The fun way to start your visit to Taupo is by leaping aboard the double-decker bus for the Discover Taupo Town Tour (tel. 0800/485-287 in NZ). The 1951 vintage bus will take you on a 20-minute spin around town (in summer only) for NZ$10 (US$7.10/£3.60) adults, NZ$5 (US$3.55/£1.80) children 2 to 15, or out to Huka Falls. There is a one-way fare so you can walk back to town on the Huka Falls Track. Tours depart every 2 hours between 10am and 4pm.

Paradise Tours (tel. 07/378-9955) has a range of half-day excursions to local attractions from NZ$85 (US$60/£31) adults, NZ$35 (US$25/£13) children 5-12, children under 5 free, plus full-day tours to Rotorua, Napier, and Waitomo. Their popular Taupo Sights tour includes a visit to the thermal wonders of Orakei Korako, Huka Falls, Honey Hive, Aratiatia Rapids, the marina, and the geothermal borefield. It's a good way to see the best of Taupo if you're short on time. Haka Trails (tel. 07/386-6665), offers a range of Maori excursions and experiences. For a unique evening, try the Marae Sleepover, which begins in the late afternoon. You'll sleep in the whare tipuna (ancestral house), visit thermal pools, and eat dinner and breakfast for around NZ$250 (US$178/£90) per person.