Waipahihi Botanical Reserve: Taupo Travel Guide (4.6★)

Up the hill from Lake Terrace

You turn off the lakeside road and climb residential streets. The houses thin out, and the reserve begins where Hyde Avenue meets Shepherd Road. You won’t find a ticket booth. You pay by donation, so you can walk straight in.

The garden is spread over a slope above Lake Taupō, so the paths go up and down rather than along the flat. Gaps in the planting give you views down to the water. On a clear day you can see the volcanic peaks of Tongariro National Park across the lake to the south.

What grows here

The reserve is best known for its flowering shrubs, which include a well-regarded collection of rhododendrons and azaleas. These are mixed in with native bush, and the plantings include rare flowers you won’t often see in a home garden. Expect:

• Rhododendron and azalea beds that peak in spring, roughly September to November
• Native trees and understorey along the bush trails
• Picnic tables placed along the walks
• A network of loop trails, so you can pick a short or long route

Outside spring there are fewer flowers, and the place feels more like a quiet bush walk with a view. That still suits a slow hour. You just won’t get the colour.

Walking it without rushing

The reserve doesn’t get much attention. Most visitors to Taupō head for Huka Falls or the lakefront, so you’ll often have long stretches of path to yourself. Plan on:

• One hour for a loop and a look at the lake
• Two hours if you bring lunch and stop at a picnic table
• Sturdy footwear, because the trails are on a slope and can be soft after rain

This is a garden, so hours can change with the season. Check the reserve’s current times before you drive up rather than assuming it’s open at dusk.

Donations, trails and garden manners

You decide the entry fee, and the donation box at the entrance is where you pay it. Carry a little cash for it. The box is how visitors support the upkeep, and an empty-handed walk-through is the usual mistake people make here.

A few habits keep the visit smooth:

• Stay on the marked trails. The rare plantings are easily trampled and some beds sit right beside the path.
• Leave the flowers on the shrubs. Picking blooms in spring is the quickest way to annoy anyone tending the garden.
• Take your picnic rubbish with you. Don’t count on finding bins along the trails.
• Check the signs at the gate for dog rules and any trail closures before you set off.

To make a half day of it, drive back down to Lake Terrace. The shoreline below Waipahihi has the warm patches of Taupō’s Hot Water Beach, and Taupō’s town centre is a few minutes north along the lake.