Lake Waikaremoana - Sea of Rippling Waters
- Natty Knees
- May 4
- 7 min read
Updated: May 14
The crew's second Great Walk sees us hiking through rainforest and circumnavigating the remote, Lake Waikaremoana. The hike requires a gut busting climb to a bluff which rewards us with epic views across the lake. A swim under beautiful cascading waterfall turns to mishap, which requires medical attention from the crew nurses and some unattractive plaster placement. Read on to hear about our adventure and some cautionary tales about possums.
Great Walk: Lake Waikaremoana
Time of Year: February
Day 1 - Onepoto to Panekire Hut
We drive up from Napier in the early morning to Wairoa which takes just over 2 hours. The bakery is rumoured to be one of the best, so we stop in and grab a sneaky mince and cheese pie then take the turnoff to the Lake. It’s about 30 minutes on a gravel road so we slow down winding our way into the Te Ureweras. The area is very remote and since we’re driving our own cars, we arrange to park them at Big Bush Holiday Park so they are secure for the walk. Newcomer, Dr John, has injured his back so has arranged to get his hiking pack dropped to the second and third huts and will travel with a small day pack each day. We all collectively take the opportunity to off load our ‘excess liquids’ into his transported pack to lighten our load also.
A shuttle transports us to Onepoto and we start the hike just before midday which steepens very quickly up through the forest. The DOC hiking guide indicates the trek up to the Panekire Hut will take around 4-6 hours. It’s a blistering summer’s day and we’re thankful for shade from the magnificent ancient forest and towering trees. The Te Urewera’s remind us of what NZ probably looked like before our European ancestors inhabited these shores. Heaving up the mountain we sometimes grab branches for leverage through steeper sections. The crew is sweating buckets, and we break for 10 minutes to catch our breath where everyone queries how much longer the climb goes for. As no one has researched this walk I decide now is not the time to tell them the online reviews have described the climb as ‘relentless’. We suck back water, jerk our packs back on and continue upwards. It is a tough climb with loaded packs, the second hardest climb to the Hump Ridge we find out years later.
But all the pain and panting is forgotten when we breach the forest canopy and arrive at Panikere Bluff. Spectacular views stretch out across the lake and we marvel at the sight mumbling one-word syllables. It's here you realize just how far above the lake you have risen over the last few hours. The lake is a welcoming deep blue and you finally get to see its boundaries as the water stretches out across the horizon. We take advantage of the glorious backdrop and stop for some much-needed sammies and photo ops.
We press on after lunch and continue along the forest ridgeline with a much easier and enjoyable gradient towards the hut.
Thankfully we are still under shade, and we eventually come across some steep steps with a warning sign noting a weight load limit of one person. The steps look rickety AF so we decide not to test the structural integrity and appropriately ascend one by one. Bursting through the bushes we arrive at our final destination, Panekire Hut. Now Great Walk huts are basic (no showers, bunk beds, pit toilets) but are usually well-kept but honestly this hut could use a spring clean, probably four springs ago. The dusty cobwebs give the hut an abandoned derelict chic vibe. It’s got a lovely grassy knoll though, so we throw off our packs and boots, open the wine bladders, and catch the last sun rays.
Day 2 - Panekire Hut to Waiopaoa Hut
Today’s hike is short so we lol around the hut making breakfast, sweeping out the hut, and generally buggering around which we are pretty good at. Eventually everyone has re-packed and we start the descent from the hut to the lakes edge. There are plenty of steps to navigate down through the native bush and we are glad to have ascended from the Onepoto end avoiding these.
Before we know it, we have surprisingly reached the next hut, Waiopaoa Hut, very quickly in under 2.5hrs. In retrospect next time I would probably skip staying at Panekire Hut and stay the night at Waiopaoa Hut instead next to the lake. The hut is in better condition than Panekire Hut and lakeside so you can swim after a long day hiking which is good for the soul (and your roomies). We decide to chill on the beach, meet our fellow hikers, and go swimming for the rest of the day. The good Dr's pack arrives by water taxi so we crack into our excess liquids far earlier than we should.
The hut ranger, Rakau, is an experienced hunter and has caught some trout in the lake for everyone to try. Sassy Mama convinces Rakau to sashimi the trout and offers up her Kewpie mayo and chilli flakes to ensure some fine dining in the hut tonight. To be honest you can put Kewpie mayo on anything, and it will taste good, maybe even some questionable dehydrated hiking meals. The next morning, we notice some possum skins hung up outside the hut door. Some poor campers got their tent ransacked by some possums after they left food uncovered. Possums are a pest in NZ and luckily for them the hut ranger efficiently took care of the possum problem for them. Although NZ doesn’t have a lot of dangerous animals that will kill you, we do have a lot of animals that will steal your sh*t so remember to pack up your food once you've finished with it.
Day 3 - Waiopaoa Hut to Marauiti Hut
Today we are heading to Marauiti Hut and will be following the edge of the lake which is relatively flat. Kiwis tend to understate things, so beware when a local tells you the walk is flat. It never actually is (don’t believe them) but is likely to be undulating. In under an hour, we come across the turn off to Korokoro Falls where we drop our packs in the bushes and head for the side trip which takes another 30 minutes to reach. There is some rock hopping needed with a steel cable for support to get there but worth the effort.
The waterfall is jaw droppingly impressive with water cascading through the forest and cliffs. There is a bit of climbing involved to get down to the water hole but well worth it for a refreshing swim in paradise. You can walk underneath the waterfall and get pummeled by the showers pouring across the cliff overhang. The rocks are very slippery which I unfortunately found out the hard way, smacking my jaw on an extruding rock after slipping forward exiting the water. Luckily for me our two crew nurses seem somewhat stoked to finally get to use the first aid kit. The bleeding is promptly stopped, the wound closed, and some not very inconspicuous plasters are slapped all over my face for the remainder of the hike. Cool.
We head back down the track to collect our packs and bump into a lovely couple from Gizzy (Gisborne) who tell us we are not far from a grassy area where we could have lunch at.
We are also not far from their boat anchored in the lake which incidentally has a fridge and very cold beer. These kind track angels share some cold beers with us thirsty hikers and offer to take us out water skiing for the day dropping us to the next hut foregoing the walk if we are keen. The offer is so very tempting as the lake is glassy, but we reluctantly decline since the goal is to 'actually walk' the Great Walks. Before we head off, they tell us about the ‘secret flushing toilet’ only the locals know about in the bush. Knowing that it has been a few days since we have encountered such luxury, they give us vague location details and wish us luck for the rest of the hike.
We head off and start climbing up into the forest where the track undulates in and around the lake for hours. We manage to locate the secret flushing toilet and happily use the facilities because it would be rude not to. Soon we come across an old bach with a few older locals sitting outside getting a tan and having a few beers. We stop for a chat and turns out the bach has been family owned for many years. They strangely have a mini basketball court and let us a shoot some hoops before we push on to the Marauiti hut before it gets dark.
We finally arrive at Marauiti Hut and it’s a cool old DOC hut. The bunk beds are arranged in this dodgy three-level configuration. The third level seems like an afterthought and fits three brave souls who are happy to risk some safety for a good night’s sleep. The lake is close by, and we go and throw ourselves in for a swim and a glass of vino before dinner.
The water is magical and good for tired muscles after a deceptively long but fun day on the track. After dinner we head down to the lake, relax, light the fire and pass the remaining whiskey around. Studacris opts to sleep lakeside by the fire tonight instead of braving a packed bunk room full of tired snoring hikers.
Day 4 - Marauiti Hut to Hopuruahine landing
Today we are walking to the Hopuruahine landing where we will be picked up by water taxi and transported back to Onepoto. The hike is relatively easy going and is mostly flat with a bit of undulating terrain. We follow lakeside most of the way and there are sections of muddy track that we have to trudge through. A friend mentioned when she did the track it was hellishly muddy, and we are reminded that Te Urewera is a rain forest and are grateful for the brilliant weather. We reach the landing in good timing and have enough time for a quick dip and some food before the boat arrives.
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