Lake Taupo, Taupo: How to Visit and What to Do Nearby

Lake Taupo is the largest lake in New Zealand by surface area, covering 616 square kilometers in the volcanic plateau of the central North Island. The lake fills a caldera formed by the Oruanui eruption roughly 26,500 years ago—one of the most powerful volcanic events in the past 70,000 years. The Waikato River, New Zealand's longest, flows from the lake's northeastern outlet through the Huka Falls 11 kilometers downstream. The lake holds a significant population of introduced rainbow and brown trout, and Taupo is widely regarded as one of the premier fly-fishing destinations in the Southern Hemisphere. is just one of many options in Taupo. Major attractions worth considering include Huka Falls, Mine Bay Maori Rock Carvings, and Aratiatia Rapids.