Napier to Taupo — Thermal Explorer HighwaySH5.
Distance
155 km
Duration
1 day
Climb
800 m
Napier to Taupo — Thermal Explorer Highway SH5.
The Thermal Explorer Highway links New Zealand's Art Deco capital on the Pacific coast to the volcanic heart of the North Island. SH5 climbs from Hawke's Bay wine country over a forested range and across the volcanic plateau — a dramatic landscape transition in just 155km. The route ends at Lake Taupo, the crater of a supervolcano whose 232 CE eruption was the most powerful in 5,000 years, now a freshwater lake larger than Singapore, with the snow-capped Tongariro cones framing the southern horizon.
Quick facts
SurfacePaved
Distance155 km
Days1
Total climb800 m
DifficultyEasy
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The route.
NapierStart · Start in Napier — rebuilt entirely after the 1931 earthquake that killed 256 people, resulting in the world's most complete Art Deco cityscape. A morning stroll down Emerson Street is worthwhile. Fill up on the SH5 edge of town before climbing into the Hawke's Bay hills.
Wairakei Geothermal — Craters of the MoonScenic Point · The Wairakei Thermal Valley 8km north of Taupo is one of New Zealand's most active geothermal areas. Craters of the Moon — a free-entry boardwalk through steaming vents, boiling mud pools, and sulphur craters — sits directly above the field. The Wairakei Power Station nearby has generated electricity since 1958 and is one of the world's oldest geothermal plants.
TaupoEnd · End in Taupo on the shore of the supervolcanic lake. At 616km2 Lake Taupo is larger than Singapore, formed by the most powerful eruption in 5,000 years (232 CE). Rainbow trout — the local speciality — is best tried smoked at a lakefront cafe. The snow-capped Tongariro cones frame the southern horizon on clear days.
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