Omaio

31/07/2026

Another collection of interesting things to do in and around Taupō from Love Taupō

13/07/2026

12/07/2026

SECOND WEEK OF TAUPŌ WINTER FESTIVAL PROGRAMME

Click link below.

https://www.taupowinterfestival.co.nz/home?ss_source=sscampaigns&ss_campaign_id=6a4ef6f7b8c7b759247f272a&ss_email_id=6a540322aa117831be204d19&ss_campaign_name=What’s+on+this+week%3F+&ss_campaign_sent_date=2026-07-12T21%3A12%3A18Z

11/07/2026

08/07/2026

03/07/2026

THEMED STREET NAMES - A TAUPO THING #10

Between Crown Road and State Highway 1 there is a new industrial-commercial subdivision where the street names are related to the deciduous Ash tree.

Ashwood Ave, Claret Ash Drive, Raywood Crescent, and Aurea Place. Raywood is an alternative name for Claret Ash (Fraxinius angustifolia) so there are two connected streets named after the same tree.

Aurea means golden and the street name Aurea Place is a reference to the European or Golden Ash tree (Fraxinius excelsior 'Aurea'). The picture attached to this post is of a Golden Ash from the Leafland's of Palmerston North catalogue.

Although Taupō is inland and at an altitude above 400m it does not get severe enough frosts for deciduous trees to provide spectacular autumn colours like they do in Arrowtown. The lake, which rarely gets below 11 degrees in winter, is so large it provides a moderating influence on the local climate.

However, deciduous trees can still provide good shade in summer and good colour in spring when they develop their new leaves.

03/07/2026

02/07/2026

PUBLIC ART - A TAUPŌ THING #1 - GRAFFIATO

There are over 80 displays of public art in and around Taupō. Over 30 of these are murals painted on the walls of buildings in the CBD.

The streets in the business district are very wide. Most are able to cater for vehicles angle parked on both sides of the road. In addition to the main streets there is a network of lanes criss-crossing them. They are used by service vehicles and to access parking places behind shops but are principally used by pedestrians getting between the main streets.

Graffiti on the walls in these service lanes could be a council and building owners' curse. The Taupō solution is to encourage wall artist to come and display their skills and creativity.

Every Labour Week-end at the end of October Taupō hosts the Graffiato street art festival. A selection of wall artists from New Zealand and overseas are invited to come and create works of art. The only requirement is that what they produce should contribute to the positivity of the environment.

There is a walking tour map of 32 of the works. See the webpage www.TaupoStreetArt.com for the link to the map. Click on the picture in this post to get to this website.

Plenty of cafe's to sat top along the way of the walk. Several have outdoor seating areas that take great advantage of the width of the streets. Remember your suntan lotion and hat.

Omaio, in Acacia Bay, with its six bedrooms, four bathrooms, spa, indoor heated pool, home theatre, large kitchen is a great base for a short break exploring Taupō's public art.

In addition to looking at the art you can go thermal bathing, skiing, dine out, shop, play golf, hike or mountain bike.

From $1,080 plus GST per night for 10 guests. Sleeps up to 14 people. Extra guests above 10 from $80 plus GST per night each. From $100 plus GST per head for a full house!

For enquiries about the house and the best deals call MyStays 07 376-7163 or e-mail [email protected].

Taupō transforms every Labour Weekend into a living canvas during Graffiato, New Zealand's premier street art festival. With a backdrop of the lake and ...