Wairakei Golf & Sanctuary

Wairakei is often touted by New Zealand Golfers as there favorite. The course itself is well designed, always in great condition and challenging but the draw cards are the jaw-dropping natural reserve in which you find yourself surrounded by.

Wairakei golf course has been skillfully designed to blend with the surrounding native bush. Prolific birdsong, picturesque scenery and a unique pest-proof sanctuary (the first of its kind) has led to Wairakei being recognized as New Zealand’s number one golf course.

The predator-free sanctuary offers a safe haven to fallow deer and many birdlife including mixed color pheasants, guinea fowl, Peking ducks and our nation’s icon, the kiwi, which is all free to roam around the course.

Many find sanctuary on a golf course but it is rare to find a golf course that is a sanctuary, New Zealand’s Wairakei Golf + Sanctuary is thought to have scored a world first! The ecological restoration is the first of its kind in New Zealand and was prompted by golf course owner Gary Lane’s desire to create a unique environment where golf and the natural habitat work in harmony.

Wairakei Golf + Sanctuary is situated in the Wairakei Tourist Park which is an extraordinary geothermal area just north of Taupo township. Cultural experiences, bubbling mud and hot pools are a major attraction for visitors to the Taupo region, and Wairakei Golf + Sanctuary is one of the most popular golfing destinations in New Zealand.

Course stats: 18 holes, 6460 yards, par: 72