Traveling to Lake Taupo in the Winter
Traveling Cheap in New Zealand
New Zealand is known as one of the extreme sports capitals of the world. Although most of the idyllic countryside may seem peaceful, many people take in New Zealand’s natural beauty by skydiving out of an airplane or bungee jumping off of a cliff. As exhilarating as these activities may be, many travelers may not have the budget or desire to find themselves plunging out of the sky. Lake Taupo, on New Zealand’s north island, is a small town with attracts tourists with its gorgeous waters and the majestic Mount Tongariro & Ruapehu. But even with its hiking trails and scenic viewpoints, many backpackers will find it difficult to enjoy Taupo on a budget and with a lack of transportation.
For starters, you will need to find out how to get to Taupo cheap. From either Auckland or Wellington, you can hop on the intercity bus to get to Lake Taupo. This bus will usually cost around 16 NZD and take just under 5 hours to reach the city. Although not exactly budget-friendly, this is the only way you can get from a major city to the lake. Even hostels in this small town will cost you at least 20 NZD, many of which don’t even include free wi-fi.
While on the North Island you will not want to miss out visiting the iconic Hobbiton in Matamata!
What To Do In Taupo In The Winter
Depending on what you want to do, you may have to rethink where to stay while in Taupo. No matter which backpacker hostel or hotel you may stay at, you are sure to find a large list of tours and activities your host can arrange for you. The only drawback is that the more you start to book, the higher the bill will go up. The boat tours taking you out on the lake, skydiving, and alpine hikes are sure to be well out of the budget of your average traveler. If you just decide to stay in the town, you will find a few hikes that offer stunning views of the lake and nearby mountains, but Taupo itself has little but a few cheap hostels and boutique trendy restaurants to sip on your coffee before getting your day started.
If you are looking to do more hikes in the shadow of the volcano, you will want to look at some of the hostels around Ohakune and the Tongariro National Park itself. Many of the hikes and sites around Lake Taupo are doable on your own but expect to spend a whole day to reach a destination without a tour. During the winter, hiking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing gets a bit tricky and dangerous. Only experienced hikers should look at attempting hiking along the top of the volcano during the cold season.
If you are on a budget and traveling in New Zealand, you will want to find ways to save money. Read about how I visited Auckland here!
Hiking Around Taupo
Within the town of Taupo you won’t find much to do but wander the quaint old-timey city streets and lounge about one of the coffee shops. But no one visits Taupo to be confined within its city limits, you will want to go out and begin to explore all of the hiking trails and bountiful expanses of nature in the surrounding countryside. Although you will spend a long time hiking, you can still set out on one of these trails and see all of the best sites around Lake Taupo first hand.
One of the more popular day trips in Lake Taupo is to see the contemporary Maori rock carvings. Many may choose to hire one of the boat tours to take to the waters and see these intricate carvings from the comfort of a deck. But if you are looking to save money or just wanting to get a good stretch of the legs, you can still head out from Taupo and head to Mine Bay along Whakamoenga Point. Although it is over an 11km walk one way, you will be given gorgeous views of the lake and mountains as you tramp your way down the trail. Hitchhiking is also fairly common in New Zealand, so don’t be afraid to stick out that thumb. If you are looking for some more light hikes you can also head over to Mt Tauhara or the Huka Falls.
Are you a budget backpacker traveling to Australia? Read about how I survived Sydney here!
Hiking to the Huka Falls
Much like Rotorua, Taupo is built on top of a volcano which is constantly spewing up gas. For tourists, you can gaze out open these geothermic fields and even take a dip in some of the natural hot pools sprinkled throughout the countryside. The Wairakei Terraces, Orakei Korako, and Craters of the Moon are just some of the sites where you can see how close Taupo actually is from being blown to smithereens. But before that happens, you can enjoy the volcanic beauty of Taupo.
From your hostel in Taupo proper, you can easily set off on the hike to Wairakei and the many thermal pools in the area. Along the trails do no be surprised to find several people who decided to strip down and take a relaxing dip into one of the hot pools in the park. As you continue down the trail you will eventually come across arguably the second most popular site in all of Taupo: the Huka Falls. The Huka Falls isn’t exactly the largest waterfall in New Zealand, but they do gush out a large amount of raging water, all that comes crashing down into the mesmerizing blue waters below.
Wanting a break from Australia and New Zealand? Timor Leste is just a short plane ride away! Read more here!
Is Traveling To Lake Taupo Worth It?
Traveling to Taupo isn’t exactly off the beaten path travel, but many tourists elect to head straight to the more famous and scenic South Island rather than hang around cities such as Wellington and Auckland. Despite this, you will still find plenty to do in and around Lake Taupo. If you are a backpacker traveling on a budget in Taupo, you will no be able to indulge in skydiving and lake cruises. The hostels alone are more than enough to bleed your wallet dry. But regardless, you will find loads of hikes and trails to explore around the like for free.
With plenty of free things to do in Lake Taupo, this is definitely a place worth visiting if you find yourself on the north island. Even if you are in Taupo during the winter, the bit of the cold isn’t harsh enough to keep you from enjoying yourself as you begin to enjoy the countryside. Depending on what you have on your itinerary, you could easily spend weeks exploring every corner of Lake Taupo.
