lake waikaremoana

We left Rotorua and went up into the Te Urewera mountains to Lake Waikaremoana. Google maps had the drive estimated at about 2 1/2 hours, but they had obviously not driven the road because it took closer to 4 hours. A good portion of the road was not paved, but the dirt sections were graded and in pretty good condition. We knew in advance that the road had unsealed sections, but the drive was well worth the extra drive time because the road took us into a secluded and relatively untouched area within Te Urewera National Park. The landscapes and native forests were extraordinary.

As we got closer to the lake, we drove along a gentle river that gained force and grew into a torrent.  Then we saw an amazing waterfall...followed by several more.

We spent the night at a motor camp on Lake Waikaremoana. The camp had simple cabins for accommodation, and we stayed in one with a bedroom on the main level as well as a small loft. The kids were thrilled to sleep up in the loft, and we explained that they were sleeping in the "barn" loft of a because they are pretty fascinated with farms these days. (We immobilized them with straight jackets and had them sleeping in their cots/pack n' plays so they couldn't fall out of the loft in the night.)

After a good night's rest, we went on a very short walk to Papakorito Falls and then a longer hike through the forest. We really enjoyed the forest walk because the trees were amazing. One tree was a highlight by itself with a 13-foot diameter trunk. We found it especially interesting to see the native trees and plants because they're different from those back in North America.

If you look closely in the photo, you can see wild horses down by the water.

 Click here for a list of easy hikes from the Lake Waikaremoana motor camp.