The lake at Taupō is so big and so calm on a still morning that it is hard to believe what it actually is: the flooded crater of one of the most violent volcanoes on the planet. Around 25,500 years ago, the Oruanui eruption blew out an enormous volume of rock and ash, and the collapse formed much of the basin the lake now fills. Then, roughly 1,800 years ago, the Hatepe eruption sent ash and pumice across the North Island and, according to some accounts, coloured sunsets as far away as Rome and China. Lake Taupō, the largest lake in New Zealand, sits in that scar.
The town of Taupō lies on the north-eastern shore, at the point where the Waikato River leaves the lake, and it is a popular resort, with motels, cafés and restaurants lining the lakefront. A few minutes north, the river is squeezed through a narrow rock channel at Huka Falls, where the water roars through in a torrent of startling blue. Nearby, the Craters of the Moon geothermal field steams and bubbles, a reminder that the volcano is only sleeping.
On a clear day, the view across the lake is unforgettable: the three volcanoes of Tongariro National Park, Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro, stand on the southern horizon, often snow-capped. The road south along the eastern shore of the lake to Tūrangi is a pleasure to ride, with views across the water, and beyond it the Desert Road climbs onto the high, barren Rangipo Desert, sometimes closed by snow in winter.
Taupō is a good place to rest, eat and enjoy the lake. There is fuel, food and accommodation in plenty, and if the weather is warm you can swim in the lake or in the hot streams near the river. The lake is also famous for trout fishing. The weather on the volcanic plateau can be changeable, with cold winds and sudden rain, even in summer, so be prepared. In winter, frost and ice can make early morning riding hazardous.