Four Days in Taupo

After settling into our vacation rental the previous evening, Mary Kay and I were ready to explore Taupo, our home for the rest of the week. In addition to exploring the town of Taupo, we visited nearby Otumuheke Stream and Huka Falls and we visited the town of Rotorua where we rafted down the Kaituna River, soaked at Polynesian Spa, and Experienced the Redwood Treewalk.

Exploring Taupo

We enjoyed breakfast at our vacation rental, which always included fresh fruit that my friend Rose gave us from her Feijoa and Tangelo trees. It was only about a 45 minute walk from our rental to the waterfront and far more enjoyable than driving. We passed beautiful gardens and flowers with views of Lake Taupo. Along the waterfront we watched daily contestants attempt the Hole In One Challenge. Anyone that succeeded at hitting a golfball into the hole won $10,000. We witnessed many attempts but no winners.

We sampled pastries, shopped for souvenirs and clothes, and dined at several restaurants including Pub n Grub, Dixie Browns, and the “World’s Coolest McDonalds”. The Taupo McDonalds not only has a Playland, it has a Plane! We upgraded ourselves to first class as we ate Honeycomb McFlurries aka Hokey Pokey ice cream. I had to try this New Zealand favorite but I don’t think it can compete with my chocolate favorites.

Soaking at Otumuheke Stream

From the Lake Taupo waterfront we walked about 50 minutes to Spa Park. It's a beautiful area where warm waterfalls from Otumuheke Stream meet the cool water of the Waikato River. The combination of stream and river water made the small pools directly beneath the waterfalls comfortably warm but nowhere close to being hot. In any case, they were much warmer than the Kaituna river that we rafted the following day!

Rafting Kaituna River

It was about an hour and a half drive from Taupo to Rotorua where we were scheduled for a 11:30 rafting trip. As soon as we arrived at Kaituna Cascades Rafting, we were given our gear and changed into wetsuits for our guided trip down the Class 5 rapids. It included Tutue Falls which is the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world.

Mary Kay and I were assigned to the same raft as a family from Canada. Our guide, Bal, immediately dubbed us Team USA and Team Canada. With our gear on and ready to go, Bal reviewed rafting basics and safety precausions in case we dump the raft. It was a little frightening but we felt that we were in good hands as we boarded the raft with two members of Team Canada in front, the  third member and Mary Kay in the second row and me, by myself, in the third row. Bal, our guide was in the back.

We cruised through the first rapids with no problem but the second one was the big one. As instructed, I turned sideways in the raft pressing my feet against one side and by back against the other, held on with both hands, ducked my head to my chest and closed my mouth and eyes. I remember the sensation of the raft being vertical with me sideways and ready to roll to the front, fully submerged in water. Then, just when I thought I couldn’t hold on any longer, our raft shot up out of the waterfall and righted itself. I opened my eyes and immediately checked to make sure the rest of Team USA, aka Mary Kay, was still in the raft. Yay! She was! But what happened to Team Canada? The men’s side of the team, aka Stewart, was hanging upside down out of the raft but clearly holding on for dear life. The look on Bal’s face was priceless as he contemplated the need to rescue Stewart. The look on Stewart’s wife’s face was shock and pain as Stewart had kicked her in the face during his tumble from the raft. She had a bloody noes but unsure whether it was actually broken. Somehow, perhaps out of fear and determination, Stewart bounced back into the raft without any help. Team Canada was the clear winner in this event… even compared to the last raft in our group which tipped and dumped everyone into the falls.

It wasn’t until after we got home and looked closely at all the photos that we fully understood what happened and how Team Canada ended up with a bloody nose. That’s also when we realized that while were were focused on paddling, our guide Bal was doing gymnastics on the back of the raft!

After our exhilarating ride down the chilly rapids, Mary Kay and I were ready to relax and warm up. Fortunately the Polynesian Spa was just down the street!

Soaking at Polynesian Spa

We pulled into the parking lot at the Polynesian Spa and ate a quick snack in the back of our car before enter the building. Our spa package was the Deluxe which included five pools at different temperatures plus a cold plunge. No children were allowed in that part of the spa so it was peaceful and relaxing… and as hot as our hearts desired!

Experiencing the Redwood Treewalk

We wanted to make the most of our 3 hour roundtrip to Rotorua so, after soaking at Polynesian Spa, Mary Kay and I toured the Redwood Treewalk. We arrived there around 5pm which seemed to be an ideal time. We had most of the trees and bridges to ourselves and could explore at our own pace. It was a beautiful and peaceful way to end our adventurous day in Rotorua.

Visiting Huka Falls

Unfortunately, the morning after our rafting trip, Mary Kay realized she must have injured her knee. Not seriously but enough to keep here from walking comfortably. So, after a slow morning of shopping and dining in Taupo, she relaxed on the beach while I hiked the 5 mile Huka Falls trail. The trail offers beautiful views of the Waikato River as it continues downstream from Otumuheke Stream to Huka Falls. I was bummed Mary Kay had to miss it.

You can view the Wheels Up for New Zealand 2026 trip page to see all my blog posts, photos, and Wanderlog info.