Maori Te Ātea & Hole In One (February 18, 2026)
The Great Lake Taupo, New Zealand is home to powerful Maori artwork and totems standing right next to a Hole In One golf range. Something for everyone visiting Taupo.
Reid’s carving commemorates the great Maori leaders
Striking, isn’t it? What first grabbed my attention were the eyes. And then, Elena pointed out the green object that this Maori leader is holding made of a particularly hard green stone we just learned about when visiting the National Museum in Wellington. Here’s the full story:
The history and significance explained about Reid’s carving
To get here, you need to first pass by the Hole In One Golf range where tourists can attempt to flex their golf muscle hitting a golf ball onto a designated floating pontoon for a cash prize of NZ$10,000. Which, by the way, they supposedly get one winner per week on average if Google AI is to be believed. Either way, it’s entertaining to watch the multiple attempts.
Looks doable until you factor in the changing wind speeds, etc.
I was curious if my brother-in-law Jack Robson would have hit this hole-in-one. He’s one of the better golfers I know personally. I’m sure my dear friend Elaine Phillips would have given it a shot as well. I might have gotten lucky, but that’s all it would have been for me. I’m not that skilled when it comes to my driving game. I’m happy when I get the golf ball flying in the air and generally in the direction of the hole.
When Elena asked about how deep the water was, we Googled it and realized how close “Lake Taupo” sounds like “Lake Tahoe” (which boarders California and Nevada in the US. Lake Taupo is over 600 feet deep as it’s part of a glacier deposit.
I also wonder how they pick up these balls. I’m sure they have a way of doing it, but I didn’t see any evidence of how on our walk this morning. Is there an underwater contraption? A giant net, perhaps? A submarine Roomba robot or something similar? Curious.
Largest Maori totem in the area with push-button water streams
This particular site has all sorts of hidden treasures. Each of the towers represents a river that leads into Lake Taupo. When you press the button, the water comes streaming down a particularly unique design.
Then there’s the totem itself. The carvings are some of the most elaborate ones I’ve seen to date.
This totem represents the balance of heaven and earth as well as all four elements, four directions, and a tremendous amount of symbolism that is explained in detail here. It’s a wonderful meeting spot and easily located by anyone in the area.
From there, Elena and I admired and took in the lake as we walked over 3 miles around it. The amount of seagulls and ducks were impressive. As were all the lake views.
One of many epic lake views here in Taupo
Oh, and I forgot to share about our outdoor visitor at our AirBnb:
Very cute cat who has come to visit us in Taupo.
Overall, the family is having a great time here and we’re looking forward to seeing Will in just a few days in Auckland. That’s going to be truly amazing for all of us.
