A beautiful little place on the shore of the lake and away from all the tourists! It's one of the first Maori settlements, so really historic and has lovely little baches to stay in among the most amazing native bush.
There's loads to do, swimming, fishing, hiking etc. Ideal for families but it's quiet enough to get lost in the beauty of it all, so ideal for friends to just stay and chill out like we did.
There are natural hot pools close by and the mountain is also a short drive away for skiing. It's a great place to stay on the way to somewhere else as it's in the middle of the North Island. We stayed in a little bach for only £40 a night and it slept 8! Keep away from the big towns I say, and get back to nature!
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