Sustainable stays in the Taupō region

The good news is there are plenty of ways to enjoy yourself, all while still looking after this place we love. And what’s also exciting is there are many accommodation providers who can ensure that not only is your stay extremely comfortable, but will also allow you to tread lightly while you’re in town.

Choose from these incredible places to rest your weary head after a day of adventures and sleep easy knowing you’re playing your part to protect and preserve our precious home.

• Whakaipo Lodge
• Puketui Forest Escape 
• Kawakawa Hut
• Baycrest Lodge 
• Lochview 
• Motutere Top Ten Domes 
• Totara Perch 
• Ruru Rest
• Te Tuhi Hut & Te Tuhi Dome
• The Telephone Exchange

Whakaipo Lodge

A stay at Whakaipo Lodge, nestled within gorgeous gardens filled with native birdsong, is always guaranteed to be an incredible time. What’s more, the lodge is Climate Positive/Carbon Negative - which means the day-to-day operations extract more emissions than they emit.

This has been achieved through a number of amazing initiatives that your hosts, Garth and Angie, would be more than happy to share with you. Experience a boutique, attentive and tailored service, where your stay includes welcome afternoon tea/espresso coffee, and evening glass of fine New Zealand wine or local, award-winning craft beer, canapes, a gourmet three-course breakfast, free Wi-Fi and free parking.

Puketui Forest Escape

For luxury that doesn’t come at a cost to the environment, check out the Puketui Forest Escape for a fully off-grid experience. Located just 12 minutes from Taupō and Kinloch, you’ll feel like you’re a world away from the hustle and bustle, tucked away in a private, native New Zealand forest.

There are two accommodation options, both with outdoor covered kitchens with all your cooking essentials. A sophisticated solar power system and modern and hygienic composting toilet allows for minimal impact. Enjoy a bath or shower in the open air, spend the evening by a crackling outdoor fire and prepare for the best sleep of your life.

Kawakawa Hut

If you want to spend a few nights at Kawakawa Hut, you’ll need to get in quick - it recently took out the top spot in ‘Best Nature Stay’ in New Zealand. And it’s not hard to see why. This simple getaway for couples is the very essence of a ‘sustainable stay’.

From the repurposed materials from which the hut is made to passive heating from its north-facing position, you can truly get away from it all here. The hut is off-grid and runs off batteries so USB charging is provided and mains powerpoints can be used through an inverter.

There’s no Wifi, but there is good cell phone coverage. Although, who needs WiFi when you’ve got views like you do at this place - Mt Ruapehu, sunsets, the stars and friendly cattle grazing in the paddock over the fence.

Baycrest Lodge

At Baycrest Lodge, you can drive up in your EV and enjoy free, onsite charging for the duration of your stay - making it easy to get to where you need to go next. Their location also allows them to make the most of natural underground geothermal springs.

Some rooms boast their own private outdoor tubs, which guests can fill and enjoy whenever they like. There’s also a large outdoor pool onsite, which is heated year-round.

Baycrest Lodge also has a number of other initiatives which are helping them to reduce their environmental footprint, from biodegradable toiletry and cleaning products, to separating green waste for composting and recycling all glass, plastics and paper.

Lochview

Lochview offers an amazing glamping experience with a spacious tent suitable for couples, groups of friends or families looking to relax and reconnect - all while soaking up the glorious views of Lake Taupō and sunsets over the rural countryside.

This peaceful location is just a short drive to the well-stocked convenience store in Kinloch. Taupō township is just 15 minutes away.

Fully powered, with a heat pump for the cooler months, here you can have an adventure all year round. There’s an outdoor wood-fired hot tub and a brazier for roasting marshmallows. Bliss.

Motutere Top Ten Domes

No where in Lake Taupō will you sleep closer to the water than the Motutere Top Ten lakefront glamping domes. Out the front of the dome, it’s literally a hop, step and a jump, and you’re in the lake!

Inside the dome is a cosy, comfortable living and bedroom studio with a king bed, couch, an electric fireplace, a TV, a bar fridge, and tea and coffee-making facilities.

This fantastic accommodation lets you get up close and personal with all the natural splendour of Taupō while you slow down to enjoy the simple things in life, such as beautiful sunsets and the waves lapping on the shoreline.

Totara Perch

Simple, sleek and accompanied by the most incredible views, Totara Perch is a glamping-style hut set on a tree-clad hillside amongst native forests. Prepare to be serenaded by birdsong all day long and well into the evening, and stargazing is a must while you’re here - highly recommended to do so while relaxing in the outdoor bath.

From board games, to books and the scenery, you can truly switch off from everyday life at Totara Perch. But if you’re an active relaxer, explore the surroundings. There’s much to see and do. You can check out the farm and visit friendly sheep and cattle, bring your bikes and ride 3km down to Kawakawa Bay. There’s also a natural rock climbing wall not far, as well as a canyon where glow worms reside.

Ruru Rest

A beautiful glamping experience only 15 minutes from Tūrangi, Ruru Rest is set on a 14-acre olive grove and bush block that seemingly ‘floats’ in amongst the treetops. There’s a covered outdoor kitchen and a cosy interior complete with a queen-sized bed and sofa. Here you’ll find everything you need, but nothing you don’t, as you simply enjoy your incredible vantage point over the Mt Rangitukia scenic reserve and down the Kuratau river valley. 

From this location you can set yourself up for any number of adventures, or even just choose to stay ‘off-grid’ for a few days. At the bottom of a short path to the river, you’ll find kayaks that you can take for a paddle, or it’s a picturesque 15-minute bush walk from the cabin down to Lake Taupō.

Te Tuhi Hut & Te Tuhi Dome

These two stays are nestled on the same property in Kinloch (15 minutes from Taupō) but on different parts of the block.

The Dome is a large ‘geodesic structure’ containing a gorgeous bedroom and lounging space. On one side of the dome is a kitchen building and on the other side is a luxurious outdoor bathroom space. Amazing views down to Lake Taupō are visible from every area.

The Hut consists of two rooms (bedroom and bathroom), with a sheltered outdoor kitchen and lounge in between. On one side of the kitchen area, is a luxurious bedroom with stunning views, right from the bed and on the other side is a semi-open-air bathroom - featuring a special bath on wheels which can be moved indoors or outdoors depending on the weather.

Te Tuhi Hut and Te Tuhi Dome were the vision of Emily and Joe Wilson who wanted to create a self-sufficient property for their family to connect with nature, grow their own food and live off the grid.

The Telephone Exchange

Just 25 minutes north of Taupō is The Telephone Exchange, set on Wolfhaar Farm and as the name suggests - the hut was originally a 1950s telephone exchange building. It has now been rescued and restored to its former glory, offering an off-grid glamping retreat for a truly unique experience.

Here you can step back into a time when life was slower and less complicated. An outdoor bath a short distance from the huts among the trees is elevated to look out over the idyllic views of the valley and the sunsets from the porch of the little hut are stunning.