The full name of this town of 25,000, "Taupo-nui-a-Tia", means "the great cloak of Tia". This came about because the great Maori explorer Tia thought that the lava cliffs surrounding the lake resembled his cloak. The shortened name, Taupo, means "cloak" in Maori. Lake Taupo, upon which the town resides, is the largest lake in New Zealand and is in fact a caldera of the extinct Taupo volcano. It's a lovely and active tourist town with many activities to be had, and it serves as a convenient central staging area for all sorts of attractions in the southern Waikato region of the North Island.

We came to Taupo from Christchurch after abandoning our original plans to visit Fiji and Australia. We chose the North Island because we figured it would be warmer in the midst of the New Zealand winter. We found it to be a beautiful area, with a lot of wonderful places to explore. Just wandering the shores of the lake was an eye-opening experience! Lake Taupo supplies water throughout the Waikato region, and all the way to Auckland; in the process, it feeds rivers, streams, and waterfalls, providing a wealth of beauty to beguile the eye!

Taupo is a serene lake, with a wealth of wildlife and plantlife all around its perimeter. It's the largest lake in New Zealand, and feeds the largest river in New Zealand: the Waikato.

The area is wildly popular, providing boating, skiing, swimming, paddling, and fishing activities. Walking paths around the lake offer stunning views of the shores.

Lake Taupo sits inside the caldera of the Taupo supervolcano.

The lake's serenity is belied by the knowledge of its fiery origins in the distance past.

In the distance, one can see the Tongariro range, with its three peaks -- Tongariro, Ruapehu, and Ngauruhoe. Ngauruhoe, the cone-shaped peak, was used by Peter Jackson as Mount Doom in the Lord of the Rings!

Lake Taupo's only outlet is the Waikato River, which exits through the Huka Falls, creating a series of waterfalls as it heads northwest. The Waikato River provides hydroelectric power for much of the North Island, as well as a third of the fresh water for the city of Auckland.

On the north shore of the lake, accessible only by boat, is a carving depicting the Maori guide who originally led the Maori to the Taupo area. The carving was made in the late 1970's by a local artist.

Walks along the shoreline provide multiple opportunities to enjoy the wildlife. The silver fern is a native plant that is used to represent New Zealand, and was heavily used by the Maori. One of its uses was to mark trails, since its light colored underside would shine even at night.

An unexpected treat inside this cave on the trail around Lake Taupo . . .

. . . Weta! These native New Zealand bugs are some of the biggest and heaviest insects in the world. Nocturnal by nature, they hang out in caves like this one during the day.

The Waikato region is known for its volcanic origins, and there is still a lot of geothermal activity throughout the area.

These shots are from the Craters of the Moon park, not far from Huka Falls.

The city of Taupo, on the northeast shore, is the largest town on the lake.

This town of 26,000 is a popular tourist area, attracting water enthusiasts as well as hikers interested in tramping the Tongariro.

We were fortunate enough to be there during the town's Winter Festival . . .

. . . taking place on (ahem) the Fourth of July!

We visited Napier, on Hawke's Bay, for a day and walked the Marine Parade, the main avenue along the waterfront. The city is famous for its art deco architecture and its statuary. Here an iconic statue to the trawlermen who braved the waters to bring fish to the town . . .

. . . and here, the Spirit of Napier, which commemorates the town's rebirth after a devastating 1931 earthquake.