Straddling the Bay of Plenty and Hawke’s Bay, the forests of Te Urewera are more readily explored from its southern end, which contains Lake Waikaremoana.
Coordinates
The drive in from Wairoa involves a mix of sealed and unsealed road, passing through farmland as it gains altitude:
The extensive forest largely to the north of Lake Waikaremoana, a former national park, became a legal person named Te Urewera in 2014; this reflects its spiritual significance to the Ngāi Tūhoe iwi, also known as “Children of the Mist.” In between those mists/ rain showers we enjoyed views from Lou’s Lookout to Panekiri Bluff (first photo), into Te Kauangaomanaia | The Narrows (second photo) and over Rosie Bay (third photo). Leaning Rock is seen from the DOC camp in the latter (final photo).
Legal corner
The Te Urewera Act (2014)—part of the Treaty of Waitangi settlement between Ngāi Tūhoe and the Crown—means Te Urewera is legally recognised as having “all the rights, powers, duties and liabilities of a legal person.” For the Tūhoe people this Act affirms that “Te Urewera is and has always been the homeland of Tūhoe” and that “Tūhoe are the tanata whenua (host) and kaitiaki (guardians) of Te Urewera.” In practice the law means “Te Urewera Board is appointed to represent the legal personality of Te Urewera and to provide governance over Te Urewera.” DOC have withdrawn, so henceforth “care for Te Urewera, including the tracks and facilities, is carried out by Te Uru Taumatua—Ngāi Tūhoe’s operational entity.”
🤔 Curiosity
Waikaremoana Great Walk
Around 2,200 years ago a massive landslide formed Lake Waikaremoana when it blocked a river gorge; where the Great Walk track begins at Onepoto, the debris dam is some 300m thick. The lake has supplied hydroelectric power since 1948. On the track, after a 2.3km steady climb we reached the trig at 964m for excellent views to Panekiri Bluff (first photo), of the white-sand beaches below (second photo), towards Mōkau Inlet (third photo) and back towards Rosie Bay camp (final photo).
Being NZ, there is of course also an alternative explanation for the lake’s formation:
The legend of Haumapuhia
As told by Tūhoe oral traditions:
“A great chief Maahu Tapoa Nui and his whanau (family) lived near a tapu (sacred) spring. At this time there was no great lake, but below Panekire lay a deep valley where streams met an ancient river.
One day Maahu instructed his children to fetch him some drinking water. However, two of the children—Haumapuhia and Te Rangi—did not go as instructed, and those that did, took water from the sacred spring instead of the one designated for everyday use. Upon discovering that the water was from the tapu spring, Maahu turned the offending children into stone.
Maahu then turned to Haumapuhia who was again asked to fetch some water, but once more she ignored her father’s request. Maahu was so incensed with his daughter’s disobedience that he seized Haumapuhia and thrust her head under the spring waters.
In a desperate bid to escape she cried out to the gods, who heeded her pleas, turning her human form into a powerful taniwha (supernatural being). Thrashing the earth, Haumapuhia twisted out of Maahu’s grasp. Haumapuhia then endeavoured to break out to the east; in attempting this she formed the inlet known as Te Whanganui-a-parua.
Unsuccessful in that attempt, she then turned to the south and tried to escape near present day Onepoto and reach the sea. Although successfully finding her way underground to the Waikaretāheke River, when she surfaced, the sun had risen and the rays falling upon her caused her to be transformed into rock.
The rock that is Haumapuhia lies in the Waikaretāheke River, but has since been buried by a landslide.”
🤔 Curiosity
There are very limited views as you make your way along Panekiri Bluff, but when there is a window, the vistas are nothing short of spectacular (first three photos). After 6.5km arrive at Bald Knob, at 1161m (579m above the lake surface). This is a short detour off the main track and a great spot for a picnic after about 3h of walking. We returned to Onepoto after a bite and drinking in the views (final photo).
While enjoying a well-earned break at Bald Knob, you’ll appreciate views down to the white sand beaches of Paengarua Bay (first photo) and Te Umutiti Point (second photo). You’ll also marvel at the vast expanse of forest before you, stretching beyond the horizon (third photo). However, a change in orientation reveals the farms of “civilisation” and people with chainsaws are never too far away (final photo).
This walk is also about the forest itself—not only views to bays and beaches! For the first 2h the track was on unformed ground, often in the form of a root staircase (first photo). Being rainforest, most trees supported ecosystems (second photo). During the third hour of walking the track became wider and (mostly) less steep (third photo); this allowed some looking up (final photo)!
We felt that the short side track to Lake Kiriopukae can be ignored; it’s nothing special after the vistas you’ve just seen. In all our walk was 15.4km and took 6h 20min:
While watching out for roots, we also kept an eye out for smalls. Tylopilus formosus/ dark velvet bolete is an endemic fungus (first photo). The delightfully vibrant dog vomit slime mold goes by the pseudonym Fuligo septica on formal occasions (second photo). Trail-side flowers included Wahlenbergia albomarginata/ NZ harebell (third photo) and Prunella vulgaris/ common selfheal (final photo).
The eastern side
Waikaremoana is a small settlement at the lake’s eastern end (first two photos) with a smattering of houses, DOC camp, moorings, water taxi services and vacant iwi Visitor Experience building. Pristine Lake Waikareiti (third photo) at 892m is 3.5km/ 1h uphill from Aniwaniwa and has six islands within. Hiring a boat to visit Rahui Island, with its lake-within-a-lake, requires a key for accessing oars and life jackets. If you’re finding this out after making the hike, DOC suggest you “try bribing someone younger and fitter to dash back to fetch it!” (final photo).
The mother of all landslides
DOC explain the origins of Lake Waikareiti thus:
“The lake was formed about 18,000 years ago by one of the biggest landslides in the world. A thick slab of country 10km wide slid off a smooth slope from the northwest. You are standing at the foot of the debris of this landslide, 8 km from its source. The debris created a hummocky landscape with hollows now infilled with wetlands and lakes, of which Lake Waikareiti is the largest. In some areas small streams in the forest disappear down sinkholes in the debris.”
🧭 Exploring
The eastern part of Lake Waikaremoana has several waterfalls you can visit, all within a few hundred metres of easy walking. Aniwaniwa Falls can be seen from a track just past the Aniwaniwa road bridge (first photo). Papakorito Falls are accessed from the end of Aniwaniwa Road (second photo). As you cross the Mōkau Stream bridge on Waikaremoana Road/ SH38, note an infinity pool edge (third photo); round the bend to see Mōkau Falls (final photo).
Grateful for some respite from the warm sticky weather (it was a good 10 degrees cooler in the high forest), steady rain encouraged our return to the coast to continue exploring Hawke’s Bay.
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