Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk

Quick info:

This is one of the New Zealand Great Walks. It is located at lake Waikaremoana in Te Urewera National Park on North Island, New Zealand. The walk is 46 kilometers long and takes approximately 3-4 days. The walk has 5 huts and numerous campsites along the way. The walk is not a circuit, but transport is easily arranged at the local motor-camp. Easy track with one stiff 600 metre climb onto Panekiri Bluff. Varied vegetation including rainforest and beech forest. Stunning lake views from Panekiri Bluff.

Times and huts:

The track is usually completed in a clockwise direction starting at Onepoto and ending at Hopuruahine landing.

Start	Distance (kms)	Time (hrs)	End	Bunks	Hut amenities
Onepoto	8.8	5	Panekiri Hut	36	Tank water, gas heater
Panekiri Hut	7.6	3 to 4	Waiopaoa Hut	30	Tank water, log burner
Waiopaoa Hut	12.1	4.5	Marauiti Hut	22	Tank water, gas heater
Marauiti Hut	6.2	2	Waiharuru Hut	40	Tank water, gas heater
Waiharuru Hut	5.3	2.5	Whanganui Hut	18	Tank water
Whanganui Hut	2.7	2	Hopuruahine

Hut descriptions:

Detailed description: Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk.

The Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk is an easy to moderate, three to four day hike on an almost circular track around the splendid Lake Waikaremoana. The highlight of the tramp are the stunning views of the lake from Panekiri bluff. The Panekiri Hut is situated on top of the bluff and is a great place to enjoy the incredible vista.

Coming a close second highlight are the opposite views from the lake edge of the bluff dominating the lake. The track passes through some fine beech forest and there are many varieties of bird life to be seen along the way.

The lake was formed 2,200 years ago when a landslide blocked the Waikaretakeke River and the water backed up to form Waikaraemoana. In 1946 the local hydro electric development lowered the lake water level by five metres.

The Lake Waikaremoana Hapu Trust, along with DOC, are attempting to stop the decline of the local kiwi population. The Puketukutuku Peninsula has been designated a predator free zone and is used to raise kiwis. A fence marks the boundary of the zone and runs parallel to the track for a short distance. The fence is there as much to keep the kiwi in as to keep predators out. Once the kiwi population reaches a certain level on the peninsula, a number of the kiwi are released to other safe areas whilst the population on Puketukutuku is allowed to grow once more.

Fishing and hunting are popular pastimes at Lake Waikaremoana with wild pig and deer abundant in the valleys of rivers feeding the lake, whilst the lake itself is home to brown and rainbow trout.

More information about the Te Urewera National Park.

How to get there:

The track is situated in the south-eastern corner of the Urewera national park near the Aniwaniwa visitor centre. The visitor centre is on State Highway 38 between Murupara (92 kms to the west) and Wairoa 63 kilometres away on the east coast. Note that most of the road between Murupara and the lake is unsealed and although suitable for two wheel drive vehicles can be quite tricky in places.

Not far from the visitor centre is a motor camp which also provides transport to and from the track ends plus a taxi boat service to a small jetty just 45 minutes in from the Hopuruahine end of the track.

(Taken from http://www.johnb.co.nz/great-walks/lake-waikaremoana-great-walk.htm)