When planning your ride on three arms of the Great Lake Trail, part of Nga Haerenga – the NZ Cycle Trail, Kinloch is the perfect place to finish any trail stopping for ice creams coffee or an excellent meal.diverges east and west and cyclists on the Waihaha trail are brought back to Kinloch by boat. By mountain bike or foot, the bush-clad trails gradually climb to cliffs above Kinloch where your efforts are rewarded with magnificent views right across Lake Taupo and Kawakawa Bay.

Lake cruises and fishing charters can depart or drop off at the Kinloch marina. If you catch a trout, you can barbecue it fresh from the water in the shade of the poplars at the lakefront park. If you’ve been unlucky, just order fish and chips at the local Kinloch Store to eat on the beach, or dine at the charming Tipsy Trout café and restaurant while the kids play with toys from the public beach library and toybox shed.

Kinloch Village is home to two excellent golf courses, the much loved 10 hole public course and the Jack Nicklaus designed The Kinloch Club that has been ranked as the best golf course in New Zealand. It’s overlooked by the imposing castle-like luxury lodge The Kinloch Club designed to pay tribute to the Scots heritage of the township (Kinloch is from Scottish Gaelic, meaning ‘head of the lake’).