16 Reasons to Love Taupō

16 reasons to Taupō

Taupō Karts 463 Broadlands Road, Taupō

• Kayak & standup paddle board hire • Mountain bike hire & transport • Kayaking tours • Mountain biking tours • Tongariro alpine crossing tour

and group discounts 027 480 1231 or 0800 852 583 tka.co.nz Big Sky Parasail Berth #20 Taupō Boat Harbour, Taupō

New Zealand’s best parasail, come fly 1000 feet above beautiful Lake Taupō. Fly solo, tandem or triple. Come get high, fly big sky! Tongariro Crossing’s best transfer shuttle for self-hikers with exclusive and secure Ketetahi Park & Ride one-way service. Times: 6.00am, 7.00am, 8.00am, 9.00am, 10.00am.

$35pp - Shuttle & transfer one way with all day exclusive secure parking! 022 314 2656 backyardtours.com Fudge It 40 Heuheu Street, Taupō

Delicious fudge made daily on site, exciting everchanging flavours, including all your favourites and a wide range of gift ideas. Talk to us about our corporate and platter ranges. Located at the Bruce McLaren Motorsport park we have experiences to cater for everyone – young and old!

Mention henry to save 15% off your experience

07 377 0338

Taupo Kayaking Adventures Unit 2 876, Acacia Bay Road, Taupō

Visit our website to get family package

$10 off per person at 9am or 10am Backyard Tours 1310 Ketetahi Park & Ride, Rotoaira

FREE SAMPLES!

taupōkarts.co.nz

Buy three get one free Taupo’s Floatplane Ferry Road, Taupō Boat Harbour, Taupō

Enjoy a unique flightseeing experience over Tongariro National Park, the Bay of Plenty and Great Lake Taupō! Scenic flights by seaplane, experience your take-off (and landing) from the water.

Promo Code: henry15 for 10% off our Peek at the Lake flight (2 adult min.)

07 378 7500 tauposfloatplane.co.nz

National Park Shuttles 50 Carroll Street, National Park

Tongariro Alpine Crossing. National Park Shuttles round trip service includes Maori blessing, photo & walking poles optional. Best transport experience. Times 7am & 8:30am

Enjoy a unique cultural experience for $40 per person

Chris Jolly Outdoors Berth 4, Taupō Boat Harbour, Taupō

See the famous Māori rock carvings & tour Lake Taupō; Live, informative commentary, Free hot drink & homemade muffin on 10.30am & 1.30pm cruise. All weather experience. Chris Jolly Outdoors - Creating outdoor experiences of a lifetime

15% off scenic cruises (10.30am, 1.30pm or 5pm). Promo code: henry15

07 378 0623 or 0800 252 628 chrisjolly.co.nz Lil Something – Spa Park Spa Thermal Park, Spa Road, Taupō

Enjoy 35 minutes of exhilarating fun, on New Zealand’s only white-water jetboat ride and Taupō’s #1 boating activity, Rapids Jet!

(conditions apply) 07 374 9004 rapidsjet.com Manowhenua Lodge 50 Carroll Street, National Park

Make your stay at Manowhenua Lodge a memorable one in our homely accommodation nestled in the heart and centre of National Park Village. Call us to book! Cafe kiosk at Spa Thermal Park, on the edge of the Huka Falls walking track and the iconic Otumuheke Stream.. Ice-creams, award winning coffee, milkshakes and fruit smoothies.

Mention henry to get all the trimmings when you buy a $5 sundae

021 311 984 lilsomething.co.nz Mind Junction Activity Park 8 Palmer Mill Road, Taupō

Six different activities, Maze, Mini Golf, Lego Display, Shooting and Flight Simulator, Discovery Centre. Venture through our dark Sensory Walk to enter Discovery Centre.

Save an extra 10% on VIP Pass using promo code henry15 07 377 6555 mindjunction.co.nz Hukafalls Jet Wairakei Tourist Park, Taupō

Only jet boat company permitted to take you to the base of the mighty Huka Falls. This half hour of thrills, fun and excitement takes you along a beautiful river environment.

Huka Falls River Cruise 630 Aratiatia Road, Taupō

The best way to experience “New Zealand’s most visited natural attraction” Huka Falls. This is a fantastic scenic river cruise suitable for everyone.

Family package and group discounts available

0800 278 336

Rapids Jet 3 Nga Awa Purua Road, Aratiatia, Taupō

10% off all adult and children tickets.

hukafallscruise.co.nz Craters of the Moon 171 Karapiti Road, Wairakei Park, Taupō

Explore geothermal features often wreathed in clouds of steam from the heat just below your feet! One hour walk traverses the unique landscape around this cratered valley.

Part of the largest geothermal field in NZ. Open daily, small admission fee

02 765 64684

Experience our playground full of unique landscapes and tranquillity.

cratersofthemoon.co.nz

$99 pp, $67 per child or $299 family (2 adults/2 kids) when booked directly Active Outdoor Adventures Shuttle 1310 Lake Rotoaira Rd, SH 46

Tongariro Alpine Crossing Shuttle service. One way or return transfers. Cultural introduction before departure to start off the world-famous 6-8 hour day hike.

Discounts for large groups

Stay or Sell

The housing conundrum of now

Dyani Van Basten Batenburg

There’s no denying it, the housing market has gone berserkers – contrary to what many of us anticipated way back in March. According to REINZ latest residential property data, the median house prices across New Zealand increased by 19.8% from $605,000 in October 2019 to a new record median high of $725,000 in October 2020. With no definitive housing handbrake in the foreseeable future – what to do? Sell up and cash in, or stay put and make the most of what you’ve got? There are no cut and dry answers, but there are benefits to be had both sides of the coin, say housing experts.

Sellers don’t settle

If you are planning on ditching your pad and moving onto a new place or project, don’t speed through the selling process, advises Simon Short, Property Broker’s Waikato and Bay of Plenty regional manager. “Because of the lack of supply out there and the huge buyer demand, we’re seeing many savvy buyers jumping in early to secure a sale ahead of an auction or just a few days into a property being advertised – so they knock out the competition,” he says. “But our advice to vendors is to wait – don’t settle for that first offer – let your campaign run at least a couple of weeks. Bring in some buyer competition to secure the best price. “We had a recent case where a preauction offer was turned down – the

prospective buyer stipulated he couldn’t go any higher – the property then went to auction and sold for an additional $160K over the initial offer to the same underbidder.”

Buyers don’t expect a New Year drop

Traditionally speaking, property values in New Zealand have appreciated year-on-year – very rarely have they known to retract. And, part of that is because we’re a globally attractive country – NZ ink is pretty powerful in the property stakes. Thus, a future stagnant – or retracting – market is unlikely, says Simon. So, buyers need to be comfortable at the levels they’re purchasing to. “I would be very surprised if interest rates will ever get back to the levels they used to be simply because our debt levels and the requirements that drive interest levels to go up or down has been influenced greatly by COVID. And, the fact is that the global trend in interest rates is around negative territory,” he says. “Purchasers need to consider their ability to service their loans if they have pushed themselves to pay a premium to secure a property. Serviceability is the more critical aspect if employment does change in 2021.”

Homemakers be savvy with your spruce up

If you’re steering clear of selling up, making the most of your property’s footprint is achievable without blowing the budget, says Jo Peterson, property manager at Goodwood Renovations. “Stepping back and seeing your property in a new light – away from the bright lights of a seller’s market – never goes amiss. You can transform a whole house inside and out, for often much less than what you think so long as you seek the right advice and expertise,” she says. “It’s fairly minor works to take out a non-load bearing wall between your kitchen and dining to open up that space. Or, to replace your dining room windows with a set of French doors to extend living out onto the deck. Building a deck – given it’s under 1.5metres above ground – it can be built without council consent, but it will still require compliant balustrade if it’s over a metre.” One of the most cost-effective ways you can freshen up a main bathroom or ensuite is by replacing the fixtures, says Jo. “Sourcing affordable, modern fixtures isn’t hard to do nowadays – the likes of Placemakers, Bunnings and Mitre10 all provide great selections, with warranties,” she says. “So long as you’re not planning on moving pipework (often pipes are where they are for a reason), you can transform a bathroom with tapware and fixtures. Even acrylic showers have come a long way – they are much funkier and can be more affordable than tiling.”

House hunters keep your eyes peeled

If you’re headed for a new home, stay on the lookout for potential property pitfalls in homes you’re perusing, advises Jo. “Do your due diligence and do read reports. Look out for major cracking in walls and ceilings. Often water damage down the inside wall of a bathroom will extend to the floor – extensive damage you won’t always see with the naked eye. What’s the condition of the roof and gutters – will these need replacing? Is the space accessible, well ventilated, has all the work been consented? Safe guard yourself from potentially huge extra costs to bring it up to code down the track.”

Find out more at

goodwoodbuilding.co.nz