Cityscape or small town - Taupo from the view of Tyla
Tyla Schaw, a SADD student from Taupo-nui-a-Tia College, has shared with us what is like to live in the beautiful lake town, Taupo.
What is your name?
Tyla Schaw.
Where are you from?
Beautiful Taupo in the central North Island.
Tell us 3 facts about Taupo
Lake Taupo is the biggest freshwater lake in Australasia, it is roughly the size of Singapore! Many movies are filmed around Taupo using the ranges and mountains. Taupo is also a major tourist destination over summer and winter making our population nearly double!
How long have you lived there?
I moved to Taupo in 2011, so I've been here for nearly 10 years!
What's your favourite thing about Taupo?
I love all the activities that go on! Taupo is constantly moving around and filled with tourists.
What is one good thing about living in a town like Taupo?
My favourite thing would be being in a big school and knowing nearly everyone. The community is super close and always giving no matter the time of year.
What are a couple of road safety issues you are combating in your school/community?
Our school is on one of the main roads in Taupo, so trying to keep everyone at the school speed is a struggle but we work with it to make it safer for everyone.
Who do you think is the most famous person from Taupo?
There's a few but my picks would be Nolene Taurua (Silver Ferns coach) , Awhimai Fraser ( actor) and of course Willie Apiata.
What is the name of your school and how many people go there?
I go to Taupo Nui a Tia College and we have roughly 1,050 students.
How long do you have to drive/commute to get to school?
I drive 30 minutes to get to school as i live out of town.
What is something you enjoy about being a SADD leader in your school?
I think the thing I enjoy is holding a meeting and you see new students coming in, you see more and more students getting involved every term. We try to run activities as much as we can and you see the students having fun and they always enjoy watching Taupo Police join in too. It makes me happy to be involved in such an amazing group.
Special thanks to Tyla for sharing about your hometown with us! Do you have a story you want to share? Get in touch with us to be featured on the blog!