The Budget & Backpacking Guide to Taupō

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Free Activities in Taupō

With the most visited natural attraction in New Zealand being located in Taupō, the town sets the right tone for free things to do.

We’re talking about Huka Falls – just one of a few amazing free attractions found along the mighty Waikato River. These tumultuous rapids are a must-see, accessed just off Huka Falls Road or along the River Side Trail (2 hours return) starting from Spa Park.

We might suggest the latter so that you can take a dip in the free natural hot springs of Otumuheke Stream, which is complete with changing rooms and a pop-up cafe.

For more information on getting to these places via the walking trails, check out the 10 Best Walks in Taupō.

Mix up some of your walks to natural sights with some foodie experiences that you can enjoy for free. For instance, have you tried New Zealand’s famous manuka honey yet? Go down to the Huka Honey Hive in the Wairakei Tourist Park to taste all kinds of manuka and bush honey, as well as honey mead.

There are also honeybee displays so you can watch the little buzzies in action, while their honey tours are quite affordable.

And if you have more time to spare, head to the Aratiatia Rapids for more tumultuous fun. Located just off State Highway 5, the Aratiatia Dam is released every 10 am, 12 pm, 2 pm in winter and 10 am, 12 pm, 2 pm and 4 pm in summer. This makes for an epic display of rapids charging down the Waikato River.

For more free activities, head over to 15 Free & Cheap Things to Do in Taupō.

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Cheap Activities in Taupō

And for an activity that has an admission fee but is still affordable, you might want to check out Taupō’s cheapest geothermal park, the Craters of the Moon. Venture on the boardwalks with steam billowing below your feet as you explore a geothermal cratered valley.

The main loop takes about 40 minutes to walk, while a side loop to a lookout is an added 20 minutes. The attraction costs NZ$10 per adult.

Typically costing around NZ$40 for a half-day rental and NZ$60 for a full day, mountain biking and cycling Taupō’s bike trails are an affordable way to explore while experiencing adventure.

Ride along the Waikato River to see the attractions mentioned above, cycle on the smooth surface of the Lion’s Walk on the lakefront, and much more!

Check out the 10 Awesome Bike Trails Around Lake Taupō to compare your options. Note – you can get cheaper bike rentals from hostels like Taupō Urban Retreat.

Finally, for a fun and slightly silly thing to do in Taupō, try out the Hole in One Challenge on the lakefront.

The Lake Taupō Hole in One is a driving range on the lakefront itself, where the challenge is to pot a hole-in-one on a floating platform on the lake. If you win, you get a NZ$10,000 prize! If not, well, it only costs NZ$1 per ball or NZ$15 for 18 balls.

© Krystle Rakatau - Destination Great Lake Taupō (www.lovetaupo.com)

Cheap Eats in Taupō

You don’t need to break the bank to eat well in Taupō. For hearty Kiwi-Chinese takeaway, Double Happy Takeaways (Rifle Range Road) is a local favourite with combo meals like fish and chips, battered mussels, dumplings, or burgers for under NZ$10.

Pie fans should head to Paetiki Bakery Café (Spa Road), where steak, butter chicken, or sausage-roll pies are served hot from the cabinet, all under NZ$10.

For sushi on the go, Suncourt Sushi (Tamamutu Street) has NZ$5 packs, while The Fish Box (Rainbow Drive) is still the go-to for classic fish and chips by the lake for just NZ$10.

Fast food lovers will find plenty of budget bites on Roberts Street, including Domino’s Mini Value Pizza with Choc Lava Cake for NZ$7.99, BurgerFuel burgers from NZ$7.70, or the “Coolest McDonald’s in the World” inside a DC3 plane.

For something more filling, Prime Roast (Gascoigne Street) does a roast chicken with potatoes for NZ$12, and Pauly’s Diner (Paora Hapi Street) serves monster gourmet burgers starting at NZ$12.

Get more recommendations in our Cheap Eats in Taupō.