Ohakuri, Taupō: Rural Area Guide to Dam, Lake and Farmland

Last updated October 2026

Ohakuri is a rural locality in the Taupō District, spread along the Waikato River north of Taupō town. Farmland, plantation forest and the river corridor make up most of the area, with the Ōhakuri hydro scheme as the main built landmark.

State Highway 1 is the through-route, and side roads lead toward the dam, the lake edge and the geothermal valley at Orakei Korako. There is no township or shopping street. Daily life is scattered across farms, Maroanui Marae and the power station. The setting is the Taupō Volcanic Zone, where river, geothermal heat and hydro electricity sit side by side.

Official Locality Facts

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About Ohakuri

Ohakuri sits in the upper Waikato, in country that is farmed and forested rather than built up. The Waikato River runs through a ravine that engineers later judged suitable for a dam.

Around that river are the artificial Lake Ohakuri and, at the lake’s southern end, the silica terraces and springs of Orakei Korako, often called the Hidden Valley. Much of the original geothermal field was flooded when the lake was filled.

The name is usually explained from te reo Māori: oha for a keepsake or relic, and kuri for dog. An account from the station’s former operator suggests this may refer to a prized dogskin cloak. Spelling varies. The locality is recorded as Ohakuri, while the dam is often written Ōhakuri.

Maroanui Marae is a meeting place of the Ngāti Tūwharetoa hapū Ngāti Hinerau, with a meeting house of the same name. The marae was renovated between 2008 and 2010, including ramps and accessible toilets, with support from the Wairakei Power Station. Filling the lake also affected Māori sites.

The rising water drowned hot springs and wāhi tapu, and Ngāti Tahu relocated Ohaaki Marae from land lost to the lake. Several iwi and hapū have connections here. Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Ngāti Tahu are the affiliations most often recorded for the marae and the flooded river sites.

For most of the year the locality feels like open country on a state highway. Traffic is people heading between Taupō, Rotorua and the wider Waikato, plus locals on farm roads. The power station is a working Mercury Energy facility. Orakei Korako is the main reason many travellers stop, reaching the terraces by a short boat crossing of the lake.

History and Heritage

Hydro interest in the ravine dates to the late 1930s, but construction waited until after the Second World War, when New Zealand was short of electricity. The station was built from 1956 and commissioned in 1961.

Work was organised from the hydro town of Mangakino, not from a new village at the dam. The lake was filled over 14 days in January and February 1961.

The dam is an earth structure with concrete gravity sections for the intake and spillway. It impounds the Waikato about 5 kilometres upstream of the Ātiamuri Dam.

The power station has four Francis turbines and an installed capacity of 112 megawatts. It is owned and operated by Mercury Energy. Lake Ohakuri became the largest artificial lake on the Waikato River system.

The fill drowned about two thirds of the Orakei Korako geothermal area, including Minginui Geyser and Orakei Korako Geyser, then among the largest geysers in the world. Compensation followed the land-take rules of the time.

Later claims about the damage were taken up under Waitangi Tribunal processes. Geologists also recognise an Ohakuri caldera in this part of the Taupō Volcanic Zone, from a very large eruption long before people lived here.

Away from the dam, returned servicemen took up land between Ohakuri and upper Ātiamuri after the Second World War. Road names in that country recall campaigns: Matapan, Maleme, Galatos and Dunkirk.

Getting Around

State Highway 1 is the spine of the locality, running north from Taupō toward Ātiamuri and the wider Waikato. No scheduled bus, train or ferry service for residents could be confirmed. A private vehicle is the practical way in.

Orakei Korako is signed off State Highway 1 via Tutukau Road and Orakei Korako Road. From Taupō, the turn is north of the State Highway 1 and State Highway 5 junction at Wairakei.

The geothermal field itself is reached only by the park’s boat from the visitor centre on the lake shore. Destination Great Lake Taupō lists the park as open year-round, with the boat crossing included in admission.

The dam and power station are working infrastructure. Treat them as an operating hydro site, not a public park, and follow any signs on Mercury Energy land.

River, Lake and Geothermal Country

Lake Ohakuri is the reservoir behind the dam, fed by the Waikato River. Levels move with generation, so the shoreline is not a fixed beach. The lake has long been used for boating and camping, but facilities and access rules change. Check with the operator or Taupō District Council before planning time on the water.

The geothermal valley at Orakei Korako is the main paid visit in the locality: silica terraces, springs and a cave, seen on a self-guided walk after the boat crossing. It is a ticketed attraction, not a free riverside track. Hours and prices are set by the operator and should be checked before you travel.

Where to Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Ohakuri part of Taupō?
Yes. It is a rural locality in the Taupō District, in the Mangakino-Pouakani General Ward. It is not a suburb of Taupō town.

How do I get to Ohakuri?
Drive State Highway 1 north from Taupō. Local roads branch off toward the dam, farms and Orakei Korako. No public transport service was confirmed.

Is there a town centre or shops in Ohakuri?
No shopping centre or main street was identified in the locality. Everyday supplies are in larger centres such as Mangakino and Taupō.

What is the Ōhakuri Dam?
It is a hydroelectric dam and power station on the Waikato River, commissioned in 1961 and operated by Mercury Energy, with a capacity of 112 megawatts. It forms Lake Ohakuri.

Can I visit Orakei Korako from Ohakuri?
Yes. The geothermal park sits on Lake Ohakuri and is reached by boat from its visitor centre off Tutukau Road. Check the operator for hours and tickets before you go.

What does the name Ohakuri mean?
A recorded explanation is that oha means keepsake or relic and kuri means dog, possibly referring to a prized dogskin cloak.

Which iwi are connected to Ohakuri?
Maroanui Marae is a meeting place of Ngāti Hinerau, a hapū of Ngāti Tūwharetoa. Ngāti Tahu are recorded in connection with sites flooded by the lake, including the relocation of Ohaaki Marae. Other hapū may also have interests.

Is the lake safe to swim in?
It is a hydro reservoir and levels change with generation. No water-quality grade was confirmed for this guide. Check LAWA and any local signage before swimming or boating.

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Explore Taupō only lists suburbs officially recognised by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), and Ohakuri is one of them. Suburb boundary: LINZ, CC BY 4.0.