36-446: Tauhara is a suburb and geothermal area of Taupō in the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island . The area's main geographic feature, Mount Tauhara , is culturally significant to local hapū . It is privately owned but has a public walking track and viewing areas, with panoramic views over Lake Taupō , The tracks were closed in 2015 due to vandalism, but later reopened when
72-437: A number of surrounding plantation pine forests including the large Kaingaroa Forest and related industry. A large sawmill is sited approximated 3 km to the north east of the town on Centennial Drive. Taupō is surrounded by seven geothermal power stations including the historic Wairakei geothermal power station a few kilometres north of the town. Taupō has a McDonald's with a decommissioned Douglas DC-3 attached to
108-589: A population of approximately 27,000 (June 2024). Taupō is known for its natural beauty, with the surrounding area offering a range of outdoor recreational activities such as hiking, fishing, skiing, and water sports. Visitors can also enjoy a variety of attractions, including the Wairakei Power Station , Huka Falls , and the Tongariro National Park . The name Taupō is from the Māori language and
144-418: A roll of 117. The school opened in 1993. All these schools are co-educational. Rolls are as of August 2024. 38°41′02″S 176°06′29″E / 38.683895°S 176.108027°E / -38.683895; 176.108027 In other words don't go it's the worst Taup%C5%8D Taupō ( Māori pronunciation: [ ˈ t a ʉ p ɔː ] ), sometimes written Taupo ,
180-412: A sauna, two hydroslides and four private thermal mineral pools. Taupō has four high schools: Tauhara College , Taupo-nui-a-Tia College , Māori immersion Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Whakarewa i Te Reo ki Tuwharetoa and state integrated Lake Taupo Christian School . It also has Wairakei, St Patrick's, Waipahihi, Hilltop, Mount View, Taupō and Tauhara primary schools, and Taupo Intermediate School . Taupō
216-549: Is a town located in the central North Island of New Zealand. It is situated on the edge of Lake Taupō , which is the largest freshwater lake in New Zealand. Taupō was constituted as a borough in 1953. It has been the seat of Taupō District Council since the council was formed in 1989. Taupō is the largest urban area of the Taupō District , and the second-largest urban area in the Waikato region , behind Hamilton . It has
252-560: Is a shortened version of Taupō-nui-a-Tia . The longer name was first given to the cliff at Pākā Bay , on the eastern shore of the lake, and means the "great cloak of Tia". It was named for Tia , the Māori explorer who discovered the lake. Māori later applied the name to the lake itself. In 2019 the official name of the town was changed from Taupo to Taupō . Although the English pronunciation "tow-po" ( / ˈ t aʊ p oʊ / , NZE /ˈtæʊpaʉ/ )
288-476: Is located inland, which results in the accumulation of dry air causing severe frost during winter. However snowfall in Taupō is rare. The summer climate in Taupō is mild with maximum average temperature reaching 23 degrees and a minimum average temperature of 10 degrees. Taupō is defined by Statistics New Zealand as a medium urban area and covers 42.05 km (16.24 sq mi), which stretches from Acacia Bay in
324-561: Is located on the northeastern shore of Lake Taupō , New Zealand's largest lake, which is itself in the caldera of the Taupō Volcano . The Waikato River drains the lake and runs through the town, separating the CBD and the northern suburbs. The river flows over the spectacular Huka Falls , a short distance north of the town, Taupō is a centre of volcanic and geothermal activity, and hot springs suitable for bathing are located at several places in
360-537: Is served by State Highway 1 and State Highway 5 , and is on the Thermal Explorer Highway touring route. All three highways run concurrently along the Eastern Taupō Arterial, which was built in 2010. Taupō is one of the few large towns in New Zealand that have never had a link to the national rail network, although there have been proposals in the past. Taupō Airport is located south of
396-466: Is widespread, it is often regarded as incorrect, and the Māori pronunciation, "toe-paw" ( / ˈ t oʊ p ɔː / , NZE /ˈtaʉpoː/ ) is generally preferred in formal use. In 1868, an armed constabulary post was established in Taupō in order to strengthen communication lines in the central North Island. Hot water pools around Taupō began to attract tourists to Taupō in the late 1870s and early 1880s and hotels were developed to take advantage of this. In
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#1732851806287432-568: The Arawa canoe, which made landfall in New Zealand at Maketu in the Bay of Plenty . Te Hata says that when other members of crew started staking claims to land immediately after landing, Tia did not. D. M. Stafford says that he declared the area from Maketu west to Te Puke to be the belly of his son Tapuika. Later, Tapuika did settle in this area. From Maketu, Tia set out with his brother Oro, Oro's son Māka, his own son Tapuika , and Hatupatu to explore
468-572: The 2006 census . There were 603 households. There were 915 males and 888 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.03 males per female. The median age was 30.4 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 444 people (24.6%) aged under 15 years, 435 (24.1%) aged 15 to 29, 750 (41.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 168 (9.3%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 66.1% European/Pākehā, 48.8% Māori, 7.2% Pacific peoples, 4.0% Asian, and 1.5% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities). The proportion of people born overseas
504-568: The Waikato River at Whakamaru , climbed nearby Mount Titiraupenga , then headed upstream, giving Ātiamuri its name, which means 'Tia who follows behind', because the murkiness of the Waikato led him to believe someone was ahead of him. A set of rapids along the Waikato River, near present day Wairakei became known as Aratiatia (Tia's stairway). When he reached Lake Taupō, he travelled down
540-516: The 1890s, rainbow trout were introduced to Lake Taupō and Taupō became a popular town to stay and fish. A road board was established in 1922 and it was made a borough in 1953. Taupō grew quickly due to the development of the Wairakei geothermal power station , expansion of the timber industry, and farm development between 1949 and 1953. The population of Taupō was 1,358 in 1951, later increasing to 2,849 people in 1956 and 5,251 people in 1961. Taupō
576-691: The Centennial course. Other golf courses located near Taupō include Wairakei Golf + Sanctuary, the Kinloch Club Golf Course and the Reporoa Golf Club. Taupō is home to the Taupo International Motorsport Park . It has a full international-standard racing circuit. The AC Baths is a swimming pool complex located at 26 AC Baths Avenue. Facilities include two 25-metre lane pools, an outdoor leisure pool with two toddler areas,
612-566: The Lake Terrace treatment plant was upgraded and the two systems were amalgamated. Acacia Bay has its own dedicated fresh water system. The local newspaper Taupō Times is owned by Stuff . Digitisation of the Taupō Times from 1952 was undertaken in a partnership between The Preserving Local History and Educational Trust and Taupō Museum and Art Gallery. Taupō is twinned with: Tia (M%C4%81ori explorer) In Māori traditions, Tia
648-683: The Taupō urban area had a population of 23,631 at the 2018 New Zealand census , an increase of 2,508 people (11.9%) since the 2013 census , and an increase of 2,937 people (14.2%) since the 2006 census . There were 9,000 households, comprising 11,520 males and 12,096 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.95 males per female, with 4,740 people (20.1%) aged under 15 years, 3,849 (16.3%) aged 15 to 29, 10,164 (43.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 4,875 (20.6%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 79.8% European/ Pākehā , 24.5% Māori , 3.3% Pacific peoples , 5.7% Asian , and 2.0% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas
684-470: The electricity distribution network in Taupō. Natural gas arrived in Taupō in 1987. First Gas operates the gas distribution network in the town. Taupō's fresh water supply is drawn from Lake Taupō. Prior to 2013, there were two separate fresh water systems serving the town: the Lake Terrace system serving the town north of Napier Road, and the Rainbow Point system serving the southern suburbs. In 2013,
720-485: The interior of the North Island. They first headed inland to Kaharoa , then continued to Lake Rotorua . From there Tia continued to Horohoro , which received its name because he touched the dead body of an important chief there and had to be cleansed by a tohunga in a ceremony called Te Horohoroinga-nui-a-Tia (the great cleansing of Tia). Other accounts say that this happened to Kahumatamomoe , not Tia. Tia met
756-720: The mat and decayed wood for the posts. When he encountered Tia, the two of them argued over who had arrived first, but Ngātoro-i-rangi pointed out that the materials of his tūāhu were already rotten and decaying, while Tia's were still new, so Tia was forced to concede that Ngātoro-i-rangi had arrived first. Tia and Ngātoro-i-rangi travelled south along the coast of Taupō together, building a tūāhu called Mahuehue at Motutere and then continuing to Tokaanu , where they split up. Ngātoro-i-rangi headed south to climb Tongariro . Tia and Māka headed west to Mount Hauhungaroa, Mount Hurakia, and on to Titiraupeka (location unknown) or back to Titiraupenga, where they both died. Locke reports that in
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#1732851806287792-548: The mid-nineteenth century, their skulls were still being used by local Māori as mauri kumara (kumara talismans), which were taken out into the fields to encourage a good kumara harvest. Through his sons, Tia is an ancestor of all Ngāti Tūwharetoa settled around Lake Taupō, just like Ngātoro-i-rangi. Samuel Locke 's 1882 publication of Māori traditions from Taupo and the East Coast, which he says he translated from written accounts produced by unnamed Māori tohunga , includes
828-536: The store. The fast food outlet has seating inside the plane's structure. The Taupō district council provides local government services for Taupō. Taupō is part of the Taupō electorate and the current member of parliament (as of 2023) is Louise Upston . The Taupō museum is located in the centre of the town on Story Place. It has displays including about the Ngāti Tūwharetoa , a Wharenui (Māori Meeting House) which
864-476: The township. Scheduled services to Auckland and Wellington operate from the airport. Taupō first received a public electricity supply in 1952, with the commissioning of the Hinemaiaia A hydroelectric power station south of the town. The town was connected to the national grid in 1958, coinciding with the commissioning of Wairakei geothermal power station north of the town. Today, Unison Networks owns and operates
900-458: The vandalism subsequently stopped. In December 2018 Taupō District Council reduced the speed limit on the main Tauhara Road from 70 km/h to 50 km/h, to protect the safety of the area's increasingly urban population. Tauhara had a population of 1,803 at the 2018 New Zealand census , an increase of 264 people (17.2%) since the 2013 census , and an increase of 225 people (14.3%) since
936-467: The vicinity. The volcanic Mount Tauhara lies six kilometres (4 mi) to the east. Somewhat to the northeast are significant hot springs. These springs contain extremophile micro-organisms that live in extremely hot environments. The small but growing satellite town of Kinloch , where there is a golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus , is 20 kilometres west along the lake. Taupō suburbs include: Taupō has an oceanic climate ( Cfb ). The town
972-506: The west to Centennial Park in the east and to Taupō Airport in the south. The Taupō urban area had an estimated population of 27,000 as of June 2024, with a population density of 642.09 people per km . It is the 26th-largest urban area in New Zealand, and the second-largest in the Waikato Region behind Hamilton . Before the 2023 census, the town had a larger boundary, covering 42.94 km (16.58 sq mi). Using that boundary,
1008-423: The western coast. Te Hata says that he found no inhabitants around Lake Taupō, but Grace claims that he saw houses of Ngāti Hotu . At any rate, he built a tūāhu altar at Pākā Bay on the east coast, ritually claiming ownership of the region. Tia named the altar Hikurangi and the place Taupō-nui-a-Tia ('the great cloak of Tia') because the cliffs or the waterfall there looked like his raincoat. This name
1044-567: Was 18.5, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 51.7% had no religion, 34.9% were Christian , 2.7% had Māori religious beliefs , 1.1% were Hindu , 0.2% were Muslim , 0.6% were Buddhist and 1.9% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 2,991 (15.8%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 3,510 (18.6%) people had no formal qualifications. 2,835 people (15.0%) earned over $ 70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15
1080-455: Was 9.5%, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people objected to giving their religion, 59.9% had no religion, 25.3% were Christian, 0.3% were Hindu, 0.7% were Buddhist and 6.8% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 84 (6.2%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 330 (24.3%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $ 26,400, compared with $ 31,800 nationally. The employment status of those at least 15
1116-621: Was also the location of the off-road motorcycle event FIM International Six Day Enduro . The International Mountain Bicycling Association has designated the mountain biking trails at Bike Taupō as a silver-level IMBA Ride Center. Ride Centers are the IMBA's strongest endorsement of a trail experience. Taupō is home to the Taupo Golf Club which has two courses: the Tauhara golf course and
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1152-520: Was an early Māori explorer of Aotearoa New Zealand and a rangatira (chief) in the Arawa tribal confederation. He is responsible for the names of various features and settlements around the central North Island , most notably Lake Taupō . He might have lived around 1400. Tia was born in Hawaiki to Tuamatua and Tauna. Together with his son, Tapuika , he travelled with Tama-te-kapua and Ngātoro-i-rangi on
1188-611: Was carved locally between 1927 and 1928, a moa skeleton and a caravan filled with local memorabilia from the late 1950s and early 1960s. There are also displays about volcanos and art galleries. Regular sporting events in Taupō include Ironman New Zealand , the Lake Taupō Cycle Challenge and the Great Lake Relay (established in 1995). The Lake Taupō Cycle Challenge has about 5,000 riders. The Oxfam Trailwalker has been held in Taupō several times. In 2006 Taupō
1224-558: Was later extended to the lake itself and to the township at its northeastern corner. Tia settled at Titiraupenga . After Tia had been dwelling in the region for a while, Ngātoro-i-rangi arrived from the north, climbed up Mount Tauhara and threw a spear or a tree from the mountain into the lake, then built his own tūāhu at Taharepa , and began moving down the east coast of the lake building further tūāhu at regular intervals. When he reached Pākā Bay he found Tia's tūāhu , but nevertheless built his own, intentionally using rotten flax for
1260-400: Was that 717 (52.8%) people were employed full-time, 225 (16.6%) were part-time, and 60 (4.4%) were unemployed. Tauhara Primary School is a Year 1–6 state primary school with a roll of 282. The school opened in 1959. Tauhara College is a state secondary school, with a roll of 675. The college opened in 1976. Lake Taupo Christian School is a Year 1–13 state integrated Christian school, with
1296-423: Was that 9,246 (48.9%) people were employed full-time, 3,003 (15.9%) were part-time, and 507 (2.7%) were unemployed. Taupō is a tourist centre, particularly in the summer, as it offers panoramic views over the lake and to the volcanic mountains of Tongariro National Park to the south. It offers a number of tourist activities including sky diving , jetboating , parasailing , and bungy jumping . Taupō services
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