Turangi, New Zealand

Turangi, 50km south of Taupo, is small, flat and characterless, planned in the mid-1960s and built almost overnight for workers toiling away at the tunnels and concrete channels of the ambitious Tongariro Power Scheme. It doesn't even make the best of its location – Lake Taupo is only 4km to the north and the town centre is separated by SH1 from its trump card, the fishing and rafting waters of the Tongariro River. Nonetheless, it is popular with trout fishers, and works as a base for a smattering of sights and activities in the immediate vicinity and for the Tongariro National Park, just beyond the steep volcanic range to the south. It has also become a jumping-off point for the Tongariro Alpine Crossing with hostels offering transport to and from the trailheads.