Action packed Spring School Holidays in Taupō District
There's heaps going on these Spring School Holidays to keep the kids (and adults) entertained.
Check out the rugby action at OD Park
- Owen Delany Park, Taupō
- Thursday 18 to Sunday 21 September
NZ Junior Rugby Festival is back! This annual competition gives junior rugby players the opportunity to participate against clubs from around the country and the world, while creating lifelong memories with their mates on tour.
Everyone is welcome to come down, watch the rugby, and look out for future All Blacks!
Find out more at https://www.globalgames.co.nz/events-1/nz-junior-r...
Gypsy Fair
- Tongariro North Domain, Taupō
- Saturday 20 & Sunday 21 September
Get ready for a fun-filled weekend at the Taupō Gypsy Fair! Live music, rides, food, and a unique glimpse into the gypsy lifestyle. Entry is free and the vibes are priceless.
Find out more at www.facebook.com/thegypsyfairnewzealand
Taste of Taupō Market Central Takeover
- Market Central, Riverside Park
- Sunday 21 September 9am - 1pm
Bring your foodies along to discover some incredible new flavours at the Market Central Taste of Taupō takeover.
Find one of the 20 golden tickets hidden in stalls around the market and you could win:
- Free or discounted tickets to other Treats of Taupō events
- A free recipe book featuring local chefs
- Food & drink goodies redeemable in Taupō’s best bars, cafes, and eateries
...and a few delightful surprises.
Find out about this and other Taste of Taupō events at https://www.treat.nz/
Mangakino Lake Hop
- Saturday 27 September 2025
- Mangakino Lakefront Reserve
Got a budding car enthusiast? This is for you! Get to Mangakino for the Lake Hop to see heaps of vehicles, demonstrations, race boats and live music.
Find out more www.lakehop.co.nz
Pop Up Cinema
- Sunday 5 October
- Great Lake Centre, Taupō
Pop up cinema is back! There are not one but two family friendly movies to choose from - Lilo and Stitch at 10am and How to Train Your Dragon at 12.30pm. Find out more at www.popupcinema.co.nz
Taupō District Libraries & Taupō Museum School Holiday activities
- Open 7 days, varied hours
- Taupō, Tūrangi and Mangakino
Enjoy free activities every weekday during the break – whether you’re into crafts, scavenger hunts, acting in improv games, storytime book reading or joining a puppet adventure, the Taupō District Libraries and Taupō Museum are the places to be!
Find the timetables here. It’s a great chance to check out the new kids’ section at Mangakino Library too!
Taupō Roller Skating Disco
- Taupō Events Centre
- 12pm – 2pm, Monday 22, Saturday 27, Monday 29 September & Friday 3 October
Skatescool offer roller skating lessons for kids and adults, as well as public roller discos in Taupō. Basic instruction and tips, disco music, lights, fog machine and limbo competitions are all part of the fun!
Find out more at https://skatescooltauranga.co.nz/
McCartney Football Tournament
- Crown Park, Taupō
- Friday 3 to Sunday 5 October
The football fans aren’t being left out either! Get out and support the kids taking part in the competition at Taupō’s Crown Park. The tournament caters for Grades 9 through to 15, with both girls and boys teams.
https://mccartneytournament.co.nz/
Get the kids climbing up the walls at Taupō Rockwall
- Taupō Events Centre
- Varied hours
Spring holidays can make for some interesting weather. Luckily we have the ultimate all-weather activity in the Taupō Rockwall. Standing 12 metres high the indoor climbing wall is a fun and challenging activity you'll want to do over and over again! Our friendly, qualified instructors are on hand at all times to help you get started and offer assistance during your visit.
Find out more at https://www.taupo.govt.nz/rockwall
Manus at AC Baths / Turtle Pools
- Open 7 days, varied hours
- Taupō & Tūrangi
How lucky are we to have two awesome heated pools in our rohe?
Check out the Turtle Pools' aquatic climbing wall towering about 3.5 metres above the water as well as a bombing pool where you can practice some mean manus.
The AC Baths have a large outdoor leisure pool, lane pools, hydroslides, Tarzan swing, private thermal mineral pools and even an on-site café for hungry tummies.
Find out more at www.taupo.govt.nz/acbaths and http://taupo.govt.nz/turtlepools
Ride the bus for free!
- Monday 22 September to Sunday 5 October
- Taupō Connector bus route
Thanks to our friends at BUSIT, families can ride the bus for free during the school holidays. Simply download the pass and hop on.
Visit https://www.busit.co.nz/travelling-with-us/freefamilypass to find out more.
Playgrounds
- All across the rohe
- Anytime is good!
With over 60 super playgrounds to choose from, you are spoiled for choice in the Taupō District. Why not check out the upgrades to the Mere Road Reserve Playground or Lakewood Reserve in Taupō? Or the brand-spanking new papa tākaro (playground) in Tūrangi’s Te Kapua Park which was built in partnership with Ngāti Tūrangitukua.
Get the kids to help you vote!
- Anytime before 12 noon on 11 October
The Mayor and councillors make important decisions that will affect your daily life but also the future of the Taupō District for your kids. Why not have a yarn with them about what they think is important, and who they think would best represent them. You can also vote on whether to keep or remove the Māori ward,
Then the kids can have the ultimate fun job of popping the envelope in one of the big orange ballot bins around the district – including Dropzone, the AC Baths, Taupō District Libraries and Market Central. Find out more at www.taupo.govt.nz/vote25
