Taupo District Council Venues
Great Lake Centre
Designed to meet the requirements of any event organiser, the Great Lake Centre offers exceptional support for Taupo events including equipment hire, ticketing, event personnel and free parking. The Great Lake Centre caters for indoor events, expos, event registrations, event prizegivings, conferences, trade shows, seminars, concerts and festivals. Find out more about the Great Lake Centre here.
Tongariro North Domain
With over 2.5 hectares of green space, the parkland adjacent to the Great Lake Centre hosts many large festivals, sporting events, outdoor exhibitions and open-air performances. There is a power supply available on the domain as well as an accessible water supply.
Riverside Park & Amphitheatre
Located in the centre of Taupo’s town centre, adjacent to Tongariro North Domain, lies Riverside Park. This natural amphitheatre is on the banks of the Waikato River – a picturesque setting, with large mature trees. The grassed amphitheatre provides seating for approximately 14,000 people and hosts a variety of large-scale outdoor concerts, festivals and events each summer.
Taupo Events Centre
Taupo Events Centre offers a generous sports stadium, versatile function room, clubroom, indoor rock climbing wall and Fitness Studio. It is a versatile and quality venue that can be easily transformed to meet your requirements. It plays host to large festivals, events and ceremonies, expos, shows, gala and banquet dinners.
- Four large separate Changing Rooms capable of each holding a team of 15 (double as dressing rooms and toilets)
- Retractable bleacher seating capable of 432 people seating each side of the stadium
- Clubrooms complete with adjoining kitchen and toilets (also can double as backstage concert dressing room and toilets).
AC Baths Swimming Complex
AC Baths is a Taupo Events Centre and an ideal place to visit in any weather. It provides great training and recovery facilities. Located just minutes from the Taupo town centre, there is ample free parking which can easily accommodate team buses.
- Indoor 25m Training Pool
This is a national standard short course 25m pool, which is reputed as being a fast lane pool. Alongside are large changing rooms and bleacher seating to hold approx. 400 people as well as an aquatic club room and a control room for swim meets.
- Outdoor 25m Training Pool
This is an ideal pool for training, aqua walking or jogging, even kayak instruction, the outdoor swimming pool is perfect in all weather.
- Sauna
There is no better way to relax tired muscles or release built up lactic acid. Located within the indoor leisure pool area the sauna is available for adults.
- Private Mineral Hot Pools
Perfect for warming and loosening over worked muscles after an intensive training session or day of competition.
Find out more about the AC Baths here.
Owen Delany Park
Owen Delany Park covers 11 hectares and accommodates rugby, cricket, league, athletics, netball, cycling, archery and dog training facilities as well as hosting other sport and recreational activities.
Owen Delany Park offers:
- a floodlit international size playing field with stadium
- two corporate lounges - upstairs/downstairs
- five full size playing fields (120m x 70m)
- a velodrome
- access to full club facilities onsite.
- 8 changing rooms, showers and physio and/or officials rooms
- 10 netball courts
- 1km from Taupo Events Centre and AC Baths
- Ample parking both inside and outside the grounds gates
- Power: two transformers to accommodate large crowds at the stadium, on the second tier levels as well as car parks.
Whether you are planning a sports event, recreational event or require a quality training, team-building or function venue, Owen Delany Park can cater for all of your requirements.
Find out more about Owen Delany Park here.
Hickling Park
Home to Taupo District's artificial hockey turf and 2 fields for rugby league in winter or 4 fields for touch rugby in summer, Hickling Park covers 2.5 hectares. It has floodlighting, full freshwater access, changing rooms and power facilities on site. Hickling Park has played host to international games such as New Zealand vs Malaysia.
Taupo Skate Park
Home to Taupo Skate Club, this Chad Ford designed facility is 55m long and 29m at its widest point. It provides a total of 1,286 square metres of concrete surface for skateboarders and scooters!
Spa Park
The venue for mountain biking, triathlon and off-road events plus the start/finish of the Huka Falls Spa Park Walk.
Pump Track
Venue of the NZ Pump Track National Championships.
Crown Park
This is a 10.3 hectare Taupo sports park that includes 10 football fields, flood lighting, power access, changing rooms, meeting facilities and water access for drinking and irrigation.
Find out more about these Taupo District Council venues here.
Other Great Lake Taupo Venues
Taupo International Motorsport Park and Events Centre
Taupo International Motorsport Park and Events Centre has four race track configurations consisting of 1.3km, 2.2km, 3.3km and 3.4km. There are two separate pit/paddock areas and two separate start/finish locations, allowing for simultaneous use of two tracks (Track 2 and Track 3).
The motor racing circuit has various licences depending on which track configuration is being used, ranging from FIA Grade 2 Motorsport Licence and International Motorcycling Safety Standards to National Grade 1 and Grade 2 Motorsport Licence.
The park features a three-storey pit lane complex with 32 pit garages, 8 first floor corporate suites and a race control/corporate/catering complex. The full circuit has permanent spectator capacity of 10,000 general admission with on-site parking for up to 4,000 cars.
The Drag Strip has been designed to NZDRA standards with spectator viewing for up to 5,000. Find out more about Taupo International Motorsport Park and Events Centre here.
Taupo Rodeo Club
Home of the annual Taupo Rodeo held every summer. Find out more about Taupo Rodeo Club here.
Taupo Horse Race Course
Taupo Racing Club is located just ten minutes from Taupo town centre at Centennial Park on Centennial Drive. With Taupo's uniquely free draining pumice soil it makes the track a favourite for racehorse trainers from all over the North Island. Find out more about Taupo Race Course.
Taupo BMX Track
Home to the Taupo BMX Club. The ground has a custom built BMX racing track and jumps. Find out more about Taupo BMX Club here.
National Equestrian Centre
Sited on a 36.422 hectare block just north of Taupo, the National Equestrian Centre hosts many national events every year. With purpose built facilities, it serves as an excellent base for any equestrian event. Find out more about the National Equestrian Centre here.
Natural Event Venues
Lake Taupo
Lake Taupo is a freshwater lake that lies in the caldera created by a super volcanic eruption and is the largest lake in New Zealand. The 616 square kilometres of lake provide a monster playground for water sports of every kind. Find out more about Lake Taupo here.
Tongariro National Park
Established in 1887, Tongariro was the first national park in New Zealand and the fourth in the world. It is also a dual World Heritage area, a status which recognises the park’s important Maori cultural and spiritual associations as well as its outstanding volcanic features – a challenging setting for adventure events. Find out more about Tongariro National Park here.
Kaimanawa Forest Park
Dominated by the Kaimanawa mountain ranges, the Kaimanawa Forest Park encompasses a vast (77,348 hectares) largely unmodified expanse of native forest, shrub lands and tussock grasslands. It was gazetted in 1969 and is managed to protect and conserve soil and water, native vegetation, wildlife and scenic values.
Pureora Forest Park
Pureora Forest Park contains many kilometres of roads and tracks suitable for mountain biking. Mountain bikers are welcome to explore all the formed roads and tracks within Pureora Forest Park, wherever old cut earth or ‘bladed’ lines are found. A range of easy and technical rides are ready to be discovered. Some tracks are circular while others return by the same route. Find out more about Pureora Forest Park.
Tongariro River
The Tongariro is classed as one of the best trout fishing rivers in the world and part of its charm lies in its accessibility. New Zealand’s State Highway 1 follows the river for a number of kilometres, providing anglers with easy access to the numerous pools and rapids. Find out more about the Tongariro River.
Waikato River
The Waikato's free flowing and dammed hydro lakes are perfect for waka ama, rowing, wakeboarding, kayaking and waterskiing. The whitewater sections are renowned among kayaking enthusiasts specifically the Fuljames Rapids north of Taupo. Find out more about the Waikato River.
Great Lake Trail
The Great Lake Trail is a 71km mountain biking and walking journey that will take you deep into the native bush surrounding the beautiful Lake Taupo. Find out more about the Great Lake Trail.
Craters Mountain Bike Park
There are trails to suit all levels of ability in the this mountain bike park. It is located in Wairakei Forest, just 5km north of Taupo. Find out more about Craters Mountain Bike Park.
Waikato River Trails
The Waikato River Trails are a 103km series of connected river cycling trails from Atiamuri to Pokaiwhenua Carpark. Ride a section or the whole trail – your choice. Find out more about the Waikato River Trails.