A family-friendly weekend in Taupō is fun for parents and kids alike.

words Hayley Barnett

Thinking of Taupō, I see a giant lake, the iconic Macca’s aeroplane (every Kiwi kid’s dining dream), and an Irish pub with good food that conjures up regrettable memories from my early twenties. When my partner challenged me to find a family-friendly destination close to the Bay, which would entertain us rain, hail, or shine, it was the first town I thought of. The forecast looked gloomy for our weekend away so we needed some serious back-up plans to keep the youngsters occupied. Luckily, I was right and Taupō came through with the goods.

HILTON LAKE TAUPO

Perched on the hill just behind the main township sits a stunning 19th-century heritage building which takes you back in time to the Victorian era. It was this picturesque scene that jumped out at me when searching for accommodation on Booking.com. The hotel boasts five stars on the website so I knew we were in good hands, but I was still surprised to find out just how good those hands were. Our three-bedroom, two bathroom self-contained apartment was livable to say the least – as in, I could quite happily live there forever. The living area spanned the width of the building, giving us all-day sun and stunning views each side of the hotel – of the lake as well as the pool, spa and gym area. The Bistro Lago Restaurant offers delicious food all day, and we treated ourselves to an all-you-can-eat breakfast every morning. I’m not going to lie – it was hard to drag ourselves away from this spot, and the serviced pool area didn’t help. Only when the wind and rain swept in unexpectedly were we forced to think about making some sort of plan for the weekend. We sat down, perused our collection of tourism brochures, and decided we would each pick an activity. And so our adventure began.

booking.com

TIMBERLINE RACING SIBERIAN HUSKIES

My partner, Karl, chose an unusual activity. Watching dogs race around a track isn’t normally my cup of tea, but this one proved to be a hit for everyone. Not only did we get to watch some impressively fast dogs pull a very tall man around a track, we were also able to pat, cuddle and mingle with the dogs afterwards. It’s obvious the tall man, Steve Coxhead, and his wife Taniya have a shared passion for dogs. They both mentor Husky owners on top of managing the racing team, since many new owners find themselves baffled by the breed. Steve tells us they are no ordinary dog: “They just want to run and have no loyalty to you whatsoever. They’re pack dogs.”

Despite this, the pair light up at any questions about the Huskies, and each dog is loved for its own unique personality, which they’ll gladly describe in detail. They have owned and trained the breed for more than 25 years and pride themselves on being a home for life for Siberian Huskies. This is one activity that any dog lover will enjoy.

TIMBERLINERACINGHUSKIES.CO.NZ

TONGARIRO NATIONAL TROUT CENTRE

In my first job out of school, I spent time working for the Turangi Chronicle. I was keen to revisit the tiny town surrounded by nature. I remember beautiful riverside walks and the famous Turangi Bakery and Café, where I would undo all my good work with a pie and a custard twist.

On my daily drive past the Trout Centre, I always wondered what it was like. Since having a fish-obsessed child, now was probably a good time to find out. So we headed out to Turangi, a 45-minute scenic drive from Taupō, along the lakeside. Tongariro Trout Centre is located in a beautiful spot next to the Tongariro River and offers fish feeding, conservation education and a very pretty walk along the river edge. The kids loved finding and feeding the fish, as well as exploring this little piece of paradise hidden in the bush. A must for nature lovers.

TROUTCENTRE.COM

TAUPŌ DEBRETTS HOT SPRINGS, POOLS AND WATER PARK

Our own little fish, Poppy, chose to visit the local hot springs, nestled conveniently next door to the Heritage Hotel. It was also the perfect Sunday rainy day activity. We threw our towels overhead and ran across the driveway, then down the steep slope that heads to DeBretts Water Park. The hot springs were a great way to relax after the intensity of excitable dogs and long walks the day before. And the three water slides kept Poppy entertained for hours. Oscar was a little more cautious and stuck to the preschoolers’ water park, filled with splashing buckets and a much less daunting water slide for the littlies.

TAUPŌDEBRETTS.CO.NZ

MIND JUNCTION

Our four-year-old LEGO® enthusiast, Oscar, made the fastest decision when it came to each of us choosing an activity. He took one look at the plastic fantastic world in the Mind Junction brochure and was instantly sold. It didn’t disappoint. The activity park was a good stop-off on our way back home as it sits slightly on the outskirts of Taupō off State Highway 1. The LEGO® room displays 30 years of collecting and is New Zealand’s only public LEGO® display, featuring Star Wars, trains, The Simpsons, a ferris wheel, a container ship, Friends and hundreds of other LEGO® creations. Oscar (and Dad) spent so much time finding all the hidden characters that we only managed to get to one other activity that Mind Junction offers, the Discovery Centre. This interactive science experience allows you to participate in mirror and optical illusions, magnet and sound experiments, and a whole heap more. With mini golf, a giant maze, flight and shooting simulators, a family could easily spend an entire day here.

MINDJUNCTION.CO.NZ

Hayley and family stayed at Heritage Lake Taupō courtesy of booking.com.