Lake Taupo
Location	Taupo District, Waikato Region, North Island
Coordinates	38°49′S 175°55′E / 38.817°S 175.917°E / -38.817; 175.917Coordinates: 38°49′S 175°55′E / 38.817°S 175.917°E / -38.817; 175.917
Lake type	crater lake, oligotrophic
Primary inflows	Waitahanui River, Tongariro River, Tauranga Taupo River
Primary outflows	Waikato River
Catchment area	3,487 km2 (1,346 sq mi)
Basin countries	New Zealand
Max. length	46 km (29 mi)
Max. width	33 km (21 mi)
Surface area	616 km2 (238 sq mi)
Average depth	110 m (360 ft)
Max. depth	186 m (610 ft)
Water volume	59 km3 (14 cu mi)
Residence time	10.5 years
Shore length1	193 km (120 mi)
Surface elevation	356 m (1,168 ft)
Islands	Motutaiko Island (11 ha)[1][2]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Lake Taupo is a lake situated in the North Island of New Zealand. With a surface area of 616 square kilometres (238 sq mi), it is the largest lake by surface area in New Zealand, and the second largest freshwater lake by surface area in geopolitical Oceania after Lake Murray (Papua New Guinea).

Lake Taupo has a perimeter of approximately 193 kilometres, a deepest point of 186 metres. It is drained by the Waikato River (New Zealand's longest river), while its main tributaries are the Waitahanui River, the Tongariro River, and the Tauranga Taupo River. It is a noted trout fishery with stocks of introduced brown trout and rainbow trout.

Lake formation and volcanism[link]

Location

Lake Taupo lies in a caldera created by a supervolcanic eruption which occurred approximately 26,500 years ago. According to geological records, the volcano has erupted 28 times in the last 27,000 years. It has ejected mostly rhyolitic lava, although Mount Tauhara formed from dacitic lava.

The initial event 26,500 years ago is the largest eruption and is known as the Oruanui eruption. It ejected an estimated 1170 cubic kilometres of material and caused several hundred square kilometres of surrounding land to collapse and form the caldera. The caldera later filled with water, eventually overflowing to cause a huge outwash flood.^[3] It is possible that the Lake Taupo event contributed to starting the Last Glacial Maximum.^{[citation needed]}

Several later eruptions occurred over the millennia before the most recent major eruption, which is traditionally dated as about 180 CE from Greenland ice-core records. Tree ring data from two studies suggests a later date of 232 CE ± 5^[4]. Known as the Hatepe eruption, it is believed to have ejected 100 cubic kilometres of material, of which 30 cubic kilometres was ejected in the space of a few minutes. This was one of the most violent eruptions in the last 5000 years (alongside the Tianchi eruption of Baekdu at around 1000 and the 1815 eruption of Tambora), with a Volcanic Explosivity Index rating of 7; and there appears to be a correlation, to within a few years, of a year in which the sky was red over Rome and China. The eruption devastated much of the North Island and further expanded the lake. The area was uninhabited by humans at the time of the eruption, since New Zealand was not settled by the Māori until about 1280. Possible climatic effects of the eruption would have been concentrated on the southern hemisphere due to the southerly position of Lake Taupo.^[5] Taupo's last known eruption occurred around 30 years later, with lava dome extrusion forming the Horomatangi Reefs, but that eruption was much smaller than the 180 CE eruption.

Underwater hydrothermal activity continues near the Horomatangi vent,^[6] and nearby geothermal fields with associated hot springs are found north and south of the lake, for example at Rotokawa and Turangi. These springs are the site of occurrence of certain extremophile micro-organisms, that are capable of surviving in extremely hot environments.^[7]

The volcano is currently considered to be dormant rather than extinct.

Biota[link]

Lake Taupo

Much of the watershed of Lake Taupo is a beech and podocarp forest with associate understory ferns being Blechnum filiforme, Asplenium flaccidum, Doodia media, Hymenophyllum demissum, Microsorum pustulatum and Microsorum scandens, and some prominent associate shrubs being Olearia ranii nd Alseuosmia quercifolia.^[8]

Native faunal species in the lake include northern koura or crayfish (Paranephrops planifrons) and kokopu or whitebait (Galaxias species). The lake is noted for stocks of brown trout (Salmo trutta) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), introduced from Europe and California respectively in the late nineteenth century. There has also been a subsequent introduction of smelt (Retropinnidae species) as a food for the trout.

A community of sponges and associated invertebrates live around the underwater geothermal vents.^[6]

Tourism[link]

NASA satellite photo of Lake Taupo

Tourism is a major component of Taupo's commercial sector, and the city attracts over 1.2 million visitors per year. The busiest time for the industry is the high summer season around Christmas and New Year.

The lake area has a temperate climate. Daily maximum temperatures recorded for Taupo range from an average of 23.3°C in January and February to 11.2°C in July,^[9] while the nighttime minimum temperatures range from 11.6°C in February down to 2.2°C in July.^[10] Rain falls in all seasons but is greatest in winter and spring, from June to December.^[11]

Taupo hosts the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge, a cycling tour around the lake which can take anywhere between four and ten hours. Hundreds of volunteers from the Taupo township are involved in the event. Skydiving is a popular local sport and tourist attraction.

Māori Rock Carving[link]

On the north west side of Lake Taupo on the cliffs of Mine Bay, there are Māori rock carvings created in the late 1970s by Matahi Whakataka-Brightwell and John Randall. Carved in likeness of Ngatoroirangi, a navigator who guided the Tuwharetoa and Te Arawa tribes to the Taupo area over a thousand years ago according to Māori legend.^[12] The 10-metre-high carving is intended to protect Lake Taupo from volcanic activities underneath. The cliff has become a popular tourist destination with hundreds of boats and yachts visiting the spot daily.

See also[link]

• List of lakes in New Zealand
• List of volcanoes in New Zealand
• Taupo Volcanic Zone

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lake Taupo

• Destination Lake Taupo
• Turangi and Lake Taupo Website
• Lake Taupo Webcam
• History and legends of Lake Taupo
• Lake Taupo water quality (includes bathymetric map)

Taupo Taupō-nui-a-Tia (Maori)
Taupo
Coordinates: 38°41′15″S 176°04′10″E / 38.6875°S 176.0694°E / -38.6875; 176.0694Coordinates: 38°41′15″S 176°04′10″E / 38.6875°S 176.0694°E / -38.6875; 176.0694
Country	New Zealand
Island	North Island
Region	Waikato
Territorial authority	Taupo District
Ward	Taupo
Settled	pre-European
Founded	1869
Borough status	1953
Named for	originates from Taupō-nui-a-Tia, meaning "great cloak of Tia" in Maori
Electorate	Taupō
Government
• MP	Louise Upston (National)
• Mayor	Rick Cooper
Area
• Territorial	6,970 km2 (2,690 sq mi)
Elevation	360 m (1,180 ft)
Population (June 2011 estimate)[1]
• Territorial	34,100
• Density	4.9/km2 (13/sq mi)
• Urban	22,600
Time zone	NZST (UTC+12)
• Summer (DST)	NZDT (UTC+13)
Postcode	3330
Area code(s)	07
Local iwi	Ngāti Tūwharetoa

Taupo ( /ˈtoʊpɔː/ TOH-paw) is a town on the shore of Lake Taupo in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand. It is the seat of the Taupo District Council and lies in the southern Waikato Region.

Taupo has a population of 22,600 (June 2011 estimate).^[1] In 1953, Taupo was officially constituted as a borough,^[2] but from 1989 it has been administered by the Taupo District Council, the district including both Taupo itself and the surrounding hinterland. Despite this, it is occasionally referred to as a city.

The name Taupo, by which the town is commonly known, is the shortened version of its full name, Taupō-nui-a-Tia. Literally translated from Māori language, Taupō-nui-a-Tia means "The great cloak of Tia", where Tia is the name of the discoverer of the lake.

In 2009 a team of Taupo citizens won the TV2 programme Top Town.^[3]

Geography[link]

Taupo is located at the outlet of Lake Taupo, New Zealand's largest lake, in the northeast part of the lake where it discharges to the Waikato River. The river flows over one of New Zealand's most spectacular waterfalls, Huka Falls, a short distance north of the town. Taupo is a centre of volcanic and geothermal activity and hot springs suitable for bathing are located at several places in the vicinity. The volcanic mountain of Mount Tauhara lies six kilometres (4 mi) to the east. Some forested area exists near Taupo, with understory vegetation consisting of certain shrubs and ferns.

Somewhat to the northeast are significant hot springs. These springs are the site of occurrence of certain extremophile micro-organisms, that are capable of surviving in extremely hot environments.^[4]

Taupo is situated on a stretch of State Highway 1, running concurrently with State Highway 5. It is situated 53 km North of Turangi. It is one of the few centres in New Zealand that were never linked to the rail network.

The small but growing satellite town of Kinloch, where a Jack Nicklaus golf resort is being constructed, is 20 kilometres west along the lake.

Neighbourhoods[link]

Taupo's neighbourhoods include:

• Wharewaka
• Nukuhau lies north of the Waikato River. To the south west lies Acacia Bay and to the south lies Taupo town centre.
• Richmond Heights lies to the east of Rainbow Point and south of Mountain View. It is home to the Waipahihi Primary School, Richmond Heights shopping center, and the Waipahihi Botanical Gardens.
• Mount View
• Acacia Bay
• Rainbow Point is an affluent area and has its own dairy. It lies north of Wharewaka and west of Richmond Heights. To the west lies Lake Taupo.
• Tauhara lies just north of Hilltop and east of Mount View. Mount Tauhara lies just east of Tauhara. Tauhara is the location of Tauhara primary school, Tauhara College and Tauhara Golf course.
• Hilltop lies south of Tauhara. Hilltop is the location of Hilltop School, Taupo Intermediate School, the Taupo Hospital, the Taharepa shopping centre and the Hilltop shopping centre.
• Gradwell is a suburb of Taupo. To the south lies Rainbow Point to the north is Hilltop. Gradwell is the location of the Waipahihi Botanical Gardens.
• Taupo CBD
• Five Mile Bay is located on the east side of Lake Taupo, south of Wharewaka and north of Waitahanui on State Highway 1 just west of the Taupo Airport. It is a popular swimming/water skiing beach which gets very busy in summer. Five Mile Bay is one of three similar named bays along the lake shoreline, the others being Two Mile Bay and Three Mile Bay.
• Wairakei
• Waitahanui

Climate[link]

Economy[link]

Taupo is a tourist centre, particularly in the summer, as it offers panoramic views over the lake and to the volcanic mountains of Tongariro National Park to the south. It offers a number of tourist activities including sky diving, jet boating and paragliding.

Taupo services a number of surrounding plantation pine forests including Kaingaroa Forest, the largest manmade forest in the world, and related industry. A large sawmill is sited approximated 3 km to the north east of the town on Centennial Drive.

The Wairakei geothermal power station is a few kilometres north of the town.

Education[link]

Taupo has three high schools: Tauhara College, Taupo Nui-a-Tia College and the private Lake Taupo Christian School. It also has St Patrick's, Waipahihi, Hilltop, Mount View, Taupo and Tauhara primary schools, and Taupo Intermediate School.

Sporting events[link]

Since the mid-1990s Taupo has become increasingly popular as a venue for major sporting events, increasingly of an international nature. The town's compact size, clean environment, central location and supportive council and community have been cited as the reasons for this. Major events in Taupo include:

Annual events[link]

• Ironman New Zealand
• Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge
• Oxfam Trailwalker
• Great Lake Relay
• Mizuno Half Marathon
• Taupo Half Ironman
• Erupt Lake Taupo Events*

Past events[link]

• World Water Ski Racing Championships
• FIM International Six Day Enduro
• Cricket One Day Internationals
• A1 Grand Prix

One of the main streets of the Taupo CBD, with the Taupo Domain on the left.

Aerial view of the town from the east, showing Lake Taupo and the Waikato River.

Transport[link]

Taupo is served by State Highways SH 1 and SH 5, and the Thermal Explorer Highway touring route. All three highways run concurrently for 11 km from Wairakei in the north, along Tongariro Street and Lake Terrace, to southern Taupo.

Taupo is one of the few towns in New Zealand that have never had a link to the national rail network, although there have been proposals in the past.

Taupo Airport is located south of the township. The airport is served by Air New Zealand subsidiary Eagle Airways, with direct flights using Beechcraft 1900D aircraft to Auckland and Wellington

Twin cities[link]

• Hakone, Japan
• Noumea, New Caledonia
• Suzhou, China
• Xi'an, China

See also[link]

• Taupo Airport
• Taupo Motorsport Park
• Taupo railway proposals
• Taupo Times
• Owen Delany Park

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Taupo

• The district council's site
• Destination Lake Taupo
• Taupo's Wikitravel page
• Turangi and Lake Taupo Website
• Taupo Street Map
• Taupo Library

Stan Walker
Background information
Born	(1990-10-23) 23 October 1990 (age 21) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Origin	Mount Maunganui, Tauranga, New Zealand
Genres	Pop, R&B
Occupations	Singer, actor
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	2009–present
Labels	Sony Music Australia
Associated acts	Jessica Mauboy
Website	stanwalker.com.au

Stan Walker (born 23 October 1990 in Melbourne, Victoria), is a Māori Australian recording artist and actor. In 2009, Walker was the winner of the seventh and last season of Australian Idol. He subsequently signed a recording contract with Sony Music Australia.

In December 2009, Walker released his debut studio album, Introducing Stan Walker, which included the hit single, "Black Box". The album debuted at number three on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart and was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). It also appeared on the New Zealand Albums Chart at number two and was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ). In 2010, Walker released his second studio album, From the Inside Out, which spawned the hit singles, "Unbroken" and "Choose You". The album debuted at number one on the New Zealand Albums Chart and number two on the ARIA Albums Chart. In November 2011, Walker released his third studio album, Let the Music Play, which debuted at number 18 on the ARIA Albums Chart and number 12 in New Zealand, and spawned the hit single "Loud".

During his career, Walker has won five New Zealand Music Awards and has received four ARIA Music Award nominations. He will make his acting debut in the upcoming New Zealand film, Mt Zion, due to be screened in 2012.

Life and career[link]

1990–2009: Early life[link]

Stan Walker was born on 23 October 1990 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia^[1] to parents Ross and April Walker.^[2] He is of Māori descent and is from the Tuhoe and Ngati Ranginui tribes in New Zealand.^[3] Walker grew up on a marae in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand.^[4] In New Zealand, he attended Fairfield Intermediate and Hamilton Boys' High School.^[5] Walker has compared his early life to that portrayed in the 1994 New Zealand film, Once Were Warriors, which tells the story of an urban Māori family and their problems with poverty, alcoholism and domestic violence.^[6] His father was repeatedly jailed for beating his wife, April, and five children, including Walker.^[2] This led to Walker smoking marijuana and thieving.^[4] Walker was also sexually abused by a relative over a nine-month period.^[2] His parents were drug dealers and both have spent time in jail for drug offences.^[2]

At the age of 15, Walker started going to church, after hearing a testimony of a girl who had a similar family background to his.^[6] Walker says his passion for music and church made him a "good boy" again.^[4] After several violent episodes, Walker and his family moved back to Australia in Coolangatta, Queensland.^[2][6] In 2009, Walker lost a daughter when his then-girlfriend suffered a miscarriage.^[3] He had planned to call his baby, Ataahua, which is Māori for "beautiful", and wears her name as a tattoo on his neck.^[3] Before Walker had entered Australian Idol, he was a shop assistant at a menswear shop in Coolangatta.^[7]

[edit] 2009: Australian Idol and Introducing... Stan Walker

In 2009, Walker auditioned for the seventh season of Australian Idol, singing John Legend's "Ordinary People" at his Brisbane audition.^[1] He received praise from the judges and progressed through to the theatre rounds receiving more recognition from the judges, with Kyle Sandilands saying, "You're the only person after the auditions that I ever told anyone about; family, friends other people that I run into. I only told them about you."^[8] After all three theatre rounds were over, it was announced that Walker had made it into the top twenty four semi-finals. Walker was a part of the first group to perform in the semi-finals. The following evening, it was announced that the first two contestants to be put through to the final top twelve according to viewer votes, were Walker and fellow contestant Kate Cook.^[9]

Throughout the season, Walker was praised continually for his voice and for the daring choices he took with his song choices.^[10] One of his most highly praised performances on the show was of the Prince song, "Purple Rain", which received a standing ovation from the judging panel and the audience.^{[citation needed]} The grand final was held on 22 November 2009 at the Sydney Opera House. After the viewer votes had been tallied, it was announced that the winner was Walker.^[11] He is the first person of New Zealand descent to win Australian Idol.^[6] After coming out of Australian Idol as the winner, Walker signed to Sony Music Australia and received an artist's development fund worth $200,000.^[12] During this time, he established his own company called, Stan Walker Music Pty Ltd, which is run by his mother, April.^[13] The company was set up in order to negotiate his contract with Sony Music and not end up like past Australian Idol contestant Damien Leith, who claimed he did not make any money from his Winners Journey release.^[13]

Walker's debut single, "Black Box", was released digitally following his win on Australian Idol on 22 November.^[14] The song peaked at number two on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified double platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), for selling 140,000 copies.^[15][16] It also peaked at number one on the New Zealand Singles Chart and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ), for selling 30,000 copies.^[17][18] Walker's debut studio album, Introducing... Stan Walker, was released on 8 December 2009, three days ahead of its original release date.^[19] The album featured the selected songs Walker had performed as part of the top twelve on Australian Idol, as well the two original songs, "Black Box" and "Think of Me", which was produced by the first Australian Idol winner, Guy Sebastian.^[20] Introducing... Stan Walker debuted at number three on the ARIA Albums Chart and was certified platinum by the ARIA.^[15][21] It also made its debut on the New Zealand Albums Chart at number two and was certified triple platinum by the RIANZ, for selling 45,000 copies.^[17][22]

[edit] 2010–present: From the Inside Out, Let the Music Play and acting debut

In April 2010, Walker flew to Haiti to help Compassion Australia's relief effort of the 2010 Haiti earthquake as an ambassador.^[23] Walker's second studio album, From the Inside Out, was released on 20 August 2010.^[24] The album debuted at number two on the ARIA Albums Chart.^[15] In New Zealand, it debuted at number one on the New Zealand Albums Chart, and became Walker's first number-one album in the country.^[17] Eventually, From the Inside Out was certified platinum by the RIANZ.^[22] "Unbroken" was released as the album's lead single on 12 April 2010.^[25] On the New Zealand Singles Chart, the song peaked at number nine and was certified gold.^[17][18] In Australia, "Unbroken" peaked at number 23 on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified gold.^[15][16] In June 2010, Walker featured on New Zealand rapper Young Sid's single, "Stuck in a Box". The album's second single, "Choose You", was released on 20 July 2010.^[26] The song peaked at number three on the New Zealand Singles Chart and was certified platinum.^[17][18] It also appeared on the ARIA Singles Chart at number 16 and was certified platinum.^[15][27] "Homesick", featuring rapper Kayo, was released as the album's third and final single on 29 October.^[28] It peaked at number 21 on the New Zealand Singles Chart and was certified gold.^[17][18] This single did not chart in Australia.^[15]

Walker and Jessica Mauboy performing together during the Galaxy Tour in January 2012.

In November 2010, Walker served as a support act for the Summerbeatz tour in Australia, touring alongside Flo Rida, Jay Sean, Akon and Ciara, among other artists.^[29] He performed at the Parachute music festival in January 2011.^[30] In February 2011, Walker held his first headlining tour in New Zealand.^[31]

Walker's third studio album, Let the Music Play, was released on 18 November 2011.^[32] It debuted at number 18 on the ARIA Album Chart and number 12 on the New Zealand Albums Chart.^[15][17] Its lead single, "Loud", was released on 2 May 2011.^[33] The song peaked at number nine on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified platinum.^[15][27] On the New Zealand Singles Chart, "Loud" peaked at number eight and was certified gold.^[17][18] The album's second single, "Light It Up", featuring Static Revenger, was released on 16 September 2011.^[34] The song peaked at number 23 on the New Zealand Singles Chart and has reached number 45 on the ARIA Singles Chart.^[15][17] In October 2011, Walker was featured on Jessica Mauboy's single, "Galaxy", which peaked at number 13 on the ARIA Singles Chart.^[15][35] Walker and Mauboy embarked on their Galaxy Tour across Australia in January 2012, to celebrate the release of the song.^[36] The tour ended in February 2012.^[36]

Walker will play the lead role of Turei in the upcoming New Zealand film, Mt Zion, about a young Māori musician who seeks to "win the support slot for Bob Marley's 1979 concert in Auckland, but comes into conflict when his ambitions clash with the traditional values of his whānau".^[37] When speaking of his role in the film, Walker told Herald Sun, "They approached me ... the script is so good, it's basically who I was six years ago ... It's definitely the main reason I wanted to get involved."^[38] "Music Won't Break Your Heart" was released as the third single from Let the Music Play.^[39] In May 2012, Walker became a supporting act for Nicki Minaj on the Australian leg of her Pink Friday Tour.^[40]

Musical style and inspiration[link]

Walker cites Beyoncé Knowles as a main inspiration; "She's musically why I do what I do."^[41] According to Jason Birchmeier of Allmusic, Walker sings predominantly pop music "with an R&B style".^[42] Walker's second album, From the Inside Out, drew from pop, R&B and hip hop,^[43] with elements of electro, glam metal, hip pop and funk also present.^[44] He describes his third album, the more pop and dance-orientated Let the Music Play,^[45] as thematically his most personal. "These are my songs, my stories, my tunes, my melodies, my words, me."^[46]

Discography[link]

• Introducing... Stan Walker (2009)
• From the Inside Out (2010)
• Let the Music Play (2011)

Tours[link]

• 2010: Summerbeatz (Supporting Act)
• 2011: New Zealand Summer Tour (Headlining)
• 2012: Galaxy Tour (Supporting Act) (with Jessica Mauboy)
• 2012: Pink Friday Tour (Supporting Act)

Filmography[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website