Totally Tarawera
Totally Tarawera
5
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
YOUR CULTURE & NATURE CONNECTION Discover the natural, cultural and historical wonders of Lake Tarawera with our range of guided and unguided experiences. Take a water taxi to stunning Hot Water Beach, hike the famous Tarawera Trail, take a journey of cultural discovery with our exclusive Ancestral Footprints Tour or spend a few nights at one of our luxury glamping site. Lake Tarawera is home to some of New Zealand’s most stunning landscapes. Mount Tarawera itself stands sentinel over a landscape of native New Zealand bush, natural hot springs, waterfalls and an abundance of birdlife. Let us help you to discover this natural wonderland by boat or on foot.
Lake Tarawera, New Zealand

Awards
Travellers' Choice
2023

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(215 reviews)
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(19 reviews)
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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5.0
584 reviews
Excellent
530
Very good
50
Average
3
Poor
1
Terrible
0

Linda R
1 contribution
Nov 2023 • Couples
Outstanding service- friendly, super helpful- great communication. Would totally recommend.
The walk was amazing, forest and lake so beautiful.
Written 5 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Callum
2 contributions
Sep 2023 • Friends
Great service, friendly people, easy to deal with. I would recommend going with this company, and we'd be happy to come back again.
Written 23 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your review. Pleased we were able to make your experience as seamless as possible. We look forward to having you return sometime. Regards, Captain Dave
Written 30 October 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Heather Tucker
3 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
Dave picked us up from Hot Water Beach and was extremely personable and helpful. When three of those booked had not shown up by the scheduled time for leaving he mentioned he would return to HWB in case their walk had taken longer than expected. Awesome customer service. Dave also took my husband and me back to the carpark in his car when there was insufficient room in the shuttle for us and our very large tramping packs. Thanks again Dave. You're a legend!
Written 12 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for taking the time to do a review for us. That Dave guy sounds pretty good. Must tell his wife (the boss) how good he was so I can get a day off or other privileges. We are a family business, operating on our tribal lands, so we see it as our responsibility to make sure you have the best time possible while with us Thanks again, Captain Dave.
Written 30 October 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Rozella
Tauranga, New Zealand2 contributions
Oct 2023 • Friends
Great walk, awesome water taxi service. Highly recommend these guys, taxi ran on time. Good price at $35 each. Great comfy boat
Written 7 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for the review. Pleased you enjoyed our service so much. It is much appreciated. Regards, Captain Dave
Written 30 October 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Poppygirls
Tauranga, New Zealand28 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
Superb all round. Easy to book, clear directions, friendly skipper, great service being shuttled back to carpark. We'll be back for sure
Written 3 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your review of our service. We appreciate your feedback. Love to have you back again. Regards, Captain Dave
Written 30 October 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Hayley G
7 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
Perfect boat and captain for a scenic cruise on the lake. Captain Dave gave us a very informative history of the lake and points of interest.
A fabulous platter of nibbles to go with our bubbly made for a perfect couple of hours.
Written 8 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for taking the time to do a review for us. It was our pleasure to have you aboard and to share our lake with you and your family. I know we also mede the weather just perfect for a lake cruise. Love to see you back again. Regards, Captain Dave
Written 14 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

grant-kathy-amy
Onehunga, New Zealand21 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
Really good service! Well run super friendly operation. Easy booking and payment beforehand and good confirmation and communication. Good big boat, friendly personable service, and handy shuttle service back to the car. Thanks!
Written 15 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for taking the time to do this review. Pleased we were able to make the whole experience with us pretty seamless. We do our best and achieve it most of the time. Look forward to having you back in the future. Regards, Captain Dave
Written 14 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Paula
11 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
Fun informative water taxi ride back from Hot Water Beach at the end of the Tarawera Trail. Our driver was very knowledgeable about the area and the history.
Written 5 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your review, pleased you enjoyed your experience with us. Regards, Captain Dave
Written 14 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Mark G Brewer
Wellington, New Zealand15 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
We did the Tarawera trail to hot water beach, 15.2km of beautiful bush walk with great views over the lake. It’s a medium hike with some challenging steep sections that will take you a good 4-5 hours but the track is good and broken up with coffee and lunch stops it’s fine. Book the water taxi with Totally Tarawera before you leave and they will pick you up from the beach. The ride back is a delight and the operators are knowledgeable about the area and its history. Well worth it and great exercise.
Written 5 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your review and and explaining you day so well. A great description. In the next couple of months we hope to enhance your experience even further, with a new app for the Tarawera Trail. It will share the history, important places and the nature of this area, triggered as you walk along. Thanks for your review again. Captain Dave
Written 14 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Sammy W
1 contribution
Jun 2023 • Business
The team loved it.
Skipper was knowledgeable and a lot of fun. Great way to end a long walk. Highly recommend.
Written 1 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for the review. Pleased you enjoyed your experience with us. Regards, Captain Dave
Written 14 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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TOTALLY TARAWERA (Lake Tarawera) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go