more new zealand holiday ideas
..walking the waikaremoana track
The Lake Waikaremoana track has the largest area of native forest in the North Island. This region is the ancestral home of the Ngai Tuhoe - the ‘Children of the Mist’. It is also home to the mythical fairy creatures patupaiarehe, who have been known to spirit away the wives of Maori warriors. Fall under the spell of the forest and you can almost hear the sound of fairy flutes and mischievous laughter.
Entirely within the boundaries of Te Urewera National Park, the Lake Waikaremoana Track mostly follows the shores of the great lake. Over three to four days, it leads you through pristine rainforest, regenerating shrubland areas of wetland, rush and herbfield and a magical ‘goblin forest’. You will also discover magnificent rivers, waterfalls and ghostly valleys of mist.
The climb to the Panekire Bluffs is the hardest section of the track, but it reveals the greatest reward - long-range views across the lake, forest and seemingly-endless mountains.