A group of friends and I are planning on going to Taupo in 2010 for the race.
I will, of course, inquire through Ken Glah’s site but had a few questions first for those who have done it before.
1)How early do reasonably priced and convenient places book up?
2)After a brief search of hotels, cottages and homestays…which is the way to go for 5 or 6 looking to be together?
3) Is there an area that is much better to stay in?
4) send bike ahead or take with you?
thanks in advance…
I did the race in 2008. It is a great race. I did not use Ken Glah, but I know that many people from the US do use him and he does a great job. I just like to do all my own research and planning…makes it more fun for me.
There are plenty of places to stay with varying prices. If you want your choice, you might want to book 3-6 months in advance. Most of the places are more like condos with either a full kitchen or kitchenettes. We stayed at the Clarion Sacred Waters right on the lake about 3k from the race start. It was a little pricey but really nice. The town is really pretty small, so most places are going to be pretty close to the race start.
I would take your bike on the plane. Not sure where you are starting from but Air New Zealand and Quantas fly non-stop from LAX to Auckland and they have no issues with bike cases. We drove from Auckland to Taupo and it takes about 3 hrs. The roads are great, you just need to drive on the left which is no big deal for most people. If you don’t want to take your bike in your car, there are a couple of places that take it for you…check on the internet or maybe someone else on the forum can recommend.
PM me if you want more info. I was watching the race on the internet the other day and said to myself that I need to do it again…maybe 2011. Good luck!!
There’s a great range of holiday homes available at a very good price relatively close to town. Generally they are better value than motels and hotels. Have a look here - http://www.holidayhouses.co.nz/Taupo_Central_Town.asp
Also a google search for Taupo Holiday Homes will yield some other results worth tracking down. Better to book well in advance.
Second vote for holidayhomes and Ken Glah. Staying closer to the water and you can’t go wrong. Probably shop around a little, some places are starting to whack their prices up ALOT for IM week. For 5-6 people a house is the best option I think - as long as you can tolerate each other :-).
Try to take the bike with you. Just be a little careful if you fly into taupo - it is a small airport and generally very small planes (12-20 seaters), so getting more than a couple of bikes on the saame plane can be an issue.
I just did IMNZ. I live in Auckland so it’s a local race for me. I do lots of events in Taupo each year and end up there about every few months! (yes, I know I’m a sick bastard!)
I organize my own accommodation via the New Zealand Automobile Association website (they are excellent), but this year ended up in the same motel complex as Ken Glah’s group. According to the hostess, he books out the whole place (about 20 or so rooms/suites) We got the two rooms he cancelled, about 4 months ago. Ken does a great job and everyone I saw around the place seemed very happy with what he provided. I just wish he wouldn’t cater to Aussies. They are loud and crude, and not very considerate while here in NZ…well the ones this year were. 
The motel (Catelli’s) is only about 200m from T2 so makes bike pick up the next morning, very easy…if doing anything the next morning can be considered easy. It’s also an easy 10 minute stroll to all the shops and bars in Taupo and about 12 minutes to the swim start line. Very good location.
In Taupo, three events fill the town up each year. Ironman, Round Taupo Bike ride (13,000 cyclists cycle the hilly 160km around the lake in late Nov) and the A1 GP race in Feb. The town consists of little more than a squillion motels and apartment/condo blocks. The only residents seem to be people who service the tourist trade. This means there is a ton of choices for accommodation, from tiny cabin rentals at one of the several camp grounds, to backpackers lodges, to cheap motels, nice motels, to luxury hotels and apartments as well as rentals of peoples holiday homes (called bach’s here in NZ). Book early, at least 6 months ahead, to get even reasonable selection and a good location. Then sit back and enjoy all the fantastic scenery that Taupo has to offer!
Come to New Zealand, Taupo, and IMNZ and have a truly great time. You won’t regret it, that is for sure.
I’ve done IMNZ for the last 3 years and live in Auckland. The best accommodation does get booked up quite early…my ideal place is booked up over a year in advance. By best I mean a good combination of price/location/quality. If you have partners and kids with you then I would recommend staying close to town in a place with a lake view on the lake side of the main road that runs through Taupo. The road that runs through Taupo is noisy due to big trucks, even at night and if you stay on the other side of the road to the lake it can be annoying. I recommend looking in the area on the edge of the lake around near the Napier turnoff from the main road. This is on the bike and run course and only about 1.5 miles from the town centre. This means your partner can easily go back to the accomodation for a a rest during the day if they want.
A place like that will cost you about US$100-120/night and will have one or two bedrooms, a sitting room and small kitchen.
Hope this helps.