New Zealand: Lake Waikaremoana

New Zealand is a backpacker's paradise, and the Great Walks of New Zealand, each lasting several days and from 40 km to 60 km, are a pleasure to walk.

 Lake Waikermoana - the Sea of Rippling Water - is one of the most inaccessible of the Great Walks. Therefore, it is visited mostly by Kiwis (New Zealanders). It can only be accessed by a car journey from Napier or Rotorua (from where we hired a car and drove down). It has just one place with one room to stay (near Tuai). The advantage is it one of the few Great Walks that aren't booked in advance by six months!

The trail head is clearly marked out at both ends. We did the Waikeremoana trail from Onepoto towards Hopuruahine, the opposite way (normally done from Hopuruahine to Onepoto) and found quite a few backpackers doing it that way.

All along, the views are simply fabulous, and it was also very windy. At times the trail carried us high above the lake, sometimes winding through the forest, and going along the lake.

This was one of the huts found all along the trail. The governement of New Zealand has these beautiful, utilitarian huts and campsites placed every 10-15 km along the trail. The huts have water, a small kitchen where you can use your own stove, and make your own food, toilets, and bunk beds with matresses

 This was the hut where we stopped for a night.

Glancing up through the thick trees in the forests of Lake Waikaremoana

 A bridge along the way

The trail winding up high on a hill

 Korokoro Waterfalls - a 1.5 hour diversion from the trail. 

 This is a map of the Lake Waikeremoana, for those who may be interested. On the right side is a black line indicating the road. You park your car at either Onepoto, or Hopuruahine for the days of the trek. The red line indicates the trail along the lake.

We did the trail from Onepoto to Waiharuru, just short of Hopuruahine. This was because there was no water ferry from Hopuruahine. We needed to use the water ferry to get back to our car park on the final day of our trek. The total distance of the trek was listed as 35 kms, but in actuality, we walked around 41 kms over two days, including the diversion to Korokoro Waterfalls.

At Waiharuru, we met a couple who was camping there with a huge tent that seemed to be 18 man tent! The couple had come there on a speedboat and were carrying enough supplies for a week. They had their own small library, chairs, gas, kitchenette, separate toilet tent, solar chargers, and inverter. They almost seemed to grown roots there comfortably for the week! What a beautiful way to spend their summer holiday.