NEED TO KNOW

WITH SO MUCH HAPPENING and thousands of extra visitors, it’s going to be busy around the whole Taupō District. Expect the visitor numbers to be similar to the Christmas and New Year holiday period. Those visitors will be at our supermarkets, petrol stations, cafés, restaurants, bars, and shops. Most businesses will be affected and you can be certain that our local activities and tourist attractions are going to be busy like never before. Holiday accommodation is in huge demand with many hotels, motels and campgrounds already booked out in Taupō, Tūrangi, Mangakino and pretty much everywhere in between. Nearby districts such as the Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Hawke’s Bay and Rangitikei will also have a huge increase in visitors who will be hitting our district on race days. If you have the ability or are interested in renting out your home, this is the perfect opportunity.

Visitors are likely to begin arriving from Monday 15 April onwards. The peak days will be the three days of racing from Friday 19 April to Sunday 21 April. It will start to quieten down again from Monday 22 April. A little help and patience will ensure services run as smoothly as possible, and there is some useful information that will help everybody get through this mammoth weekend.

Taupō’s community ambassadors will be out and about to help with directions, information, event details, and generally letting everyone know what is going on. If you see them around say hi and feel free to pick their brains about what is happening. The Taupō town centre was transformed in 2021, with a new road layout and award-winning community space, Te Ātea. If you haven’t visited Taupō recently, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the changes. Taupō won the Supreme Award and Tūrangi was finalist for Most Beautiful Small Town at the Beautiful Awards 2023. Getting around to see all this beauty may take a bit of planning over the race weekend.

To allow easy flow of traffic and safe travel to and from the Taupō International Motorsport Park,

there will be some roads closed and restricted access on Thursday 18 April and Friday 19 April. There is plenty of all-day parking around the town, mobility parking, freedom camping spots, and motorhome camping. There will also be a free Park and Ride option for Supercars ticket holders from Kaimanawa Reserve.

If you are heading into town during Supercars,

consider avoiding the peak travel times of early morning, and from 4.30pm in the evening.

Allow yourself extra travel time and avoid the area around the Kaimanawa Reserve Park and Ride if possible. Broadlands Road will be very busy over the weekend. You’d be best to delay a trip to Broadlands Road Landfill and Resource Recovery Centre until after the event or use one of Taupō District Council’s other transfer stations.

You may find it easier to use your local dairy or supermarket rather than heading into town, or stock up the week before the event.

Some of the Taupō District Council teams and services, such as the environmental rangers, kerbside refuse and recycling, and customer services, will be at capacity over Supercars.

There are no changes to kerbside rubbish collections, but you can expect delays. Litter bins around town will be in demand too, so take your rubbish home with you where possible.

Please be patient and kind. But most of all, be excited for what is sure to be an amazing weekend. TV cameras will be showcasing the Taupō District to a global audience, so let’s look after the place we love, and show what amazing hosts we are.

For more information and handy tips to get around town, visit www.taupo.govt.nz/supercars.