NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather forecasts

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
    • Cooking the Books
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Travel

Taupo: World class fun

By Nicola Whitham and Tim Roest
Herald on Sunday·
18 Sep, 2011 12:00 AM6 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

For a rush of adrenaline take to the water on a Huka Falls Jet. Photo / Rotorua Daily Post

For a rush of adrenaline take to the water on a Huka Falls Jet. Photo / Rotorua Daily Post

A ski weekend in Taupo opens up a world of adventure, as Nicola Whitham and Tim Roest discovered.

With fresh snow on the mountains and a weekend forecast of cloudless skies we set off, not for National Park or Ohakune, but to try out a ski package at the Hilton Lake Taupo.

Sitting prominently above the lake to take advantage of expansive views, the Hilton is a hotel of two parts. One is the gorgeous Heritage Wing, originally the iconic Terraces Hotel dating back to 1889. It blends Victorian elegance with contemporary style and comfort. The new Mountain Wing features a range of room types from luxurious guest rooms to impressive, self-contained apartments and a grand presidential suite. The Cellar Ballroom and cocktail bar, spacious function areas and the hotel's flagship restaurant, Bistro Lago, unite the two wings, as if, like the legend of Tongariro and Pihanga, they were always meant to be together.

We were escorted to our lavish king apartment in the Mountain Wing where we would stay for the next three days. We felt like royalty. The main room stretched from a kitchen-dining area through to a lounge framed by floor to ceiling sliding glass doors that opened up to a private balcony. We sat in the cool evening air taking in panoramic views over the lake to the mountains.

Before dinner at Bistro Lago, we met Edward the cocktail-making genius in the hotel bar. We gave him a few ideas and then let him loose to create a cocktail for each of us. He didn't disappoint, and we sipped his concoctions before a roaring fire, in the cosiness of a big leather couch.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Bistro Lago's executive chef is Simon Gault, most recently seen as a judge on the TV series MasterChef. We began with ciabatta with truffle and mushroom mascarpone, extra virgin olive oil and Pukara caramelised balsamic. I had to restrain myself from eating the last smudge of mascarpone with my fingers. We moved on to Seared Atlantic sea scallops with green pea custard and Pernod nage, followed by wood roasted Akaroa salmon with olive oil, saffron potatoes, tomato and cardamom fondue. Tim had the steak tartare with tempura, Barolo olive, crispy sage and toasted ciabatta bread, followed by the lamb rack with goats cheese creamed potatoes, tomatoes, olives and wood roasted garlic.

My scallops were outstanding, a melt in your mouth delicacy. We sampled each other's dishes to ensure we missed no part of the experience. With perfectly matched wines it was an opulent affair.

By 7.30am the next day we were on our way to Mt Ruapehu in a shuttle arranged by the hotel. Our cheerful Scottish driver, "Scotty", passed the hour-long journey sharing his extensive knowledge of the region, from the massive volcanic explosion that created Lake Taupo - to the Kaimanawa horses and local Maori legends. A master of organisation, six years of shuttling forgetful guests up the mountain means that if you arrive in jeans and T-shirt, he can see you through gear rentals and on to the chairlift.

Kitted up, we made our way to the new Knoll Ridge chalet, positioned almost at the top of the slopes on the Whakapapa side of the mountain. We were rewarded with stunning views stretching down into the vanishing distance. The new chalet is a triumph and worthy of the climb, even for those not wanting to ski their way back down.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The ski fields were understandably busy, with the long-awaited dumping of snow still fresh on the slopes. Whakapapa saw a 15-year record in visitor numbers the day before.

As skiing novices, we weren't sure how best to spend our day, but our decision to get a few lessons at the beginning turned out to be a master stroke. Our Slovakian instructor was world class and quickly (and painlessly) had us feeling confident and enjoying the experience. I continued to practice on the baby slopes while Tim tested himself on more challenging runs.

Back at the Hilton, we took advantage of the bubbling outdoor spa, where we unwound after our skiing workout and watched the sunset on another picture perfect day.

Sunny Monday afternoon rolled around and we headed off to take on the thrilling Formula Challenge at the Taupo racecourse, where you get to drive a single-seater racecar. The challenge caters to all levels of experience - from first timers to professionals. As well as Formula challenge single seaters you can also choose from V8 Fords and Holdens. We gave the single seaters a spin and were taken to the pits to be suited up in race suits, boots, helmets, and gloves, lowered into a car and directed to the track. It was an adrenalin-pumping experience, yet we felt safe the whole time thanks to calm and careful instructors.

Discover more

Travel

Taupo: Natural selection

02 May 12:00 AM
Travel

Taupo: Laid back by the lakeside

05 Nov 04:30 PM
Travel

Hamilton: A city of foodie surprises

17 Sep 05:30 PM
Travel

New Plymouth: Down in the 'Naki

23 Sep 05:30 PM

On our final day in Taupo we reluctantly checked out of the Hilton, and sought solace at the acclaimed Scenic Cellars. You can come here to sample and buy their wide range of wine, but their coffee and snacks were equally welcome first thing in the morning.

We couldn't leave without getting out on the lake, so the good guys from Chris Jolly Outdoors took us on a boat cruise to Mine Bay where we could view Maori carvings in the rock faces, standing more than 10 metres high and only accessible from the water. It was a great way to round off our trip, and as the skipper shared his knowledge of local history, it seemed fitting to reflect on everything that has lead to Taupo to becoming such a world-class destination.

Thrills and laughs

The Huka Falls Jet is a remarkable example of a Kiwi attraction blending stunning natural scenery with outstanding local engineering, and a generous portion of Kiwi ingenuity and charm.

Our driver, Steve, was quite a character; he took every opportunity during his knowledgeable commentary to make droll jokes. This confidence and his expertise in handling the powerful New Zealand-made jet boat engine had us feeling reassured despite the fact we are speeding along at 80km/h, winding through shallows, narrowly missing sitting swans and skimming under low-hanging branches.

Steve's waving hand signalled upcoming 360s - we braced ourselves and clung to the heated handrails as the boat spun almost out of control yet somehow missed riverbanks and sheer rock faces. As the boat bounced off the riverbed below a wave of icy water sprayed us.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The thrill didn't end when we reached the awe-inspiring Huka Falls - they're a breath-taking backdrop for an exhilarating experience. Pulling in scarily close to the roaring falls, you could feel the spray as the water plunged into the pool.

Travellers' tips:

Where to stay:

Hilton Lake Taupo, ph (07) 378 7080

What to do:

Mt Ruapehu

Formula Challenge, ph (07) 377 0338

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Chris Jolly Outdoors, ph (07) 378 0623

Huka Falls Jet, 0800 HUKA JET 0800 4852 538

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Travel

Travel news

Watch: Kiwi paraglider's 200km flight over India goes viral

25 May 05:00 PM
Travel

Why this 'romantic' NZ town is perfect for families

24 May 08:00 PM
Travel

Visiting India? Make sure you know these 10 things

24 May 07:00 PM

One pass, ten snowy adventures

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Travel

Watch: Kiwi paraglider's 200km flight over India goes viral

Watch: Kiwi paraglider's 200km flight over India goes viral

25 May 05:00 PM

Benjamin Kellett soared over the Indian Himalayas for 6.5 hours, gaining viral attention.

Why this 'romantic' NZ town is perfect for families

Why this 'romantic' NZ town is perfect for families

24 May 08:00 PM
Visiting India? Make sure you know these 10 things

Visiting India? Make sure you know these 10 things

24 May 07:00 PM
Fiji's most luxe resort club might be more obtainable than you think

Fiji's most luxe resort club might be more obtainable than you think

23 May 06:00 PM
Your Fiordland experience, levelled up
sponsored

Your Fiordland experience, levelled up

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search