short distance north of town, the river forms the amazing Huka Falls.

Taupō is a hub of volcanic and geothermal activity. You can find hot springs for bathing in many nearby places. The volcanic Mount Tauhara is about six kilometers (4 miles) to the east. There are also special hot springs to the northeast. These springs are home to tiny living things called extremophiles. They can live in extremely hot places.

View of snow-capped mountains shrouded in cloud, Taupō

Taupō's Neighborhoods

Taupō has several neighborhoods, also called suburbs:

Wharewaka is known for a popular swimming spot. It also has new homes and a large retirement village.
Nukuhau is north of the Waikato River.
Richmond Heights has a shopping center.
Waipahihi is home to a primary school and botanical gardens.
Mount View is north of the town center.
Acacia Bay is west of Tapuaeharuru Bay.
Rainbow Point is north of Wharewaka.
Tauhara has a primary school, a college, and a golf course. Mount Tauhara is nearby.
Hilltop has a school, an intermediate school, and a hospital. It also has two shopping centers.
Taupō CBD is the main town center.

Outer Neighborhoods

Five Mile Bay is a popular beach for swimming and water skiing. It's very busy in summer.
Wairakei is a small settlement and geothermal area. It's about 8 kilometers north of Taupō.
Waitahanui is a village on the eastern shore of Lake Taupō.

Taupō's Weather

Taupō has an oceanic climate. This means it has mild temperatures. Because it's inland, it can get strong frosts in winter. However, snow is rare in Taupō. Summers are mild, with average high temperatures around 23 degrees Celsius. Average low temperatures are about 10 degrees Celsius.

Who Lives in Taupō?

Taupō is considered a medium-sized urban area by Statistics New Zealand. It covers about 42.05 square kilometers. This area stretches from Acacia Bay in the west to Centennial Park in the east. It also goes south to Taupō Airport. The Taupō urban area has an estimated population of 26,500 as of June 2023. This means there are about 630.20 people per square kilometer. It is the 26th largest urban area in New Zealand. It is also the second largest in the Waikato Region, after Hamilton.

At the 2018 New Zealand census, Taupō had a population of 23,631 people. This was an increase of 2,508 people since the 2013 census. There were 9,000 households. The population included 11,520 males and 12,096 females. About 20.1% of people were under 15 years old.

Most people in Taupō are of European descent (79.8%). About 24.5% are Māori. Other groups include Pacific peoples (3.3%) and Asian (5.7%). Many people chose not to state their religion. Of those who did, 51.7% had no religion. About 34.9% were Christian.

Taupō's Economy

Taupō is a big tourist spot, especially in summer. It offers amazing views of the lake and the volcanic mountains of Tongariro National Park. There are many fun activities for tourists. These include sky diving, jetboating, parasailing, and bungy jumping.

Taupō also supports many surrounding pine forests. The large Kaingaroa Forest is one example. There's a big sawmill about 3 kilometers northeast of town. Taupō is also surrounded by seven geothermal power stations. One of these is the historic Wairakei Power Station.

Taupō even has a McDonald's restaurant with a real Douglas DC-3 airplane attached! You can sit inside the plane to eat your meal.

How Taupō is Governed

The Taupō district council manages local services for the town. Taupō is part of the Taupō electorate. The current member of parliament for this area is Louise Upston.

Taupō Museum

The Taupō museum is in the town center on Story Place. It has cool exhibits about the Ngāti Tūwharetoa people. There's a Wharenui (Māori Meeting House) carved between 1927 and 1928. You can also see a moa skeleton. The museum has a caravan full of local items from the late 1950s and early 1960s. There are also displays about volcanoes and art galleries.

Sports and Fun in Taupō

Taupō hosts many regular sporting events. These include Ironman New Zealand and the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge. The Lake Taupō Cycle Challenge attracts about 5,000 riders. The Great Lake Relay started in 1995. The Oxfam Trailwalker has also been held in Taupō several times. In 2006, Taupō was the site for the off-road motorcycle event, FIM International Six Day Enduro.

Mountain Biking Adventures

Bike Taupō has mountain biking trails that are highly rated. The International Mountain Bicycling Association calls them a "silver-level IMBA Ride Center." This is a strong recommendation for a great trail experience.

Golfing in Taupō

Taupō is home to the Taupo Golf Club. It has two courses: Tauhara and Centennial. Other golf courses nearby include Wairakei Golf + Sanctuary and the Kinloch Club Golf Course.

Motorsports Excitement

Taupō has the Taupo International Motorsport Park. It's a top-level racing circuit that meets international standards.

Swimming Pools

The AC Baths is a swimming pool complex. It has two 25-meter lane pools. There's also an outdoor leisure pool with two areas for toddlers. You can find a sauna, two hydroslides, and four private thermal mineral pools.

One of the main streets of the Taupō CBD, with the Taupo Domain on the left

Learning in Taupō

Taupō has four high schools: Tauhara College, Taupo-nui-a-Tia College, and Lake Taupo Christian School. There's also a Māori immersion school called Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Whakarewa i Te Reo ki Tuwharetoa. For younger students, there are several primary schools. These include Wairakei, St Patrick's, Waipahihi, Hilltop, Mount View, Taupō, and Tauhara primary schools. Taupō also has Taupo Intermediate School.

Getting Around and Services

Transport Links

Taupō is connected by major roads like State Highway 1 and State Highway 5. It's also on the Thermal Explorer Highway touring route. All three highways run together along the Eastern Taupō Arterial, which was built in 2010.

Taupō is one of the few large towns in New Zealand without a train connection. However, there have been ideas for one in the past.

Taupō Airport is south of the town. You can catch flights from here to Auckland and Wellington.

Utilities and Power

Taupō first got public electricity in 1952. This was from the Hinemaiaia A hydroelectric power station. The town connected to the national power grid in 1958. This happened when the Wairakei geothermal power station started working. Today, Unison Networks manages the electricity in Taupō.

Natural gas arrived in Taupō in 1987. First Gas runs the gas network in the town.

Taupō gets its fresh water from Lake Taupō. In 2013, the water systems were combined and improved. Acacia Bay has its own separate fresh water system.

Local News

The local newspaper is called Taupō Times. It is owned by Stuff. Old editions of the Taupō Times from 1952 onwards have been made digital. This was a project by The Preserving Local History and Educational Trust and Taupō Museum and Art Gallery.

Famous People from Taupō

Patrick Bevin (born 1991), a road racing cyclist.
Bevan Docherty (born 1977), an Olympic triathlete.
Tumu Te Heuheu Tūkino VIII, a Māori Paramount Chief.
James Tito, an actor and musician.
Nicole van der Kaay (born 1996), an Olympic triathlete.
Louisa Wall (born 1972), a former member of parliament and national sports player.
Hayden Wilde (born 1997), an Olympic triathlete.

Sister Cities

Taupō is connected with these cities around the world:

Images for kids

An aerial view of Lake Taupō and the Waikato River.
A view of snow-capped mountains near Taupō.
One of the main streets in Taupō's town center.