Recent stories
We are pleased to bring you the latest from around the Taupō & Tūrangi communities. Reporting local, supporting local.
If you have news to share contact news@tauponews.co.nz
An ‘extraordinary’ woman
The recent passing of Helen Rabinska is a profound loss for Taupō.
A cure for the ‘loneliness crisis’
Singles aged 35 and over will gather at Cobb and Co on Valentine's Day for the latest installment of Taupō's Mix and Mingle.
Wartime widow’s second chance at life in NZ
Robbie Shearer celebrates 100 years with tales of wartime loss, love and even a childhood friendship with Sir David Attenborough.
Parents Centre needs a boost
The Taupō Parents Centre is struggling to remain open despite helping hundreds of new parents each year.
Good sort keeps it green
Rachel Thompson, environmental educator for Kids Greening Taupō, is this month’s Harcourts Taupō Good Sort for her work in preventing invasive gold clams from entering Lake Taupō.
Planting seeds of knowledge
Taupō is producing a generation of young people with a huge understanding of the ecology they live in, and ground-breaking education is starting to be picked up in other regions.
The RSA for everyone
‘Have you served and how can we help you?’ That’s the simple motto that has served Mangakino RSA well for 80 years.
Taking confidence to a new level
Tūrangi teen Amy Smith has completed two Blue Light programmes, and her coinfidence is sky-high.
Answering the call
Taupō’s Anneke Jacoba Dinnington has been honoured with a King’s Service Medal in the New Year Honours List 2026.
The cost of getting elected
Mayoral winner John Funnell and runner-up Zane Cozens were the big spenders in last year’s local body election race.
Kids on the frontline of clam fight
There’s an environmental disaster looming and people are being encouraged to grab their phones and start filming.
Christmas spirit alive and well
Dozens of children in Tūrangi got a Christmas present his year thanks to the last-minute generosity of the Rotary Club on Tūrangi and The Warehouse Taupō.
Sailing into 2026
From the editor Dan Hutchinson: Survive ‘till ‘25’ was the call this time last year and that was always going to be too many punctuation marks.
Market returns to Northcroft Reserve
Kaz Cederwall, owner operator of Market Central says the local market and its summer evening add-on – Dinner at the Lake – is going from strength to strength.
It’s glow time
The town fireworks fizzled at Guy Fawkes’ leaving a community group holding a huge cache of glowing rings, bracelets, wands and ‘Thunder Sticks’. Taupō Community Patrol uses glow-stick sales as its main fundraiser each year, so now it’s setting sights on New Year fireworks celebrations, with a stall on Titiraupenga Street, not far from the prime lakefront viewing areas.
Change of guard for VGLT
The JB behind VGLT is stepping sideways.
A message from the Mayor
Newly-elected Taupō District Mayor John Funnell took up the mayoralty in October after a career as a rescue helicopter pilot and business owner. He shares his reflections on his first two months.
Christmas ‘angels’ hard at work
The ‘Awhina Christmas Angels’ have been hard at work this week sorting hundreds of donated Christmas presents to give to children all over the district.
Tūrangi spared rooftop mayhem
Threatened black-billed gulls are again nesting on the rooftops in Tūrangi town centre, but the town shouldn't see a return of previous disruptions.
Service with a smile
People are getting a little more than fast food when they turn up to the drive through at McDonalds Taupō these days.
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