Autumn school holiday activities in Taupō District

School holidays are just around the corner, and they are jam-packed full of family friendly events and activities.

Treasure Trails (13 – 26 April)

Set off on a family biking adventure with Taupō’s Red Bike Treasure Trails, Tūrangi’s Blue Duck Treasure Trail and the Green Gecko Treasure Trail in Mangakino.

Cycle the scenic tracks, collect the clues hidden along the way, crack the code and be in to win cool prizes! Choose between one, two, or all three unique trails, each promising a mix of fun, adventure, and a touch of mystery. Find out more at www.towncentretaupo.co.nz/events/red-bike-treasure-trail-2024.

Taupō Museum Open Day (15 April)

Discover your local history at Taupō Museum’s Open Day. Check out the exhibits, take part in the scavenger hunt (for the big and little kids) and have fun with our dress-up section. Enjoy a sausage sizzle for $2 with a bonus free milo to wash it down.

Pumice Puppet Workshops (15, 16 & 22 April)

Get crafty with this fun workshop at Taupō Museum (15 & 22 April) and Tūrangi Library (16 April). Make your own pumice puppet that you can take home. Suitable for kids 7 years and older, we will supply all the tools you need. Bookings are essential. Find out more at www.taupo.govt.nz/libraries.

Supercars Colouring-in competition (Entries close on Wednesday 17 April)

Crack the felts out for the kids colouring in competition and be in to win some amazing 2024 ITM Taupō Super400 prizes.

20 lucky runners up will win Friday Family Fun Day GA passes. Top prize is a 3-Day General Admission family pass plus two merchandise packs!

Download the form, get creative, then drop off your entries to the Taupō, Tūrangi or Mangakino Customer and Visitor Information Centres by 9am on Wednesday 17 April to be in to win. Find out more at www.taupo.govt.nz/supercars

Supercars Track to Town (18 April)

Watch all 24 Supercars make their way from the Taupō International Motorsport Park to Te Ātea, Tapuaeharuru Reserve on Roberts Street. Check out the cars and enjoy a free autograph session with the drivers before they head back to the track. https://www.supercars.com/news/full-field-track-to-town-to-open-itm-taupo-super400.

Supercars Friday Family Fun Day (19 April)

With general admission tickets from $30 and kids under 12 free with a paying adult, this is the perfect day to bring the whole family along for some racing action at this exciting new event. There will be games, entertainment, and a kids’ zone. Get your tickets at www.supercars.com.

Mindfulness and Diversity activities at Taupō District Libraries (15 – 19 April)

With the help of book characters, we will learn that it is okay to be different; and ways to relax with the libraries’ free activities.

If you can’t make the organised activity times, pop into Taupō, Tūrangi or Mangakino libraries at any time for fun, free independent activities, and a scavenger hunt. Find out more at www.taupo.govt.nz/libraries.

ANZAC Day Service (25 April)

Bring the kids along to one of the ANZAC services to remember our fallen heroes.

• Taupō: 6am dawn service and 10.30am civil service at the Great Lake Centre.
• Southern Lake Taupō: 6am dawn service at Waihi, 11am civil service at Tokaanu-Tūrangi and Districts RSA, 5pm sunset service at Omori Kuratau Community Hall.
• Mangakino: 11am civic service at Mangakino District Services and Citizens Club

More info at https://www.taupodc.govt.nz/anzac

Earth Day Litter Pick up (27 April) &Tree Planting (28 April)

Celebrate and protect Papatūānuku with a lakefront litter pick-up and a Greening Taupō tree planting afternoon.

Tidy kiwis can meet at the Taupō Floatplane carpark on Redoubt Street from 10am on Saturday 27 April. All supplies will be provided. We’ll focus on collecting all the little bits of rubbish that can be so damaging to our lake’s ecosystem – things like cigarette butts, small plastic wrappers and other micro plastics. To say thank you for your efforts we’ll be whipping up fresh Earth Day-themed pancakes.

Get your hands dirty from 2pm on Sunday 28 April at Wairakei Drive with Greening Taupō. Thanks to the generous event sponsors, there will be hundreds of trees to plant which will improve the environment for people and native wildlife. Find out more at www.greeningtaupo.org.nz.

Playgrounds

With over 60 super playgrounds to choose from, you are spoiled for choice in the Taupō District. Why not check out the upgrades to the Mere Road Reserve Playground or Lakewood Reserve in Taupō? Or the brand-spanking new papa tākaro (playground) in Tūrangi’s Te Kapua Park which was built in partnership with Ngāti Tūrangitukua. Explore a new play area near you at www.taupodc.govt.nz/recreation/playgrounds.

AC Baths and Tūrangi Turtle Pools – for a 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.
Check out the Turtle Pools' aquatic climbing wall towering about 3.5 metres above the water as well as a bombing pool where you can practice some mean manus.

The AC Baths have a large outdoor leisure pool, lane pools, hydroslides, Tarzan swing, private thermal mineral pools and even an on-site café for hungry tummies. For the older kids, why not sign them up for swim lessons at the AC Baths Swim School to hone their swimming skills? www.taupo.govt.nz/swimmingpools.

Climb the wall at Taupō Rockwall

Open every day during the holidays, pop in for a climb on the 12m high adventure wall featuring everything from beginners’ climbs to advanced overhangs. You’ll need suitable clothing and footwear (no jandals or crocs). The friendly instructors are on hand to show you how to climb and belay safely. Bring an adult to help you out and you’ll be climbing to new heights faster than you can say ‘school holidays rock.’ All the details are at www.taupo.govt.nz/rockwall. You could even join up for after school classes – term four membership details are online now! www.taupo.govt.nz/recreation/indoor-rockwall/clubs-and-classes.

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. Find out more at www.lovetaupo.com/walks (Waikato River Trails, Kinloch??)