School holiday fun in the Taupō District
These July school holidays are all about family fun, and with so much to do you won’t have any trouble wearing the kids out on a wintery day!
Malcolm Flowers Taupō Winter Festival
The magical Malcolm Flowers Taupō Winter Festival hits the Tongariro North Domain from 30 June – 16 July. With something for every age and stage with a calendar of 25 plus events and activities, you'll be able to line up fun and excitement for the whole family. Food trucks, arts and crafts, live music, light sculptures, ice skating, glow-in-the-dark candy floss and SO much more! Check out the calendar of events at www.taupowinterfestival.co.nz.
Mangakino Lake Hop
Little, or big, high-octane lovers in the household? This epic festival known for classic cars, and horsepower from the land, air and water is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year on Saturday 8 July. The event is family friendly with live music, market stalls and food vendors serving up the goods, so why not make a day of it? Located at the Mangakino Recreation Reserve, on the right of Lake Road and down to the edge of Lake Maraetai in Mangakino. www.lakehop.co.nz.
Matariki Celebration at Taupō's Te Ātea
Come and celebrate Matariki in the new heart of Taupō, Te Ātea at 10am on Saturday 15 July. Learn about Matariki with story-telling, waiata and kapa haka performance from The Haka Shop. The celebration is free and suitable for all ages. A great way to finish off the school holidays! Find out more at www.taupo.govt.nz/matariki
Free Matariki themed activities at Taupō and Tūrangi Libraries and Taupō Museum
Taupō District Libraries and Museum are putting on a bunch of Matariki themed events to educate and entertain the kids. Star scavenger hunts, arts and crafts and clever exhibits will keep the kids (and big kids) entertained. Best of all - they're free! Find out more at www.taupo.govt.nz/library
Taupō Museum Dinosaur Hunt
Those pesky dinos have escaped into Taupō Museum again! Find them hidden around the exhibits and you might even learn some of the history of the area while you are it. A great wet weather activity available from 10am to 4pm daily.
AC Baths and Tūrangi Turtle Pools – for splash or a swim lesson
Under-fives are free to bring for a dip for locals at the Turtle Pools in Tūrangi or Taupō’s AC Baths. For the older kids, why not sign them for swim lessons at the AC Baths Swim School to hone their swimming skills? www.taupo.govt.nz/acbaths
Pump tracks
Get the bikes, scooters, or trikes out at one of the rohe’s pump tracks. The new Cycle Skills and Pump Track in Crown Park by Taharepa Road is particularly fun, with working traffic lights, giveway signs and intersections to navigate. Beep beep!
Graffiato: Taupō Street Art tour
Did you know that Taupō is home to over 85 large-scale murals? Explore the back lane of the town using the interactive map and discover some artistic hidden gems. Find out more at www.taupostreetart.com
Disc Golf at Spa Park
All you need is a frisbee, some comfortable shoes and a good aim! Spa Park is home to two disc golf courses. Round out your day with a play on the playground, hoon on the pump track and a soak at Otumuheke Stream - fun for the whole family! Find out more at www.taupodiscgolf.com
Playgrounds
We’ve all got our favourites but why not discover a new one this school holidays? With 60 playgrounds to enjoy around the Taupō District, there is bound to be one you haven’t experienced yet. Find a new one here - www.taupo.govt.nz/recreation/playgrounds
Taupō Rockwall
The 12m high adventure wall features everything from beginners’ climbs to advanced overhangs. There is no time limit so you can stay as long as you like, and the friendly instructors will show you how to climb and belay safely. Entry prices start from $12 for adults and $9 for under-16s with all the gear you need to hire available on site. www.taupo.govt.nz/rockwall
Walks and hikes
There are so many short and long walks to enjoy in the rohe. Depending on your fitness level and time constraints, you can enjoy a loop walk of Lake Rotopounamu, discover Craters of the Moon (for a small fee for locals) or tackle one of the big guns like Taranaki Falls in Tongariro National Park.. you might even get to play in the snow on the way! Find out more at www.lovetaupo.com/walks
Hanging around for a bit longer? Read on...
Geothermal Week
There are heaps of cool (and hot!) evetns happening in Taupō for Geothermal Week (24 to 29 July). Taupō Libraries and Museum will be putting on educational events throughout the week, Contact Energy are having an open day where you can have a behind-the-scenes tour of Te Mihi power station on Saturday 29 July, and Mercury Energy are running a photography competition. Check out these and lots more events at www.taupo.biz/nz-geothermal-week-2023
Matariki Planting Day
Join in the fun at this Greening Taupō and Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board community planting day from 9.30am, Wednesday 26 July. Round up the whanau, grab your wet weather gear and get amongst it at the Rickit Street planting site beside Taupō Community Play Group. Find out more at www.tuwharetoa.co.nz/2023-matariki-tree-planting
