Lake Tarawera

Lake Tarawera brings together an expansive lake area, lakeside trails, bays and places of cultural significance. It is one of New Zealand’s largest lakes, and geothermal springs can be found on both its southern and northern shores. When planning your trip, it is worth deciding first what you would most like to focus on: hiking, activities on the water, or history and culture as well? The different destinations around Lake Tarawera offer a range of ways to explore these interests.

Walking trails by the lake

The 15 km Tarawera Trail is a bush walk through native forest. It follows the shore of Lake Tarawera to Te Rātā Bay and Hot Water Beach. Te Hinau Bay and the cold springs at Twin Streams are also described as stops along the trail: it passes through lakeside forest to the bay and past the springs.

A useful landmark on the Tarawera Trail is Hawaiki Bay: about 5 km from the start of the trail, it offers access to the lake and a picnic area with toilets. Its approximate distance from the trailhead and the facilities available make this a stop in its own right. The Tarawera Walkway also passes through Stoney Point. This makes it possible to distinguish two named trails and places without combining them into a single route.

There is also a way to combine hiking at Lake Tarawera with travel on the water: Totally Tarawera operates a water taxi that can take hikers to the 15 km Tarawera Trail and other popular walking tracks around the lake, or pick them up from there. When planning a hike, you can therefore consider this transport option as well as the route itself. It is particularly useful if you do not want to start and finish your hike in the same place.

Activities on and in the water

Stoney Point is a popular spot for swimming and boating. Those who want to make these activities the focus of their visit will find a clearly identified lakeside destination there. Shore fishing is popular at Rangiuru Bay in summer, while trout fishing is especially popular at Punaromia in the autumn months. The seasonal details distinguish the two fishing opportunities: Rangiuru Bay is associated with summer, and Punaromia with the autumn months.

The jetties also provide a point of reference for planning activities on the water. Punaromia has traditional jetties and boat departure points on Lake Tarawera. Visitors travelling on the lake can also dock at Rāpatu Bay and walk from there to Lake Rotomahana via the Isthmus Track. These are two different starting points and options; they should not be understood as one combined route.

Cultural heritage and further discoveries

A short walk from Punaromia, also known as Tarawera Landing, leads to the ancient rock paintings of the Tuhourangi. This adds a cultural dimension to the activities on the water. The Lake Tarawera area is also considered the birthplace of tourism in New Zealand. If you are interested in these historical connections as well as natural attractions, you can take them into account when choosing your excursions.

Another hiking option is the Tarawera River Walk. The track runs through native forest along the riverbank to Tarawera Falls and is rated as one of New Zealand’s best short walks. It therefore differs from the 15 km Tarawera Trail in its destination and its classification as a short walk. When looking for a holiday home, you can consider which of these experiences you want to shape your trip: a longer hike by the lake, activities on the water, fishing, cultural discoveries or a walk to the waterfalls.

Discover more places: Atiamuri, Reporoa, Rotorua, Hamurana, Okere Falls, Waikite Valley, Mourea.

Return to the regional travel overview: Rotorua District.