Taupo

Nearby, the thermal area of the Craters of the Moon with their belching sulphurous steam vents offer an interesting experience, enhanced by the Wairakei Geothermal Centre and Volcanic Activity Centre, dedicated to explaining the powerful forces at work below the surface of the earth.

The exuberant Waikato River that exits the lake, heads for the Tasman Sea in series of spectacular waterfalls, which include impressive Huka Falls, among the most powerful in the country and definitely worthy of a visit.

But Taupo is far more than just about sightseeing. It is also very much an activity led destination, offering a number of water-sports as well as the more familiar adrenaline activities of tandem skydiving and bungy-jumping.