The Taupo District is smack bang in the middle of New Zealand’s North Island. It is based around the largest freshwater lake in the Southern Hemisphere. This resort town is one of the North Island’s most popular holiday destinations. Its modest population of 30,000 swells to a whopping 80,000 during summer!
Not only is Taupo a great place for a holiday, it’s a fantastic place to call home. It has all the infrastructure and amenities of a bigger city without the hassles of traffic and overcrowding. Sound enticing? Read on for our top 5 reasons why you should consider a move to Taupo.
1: All The Attractions Of A Big City With Small-Town Charm
Taupo isn’t just any NZ small town. Roughly three million people pass through the district every year. This means it has been set up to cope with such high visitor numbers. As a result, there are plenty of shops, amenities, and attractions for locals to enjoy.
And while things may get a tad crowded during the summer holidays, for the rest of the year, it’s life as usual. Taupo locals can enjoy ample free parking, loads of shops, and quality cafes and restaurants in the modern town centre. It is a fantastic mix of global and national chain stores, as well as plenty of independent local retailers.
2: Enjoy Work/Life Balance
If you live and work in Taupo, you will enjoy a commute-free, traffic-free life. You can get across town in five minutes. So instead of spending hours in the car every day, you can spend that time with your family or doing the things you love instead.
Finding a job can be fairly easy, depending on your industry. Tradies and farm workers are often in high demand, as are workers in the health and well-being sector. Of course, there is plenty of opportunity to start your own business as you are well connected to the rest of the country.
Taupo is considered a family friendly town. As it has a relatively low crime rate, it is safe with an active local community and lots of town pride. Plus, when you add in the water-sports, hiking, sixteen primary schools, daycares, kindergartens and local amenities, your kids won’t want to leave.
3: Make Your Money Go Further
When compared to the bigger centres in the North Island (such as Auckland!), Taupo has a lower cost of living. Rents and property prices are considerably lower, so your precious dollars will stretch a lot further! The average property price is $515,000 so you can spend less on housing and more on exploring the area!
If you want to be close to the lake, towns and schools, then Hilltop and Botanical Heights are the ideal suburbs. You could head out to Mapara or Bonshawe Park for a more rural vibe. Or, search for an affordable first home in Nukuhau, Tauhara or Taupo Central.
While it’s certainly not New Zealand’s cheapest town, it’s much more affordable than similar resort towns in the country, like Queenstown. When you consider the amenities on offer, it’s a pretty fair trade!
4: It’s Central!
From Taupo, you could be in three of the North Island’s biggest cities within 4.5 hours. Hamilton is only a few hours away, Auckland is around a three and a half-hour drive, and Wellington can be reached in about four and a half. Handy if you need to travel, or just want lots of choices for a weekend away.
Pop over to the Whakapapa Ski Field for a hoon down the slopes in winter, hike the Tongariro Crossing, or visit nearby Huka Falls.
5: There’s Always Something To Do
Taupo is crowned as the events capital of New Zealand. If you like to get amongst it and enjoy an active life, you will never be hard-pressed to find some action in the area.
From sports events like IRONMAN NZ and the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge to music festivals like the Taupo Summer concert – and everything in between! No matter what your interest, you will find an event to match it.
Then, after the event, you can enjoy some of the international cuisines on offer. Slow-cooked American style meat at Southern Meat Kitchen, Mediterranean fare at Vine Eatery & Bar, Indian at Master of India, or fancy it up at The Bistro – one of the top restaurants in the country.
If you are considering moving somewhere with small town feel and big city living, then Taupo might just be the town for you!
Moving house is hard enough when you are just shifting suburbs. But if you are moving towns or islands then you are going to need some relocation help. Get in touch with us here at Crown, call: 0508 227 696 or submit the quick quote form for a free moving quote on house relocation, storage, and insurance.
