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Lake Taupo
Lake Taupo
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Lake Taupo is a lake in the North Island of New Zealand. It is in
the caldera of the Taupo Volcano. With a surface area of 616 square
kilometres (238 sq mi), it is the largest lake by surface area in
New Zealand, and the second largest freshwater lake by surface area
in geopolitical Oceania after Lake Murray (Papua New Guinea).
Motutaiko Island lies in the south east area of the lake.
Lake Taupo has a perimeter of approximately 193 kilometres and a
deepest point of 186 metres. It is drained by the Waikato River (New
Zealand's longest river), and its main tributaries are the
Waitahanui River, the Tongariro River, and the Tauranga Taupo River.
It is a noted trout fishery with stocks of introduced brown and
rainbow trout. |
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On the north west side of Lake Taupo on the cliffs of Mine Bay,
there are Māori rock carvings created in the late 1970s by Matahi
Whakataka-Brightwell and John Randall. Carved in likeness of
Ngatoroirangi, a navigator who guided the Tuwharetoa and Te Arawa
tribes to the Taupo area over a thousand years ago according to
Māori legend.
The 10-metre-high carving is intended to protect Lake Taupo from
volcanic activities underneath. The cliff has become a popular
tourist destination with hundreds of boats and yachts visiting the
spot yearly.
Lake Taupo is a taonga (treasure or something special to the person)
of Ngati Tuwharetoa from the Te Arawa waka. Ngati Tuwharetoa still
own the bed of the lake and its tributaries. They grant the public
free access for recreational use.
The lake area has a temperate climate. Daily maximum temperatures
recorded for Taupo range from an average of 23.3 °C in January and
February to 11.2 °C in July, while the nighttime minimum
temperatures range from 11.6 °C in February down to 2.2 °C in July.
Rain falls in all seasons but is greatest in winter and spring, from
June to December.
Taupo hosts the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge, a cycling tour around
the lake which can take anywhere between four and ten hours.
Hundreds of volunteers from the Taupo township are involved in the
event. Skydiving is a popular local sport and tourist attraction.
Taupo also hosts the Kellogg's Ironman event.
Tourism is a major component of Taupo's commercial sector,
and the city attracts over 2 million visitors annually.
The busiest time for the industry is the high summer season
around Christmas and New Year.
Getting
There
This tourist attraction
is well serviced by public transport including taxis, buses and
shuttle.
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