Waikaremoana Discovery Tour

We’ll collect you from your central Rotorua accommodation between 8.00am – 8:30am.

We’ll get to know each other as we drive east, through the Kaingaroa State Forest, around the foothills of mighty Mount Tarawera and into the heart of Te Urewera.

Our first stop is the Whirinaki ‘Dinosaur’ Forest, where we’ll have a very special experience hiking through New Zealand’s most pristine, giant podocarp forest. There is only 5% remaining worldwide of this type of forest and Whirinaki is one of only two remaining sites in the North Island.

Relish the opportunity to spend some deep, introspective time amongst a unique tract of nature. Stop awhile to fully observe stands of towering native trees, including giant totara, kahikatea and matai. This was the site of New Zealands first environmental protest, backed by some very famous faces. 

Keep an eye out for kākā (a large forest parrot) & whio (rare blue duck) along the way, as they choose to make their homes in only the cleanest ecosystems. This hiking trail skirts the moss-lined Te Whaiti-Nui-A-Toi canyon – one of the most picturesque rivers in New Zealand and a closely guarded secret. 

Later, we’ll continue the incredible drive through truly remote wilderness to Lake Waikaremoana, the ‘sea of rippling waters’ where we’ll settle in to our cosy chalets with pre-dinner drinks and a grazing platter on the lake shore. We’ll raise a glass and toast our arrival over a delicious, 2-course evening meal prepared by your talented guides. 

• Accommodation: Waikaremoana Holiday Park 
• Meals included: Lunch & Dinner 
• Hiking time: 4 hours or 8 – 10 kms (5 – 6 miles) 
• Driving time: 4 hours 

This morning we’ll begin our invigorating hike up the spectacular Panekire Bluffs that overlook Lake Waikaremoana.

This section is part of the Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk track, one of only 3 Great Walks in the North Island. As we climb higher, we’ll see the lush podocarp forest change into cloud forest with trees covered in fascinating hanging moss. We’ll reach a wide, flat lookout, where we are greeted with astounding views over Lake Waikaremoana and the endless forest-clad mountains of Te Urewera National Park. What a place for a picnic! 

If the legs are still feeling fresh, there’s an option to continue hiking for a further 2 hours, over gently undulating terrain, to reach the highest point of the Great Walk track to get views over not only the Lake, but out to the Pacific Coast, and even Mt Ruapehu on a clear day. 

Your guides make this incredible hike even more memorable by sharing local stories and legends and bringing the extraordinary cultural, social and geological history of Te Urewera to life. Te Urewera is an extremely important cultural and geographical asset to the North Island. It is now considered a legal personhood and is a world-leading example of the indigenous world view in practice. 

Before dinner, we’ll get together on the verandah to toast a fabulous day with a cold glass of crisp New Zealand wine or beer and linger over a grazing platter of fresh, seasonal fruits, cheeses and dips. We’ll sit back and enjoy each others company over another generous two-course, Kiwi-style meal in the park dining room to finish our evening off nicely. 

• Accommodation: Waikaremoana Holiday Park 
• Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner 
• Hiking time: 3 – 6 hours or 9 kms (6 miles) 
• Elevation gain: 500 metres 
• Driving time: 30 mins

After a hearty cooked breakfast, we’ll take a walk through a magnificent, ancient red and silver beech forest up to the pristine Lake Waikareiti, which lies a further 300 metres in elevation above Lake Waikaremoana.

Reached only by walking track, this lake is free of introduced aquatic plants and is inaccessible to motorised boats, therefore has outstanding water clarity and is blissfully peaceful! If conditions allow, we’ll take a dip (optional) in the crystal-clear, fresh water or spend some time at the day shelter soaking up the peaceful surroundings. Lake Waikareiti is home to 6 islets, the largest of which contains another lake – yup, that’s a lake on an island on a lake, on an island! 

Listen out for more kākā and kākāriki (yellow-crowned rainforest parakeet), be surrounded by bold toutouwai/North Island robin and tiny, energetic titipounamu/riflemen.

Take the time to stop and see the sights and sounds of abundance and maybe glimpse a rare native mistletoe clinging to old growth native forest. This time is yours to enjoy. 

Later, we’ll return to Lake Waikaremoana where there’s an option to walk to a dazzling clear fresh-water spring, or a hike through fern forest to explore the unusual Onepoto Caves, a network of shallow, dry caves set into the rocky bluff, formed by the colossal landslide that created Lake Waikaremoana. 

• Accommodation: Waikaremoana Holiday Park 
• Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner 
• Hiking time: 3 – 5 hours or 4 – 6 kms (3 – 4 miles) 
• Elevation gain: 300 metres 
• Driving time: 15 mins 

This morning, we’ll take in a stunning 1.5 – 2 hour loop trail traversing a secluded corner of the lake through gorgeous tawa and ancient podocarp tree forest.

Here, we’ll pay our respects to a 1,200 year old native rata tree, the oldest known rata tree in existence! There is nothing quite like this quality of forest anywhere else in the North Island. 

A visit to Waikaremoana wouldn’t be complete without a short, 45 minute stroll to beautiful Aniwaniwa Falls, which means ‘Rainbow.’ From two lookout points, we’ll be able to view the falls from an upper and lower perspective and give you a chance to spot the rare fleshy-lipped whistling duck or whio bobbing about on the river-side. 

We’ll make a quick stop at Mokau Landing for a picnic lunch while we enjoy views of the impressive Panekire Bluff to reflect on our achievements over the past 4 days.

Then, we say a fond farewell to Te Urewera and make our way out back to civilisation, stopping for a soak in a natural hot spring under a canopy of native trees. We’ll cap things off with the pop of a bottle of bubbly, a perfect way to finish off a fantastic walking holiday in New Zealand’s last, true wilderness area.

We’ll return you safely to your accommodation in Rotorua between 5 – 6pm to meet your onward travel connections. 

• Meals included: Breakfast & Lunch 
• Hiking time: 3 – 4 hours or 5 kms (3 miles) 
• Elevation gain: 255 metres 
• Driving time: 4 hours 

Please note this itinerary may be modified. We like to keep the trip flexible to make the most of weather conditions, & tailor the trip to suit the group. To maximise your experience and minimise drive times we may shuttle the vehicle, so some sections of trail may be walked without a guide. We’ll ensure you are well-prepared for this.