Lake Waikaremoana

Geology

About 2200 years ago a massive landslide eight kilometres long and four kilometres wide, composed of huge sandstone slabs, blocked the Waikaretaheke River. The resulting catchment is now Lake Waikaremoana. The lake, 610 metres above sea level, contains about nine cubic kilometres of water and reaches depths of 256 metres.

The Lake Waikaremoana area was originally part of the sea floor, uplifted about two million years ago. It consists of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone 10 to 15 million years old. The Lake Waikaremoana shoreline is formed around long reaching peninsulas and deep sheltered coves. Along the southern shores of Lake Waikaremoana lie the Panekiri Bluffs. These impressive features provide views over the lake and also of the Pacific Ocean to the east. The lake is surrounded by Te Urewera National Park, the fourth-largest national park in New Zealand, extending over 225,000 hectares. It is the largest untouched indigenous forest remaining in the North Island.

Botany

Few places in New Zealand have such wide botanical variety as is found around Lake Waikaremoana and in Urewera National Park. From tiny ferns and swamp grasses to luxuriant podocarp rainforest in the lowlands and mountain beech on the tops, it has more than 650 native plant species.

Some of the more notable species include rata, rimu, kahikatea, silver and red beech, totara, and our national symbol, the silver fern.

Infinite varieties of ferns, lichens and mosses crowd every available space making the park an extraordinary natural garden.

Zoology

Bird life is plentiful around Lake Waikaremoana, with 35 protected native species. Intensive kiwi and kokako recovery programmes are in progress. Visitors to the area can expect to see tui, bellbirds, fantails, tomtits, kaka, kakariki, robins, falcons and rifleman.

Kiwi and morepork calls may be heard at night. In the estuaries and by the lake edges, mallard, grey and paradise duck are common.

Kingfishers, herons and scaup are sighted regularly, and occasionally, at the Aniwaniwa Stream and Whirinaki River, watchers may be rewarded with the sight and sound of the whio, the endangered native blue duck.

Fishing

Lake Waikaremoana is recognised as one of New Zealand's best trout fishing spots. Trout were first released in the lake in 1896 where they have formed a strong population.

Lake Waikaremoana is fed by over 120 km of crystal clear rivers and streams, and boasts exciting boat and shore fishing. It has both brown and rainbow trout, with average weights being 1.2kg for rainbow and 2kg for brown. Both spin and fly-fishing is permitted in the lake provided you have a fishing license. Licences are easily attained, and fishing gear can be hired in Rotorua.

History

For centuries Te Urewera has been the home of the Tuhoe, the local Maori people, who learned to live in harmony with the dense native forest and harsh conditions. Tuhoe earned a reputation as savage and fierce warriors and were called on many times to fight to retain control of Lake Waikaremoana.

With the arrival of Europeans the Tuhoe, in contrast to most other tribes, felt relatively secure in their land. The wild nature of their territory made it unlikely to be coveted by settlers hungry for farmland, and this isolation enabled them to retain their separate identity longer than most other tribes.

The remote area eventually became a frontier, sheltering the Maori Guerrilla leader Te Kooti and later the prophet Rua, both campaigners against colonial government. In an attempt to control potential uprisings an Armed Constabulary outpost was established near Onepoto in the 1860's. The last shot between Maori and Pakeha in the NZ Land Wars was reputedly fired in Te Urewera in 1872.

Many ancient Maori trails linked the area to Gisborne and Rotorua but, due to the rugged terrain and harsh weather conditions, it was not until 1930 that a public road was opened to traffic. Te Urewera National Park was established in 1954. This protection coupled with its remote location means the area still enjoys an untouched, serene natural beauty.

Tuhoe trace their ancestry back to the marriage of Hine-pokohu-rangi (the mist maiden) and Te Maunga (the mountain). From their union came the people of the land. Tuhoe are thus children of the supernatural, and are known as "The Children of the Mist". Te Urewera is also said to be the home of the Patu Parairehe, the fairy people, a light-skinned race with red hair, seldom seen and sometimes heard, but as much part of the forest as the tui and morepork.