Parklands Motor Lodge

04/08/2026

A little sneak peek... 👀

Our Single Cabins are getting a fresh new look ready for summer! ☀️

This is the first one completed, with another three single cabins still to go!

They're the perfect option for guests wanting a comfortable, affordable stay. You'll have your own private cabin while sharing the campground kitchen and bathroom facilities – a great balance between comfort and value.

They're also ideal if the rest of your group is camping but you'd prefer a comfy bed and your own space, while still staying close by✨

02/08/2026

We're incredibly excited to share that Parklands Motor Lodge has been named a finalist in the 2026 Stella Awards!

This was the very first year we've ever entered the awards. We entered just two categories... and we're absolutely thrilled to have made the finals in both!

🏆 LOVE TAUPŌ Smooth Operators – recognizing tourism and accommodation businesses that go above and beyond to make visitors feel welcome while showcasing everything that makes our district so special.

🏆 CAMEX Civil Stella Survivor – recognizing businesses that have overcome significant challenges and emerged stronger, more resilient, and ready for the future.

To make it even more special, only five businesses were selected as finalists in each category, making this a huge achievement for our team.

We're also incredibly proud to see so many Tūrangi businesses make the finals. With a much smaller business community than Taupō, seeing so many local businesses recognized is something our whole town should celebrate.

Congratulations to our fellow Tūrangi finalists:
👏 Turangi Marine Limited
👏 Tongariro Lodge
👏 The Olive Rabbit
👏 Hare & Copper Eatery
👏 Ora Studio
This year, for the first time ever, the winners will also be decided in part by a public vote!

If you've stayed with us, supported us, or simply want to see Tūrangi shine, we'd be incredibly grateful for your vote. We'd also love to see some of our fellow Tūrangi finalists take home an award. We're the small fish in a big pond, so let's show everyone what our little town is made of! ❤️

🗳️ Vote here: https://stellaawards.co.nz/stella-finalists-public-vote/

A huge thank you to our incredible team, our loyal guests, and everyone who has supported us along the way. We can't wait to celebrate with all the finalists on 11 September. Whatever the result, making the finals in both categories in our very first year is something we'll always be proud of.

02/08/2026

🤔 Did you know scientists have found that just one 30-minute sauna session can temporarily increase the number of immune cells circulating through your body?

Sauna health benefits have been talked about for decades, and this latest research makes for an interesting read—especially with winter bugs doing the rounds.

When you book your accommodation in Tūrangi, why not prioritise your health and wellbeing too? Our on-site sauna is available for an additional charge, whether you're unwinding after a long day at work or simply enjoying a relaxing weekend away.

👇 Read the full article below. Have you ever tried a sauna?

Scientists have discovered that just 30 minutes in a sauna may temporarily change the way your immune system behaves.

01/08/2026

Walk it. Bike it. Love it. 🌿📍Tongariro River Trail

23/07/2026

🎉 Help us reach our first 1,000 TikTok followers!

We’re hoping to grow our TikTok community and would love your support.

📱 Follow us

Once you’ve followed us, simply comment DONE on this Facebook post to go in the draw.

🎁 Once we reach 1,000 followers, we’ll randomly draw one winner to receive a $100 voucher that can be used for:
• Accommodation here at Parklands Motor Lodge, Tūrangi
• Accommodation at Havelock North Holiday Park
• Or as a meal voucher at Riverside Bar & Restaurant Turangi

We really appreciate everyone’s support—it means a lot to our small team.

👀 And this is just the start! We’ll be doing an even bigger giveaway when we reach our next follower milestone, so stay tuned.

Good luck! 🤍

Winner will be randomly drawn from everyone who comments “DONE” once we’ve reached 1,000 TikTok followers.

23/07/2026

Here's something you might not know about Parklands... the same owners also own New Zealand's newest holiday park, and they've just received some incredible recognition! 🏆

Havelock North Holiday Park has been named a FINALIST in not one, but THREE categories at the 2026 Holiday Parks New Zealand Awards!

⭐ Small Park Development Award
⭐ Small Park Improvement Award
⭐ Small Park of the Year Award

As New Zealand's newest holiday park, they've pretty much built it from the ground up. Over the past few years they've continually invested in new accommodation, facilities and guest experiences, and it's been incredible to watch it grow into what it is today.

The park offers campsites, motel rooms, large family units, an onsite restaurant, a playground with a giant bouncy pillow, and hydroslides are currently being added to the pool ready for summer. It's quickly becoming a destination in its own right for anyone visiting Hawke's Bay.

If you enjoy staying with us here at Parklands, we're sure you'll love staying there too.

To help celebrate this incredible achievement, anyone who books direct with them and mentions this post will receive 10% off their stay. It's the perfect excuse to plan a Hawke's Bay getaway and experience everything they've created.

We couldn't be prouder to see all of that hard work recognised at a national level. We'll be cheering them on from here at Parklands and wish them the very best of luck in the awards. ❤️

19/07/2026

A huge congratulations to the team at The Larder Cafe & Bakery here in Tūrangi for being selected as a contestant in the 2026 Bakels New Zealand Supreme Pie Awards! 🥧👏

We’re especially proud because one of our Parklands team members has family behind this fantastic local business.

If you’ve spent any time in Tūrangi, you’ll know our town is famous for its pies, and The Larder is one of the reasons why. They’ve also jumped on board with the latest pie craze, offering mince and double cheese, and even triple cheese on some of their pies. If you’ve been on New Zealand social media lately, you’ve probably seen all the pie review videos—especially the ones featuring mince and double cheese pies!

Whether you’re heading up the mountain, spending the day on the river, or just need breakfast before work, there’s nothing quite like starting the day with a hot pie.

We wish The Larder team the very best of luck in the awards and will be cheering them on from here at Parklands. Supporting local businesses helps our whole community thrive, so next time you’re in Tūrangi, make sure you stop in and give them a try.

19/07/2026

Come walk the Taranaki Falls Track with us. 📍Located in Tongariro National Park, it’s just 38 minutes from Tūrangi and one of the many incredible walks right here in our big backyard. This 6 km loop takes around 1.5–2 hours to complete and is relatively easy, making it suitable for most fitness levels. The highlight is walking behind the 20-metre Taranaki Falls while taking in spectacular views of Mt Ruapehu 🗻and the surrounding volcanic landscape. We filmed this in July, showing it’s a fantastic winter walk, although it’s accessible for most of the year depending on weather conditions.

19/07/2026

📍 Taranaki Falls - Short 30 minutes drive from Turangi - one of the many stunning walks in our beautiful back yard 😍😍

13/07/2026

🌟 A MASSIVE SHOUT OUT TO OUR TEAM & GUESTS! 🌟

What an incredible long weekend!

A huge thank you to all of our amazing staff who worked incredibly hard, and to every guest who chose to stay with us here at Parklands. ❤️

It was fantastic to see Tūrangi, Taupō and the wider Ruapehu region so busy! From what we experienced here at Parklands, and from conversations with many other businesses in the industry, this long weekend definitely topped Easter and was on par with, if not busier than, some of our summer periods.

What makes this even more amazing is that we, alongside many other businesses in the region, are still technically in our off-peak season.

The past few months have been incredibly quiet across the board, which naturally meant we were operating with a smaller team heading into the weekend. To suddenly go from such a quiet period to an exceptionally busy long weekend was a huge change of pace, and our team did an amazing job keeping everything running and looking after our guests.

We were completely full and had to turn away more than 30 accommodation enquiries across Friday and Saturday alone! While we hate having to turn anyone away, it’s an incredible sign of just how much demand there is for our local area and everything this beautiful region has to offer.

A massive thank you again to our staff. We are incredibly proud of what our small team achieved over such a busy weekend! 🙌

One thing we are really starting to notice is that demand for peak periods seems to be growing again and moving back towards what we saw pre-COVID. Long weekends and other busy periods are filling up earlier, and we are finding ourselves completely booked more often.

Because of this, we really do encourage anyone planning a trip to Tūrangi, Taupō or the wider Ruapehu region during a long weekend or peak period to plan ahead and book accommodation early. We hate having to turn people away, but once we’re full, we’re full!

If you missed out this weekend, the good news is that we still have plenty of availability across many of the upcoming weekends — with fewer crowds and just as much to see and do!

The mountain is also looking set for a great season, so now is a great time to start planning your winter getaway. 🏔️❄️

Thank you again to everyone who stayed with us, supported local businesses and helped make it such an incredible weekend for our region. ❤️