Lake Waikaremoana Track: New Zealand Great Walk
Lake Waikaremoana Track is perhaps the least popular and less known Great Walks of New Zealand. This could be due to its remote location, being out of the way of other popular routes. Yet, this easily became one of my top favorite places in New Zealand, thanks to the untouched nature and rainforest landscapes. Right in Te Urewera primeval forest, Waikaremoana (sea of rippling waters) offers a glimpse of how New Zealand used to be.
Te Urewera: Once A National Park, Now A “Living Person”
The prehistoric forest of Te Urewera is the first natural feature to be recognized in New Zealand law as a living person, a legal entity. Te Urewera is the ancestral home of Tūhoe, a Māori tribe known for their stance on Māori sovereignty.
Witness the forested beauty as you scroll through the photos taken during my great walk in Lake Waikaremoana Track!
What is the best direction to walk Lake Waikaremoana Track?
The great walk of Lake Waikaremoana is a one-way semicircular track around the North, West and South of the massive Waikaremoana Lake. It is typically done in 3 or 4 days one-way, while I met a few trail runners on the track who completed it within a day.
Lake Waikaremoana Track can be completed in both directions: clockwise – south to north (Onepoto to Hopuruahine), or anticlockwise – North to South (Hopuruahine to Onepoto). While the clockwise direction seemed to be the most popular one, the anticlockwise direction is actually easier as the first ⅔ of the track is mostly flat, and the last stretch involves a gradual incline, before declining steeply. If you do it clockwise, you will have to climb the steepest part right at the start, carrying your pack that is the heaviest on the first day. I did it anticlockwise and I was the only person doing it on those days. On the track, I met multiple groups of people coming from the opposite directions.
Getting There: Water Taxi to/from Lake Waikaremoana Track Start/End
The Onepoto end of the track can be accessed by car with free parking spots. There are also water taxi options to take you there from other shores of the lake. The road to Hopuruahine end of the track, however, is rugged and unsuitable for 2WD vehicles. You may book a water taxi for drop off / pick up at the Hopuruahine end (at the moment the water taxi service will drop off / pick up passengers at Whanganui Hut, so that’s where the start/end point of the track if you take the water taxi, it skips the 4.2km section from Hopuruahine to Whanganui Hut).
For my walk, I parked my car at Onepoto, and took a water taxi from Onepoto to Whanganui Hut (Whananui) to start my anticlockwise journey. The latest water taxi routes, timetable and rates can be found at Ngāi Tūhoe updates page. You should book the water taxi service in advance by emailing watertaxi@ngaituhoe.iwi.nz.
Lake Waikaremoana Track Great Walk Booking
All Great Walks in New Zealand require booking in advance for the huts and campsites. Off-site camping is not allowed on the Great Walk tracks. Here is the online booking site for all Great Walk accommodations. Since it wasn’t as popular as other great walks and it wasn’t during peak season, I got to make the bookings close to the dates of my trip.
Other than the great walk bookings, you should also sort out the water taxi (explained above) and the accommodation for the day before your great walk (to be explained below).
Things I packed for Lake Waikaremoana Track
- 40L Hiking Backpack from Decathlon with rain cover and a large strong rubbish bag lined inside as additional water protection (plus a separate sackpack to carry my tent)
- Forclaz Trek 100 3 Seasons Dome Tent (heavier than most tents but very good wind resistance and waterproofing)
- PTT Outdoor’s HIGH PEAK Easy Travel Sleeping Bag (coupon code “MEOW” for RM10 off first time purchase with min RM100, within Malaysia only)
- TOMSHOO sleeping bag liner
- Inflatable mattress & pillow
- Quechua Hiking Raincoat
- Sun Protect long-sleeved running tee + Quechua Hiking Fleece Jacket + Quick dry running shorts + Kiprun running socks (for the day)
- Ski base layers top + pants + warm hiking socks + gloves from Decathlon (as sleepwear)
- Extra down jacket (didn’t use but important to bring, just in case)
- Adidas Kampung (not from Adidas, Malaysia’s trusty rubber hiking shoes)
- Flip flops (for walking around campsites / huts)
- Sun hat (but I didn’t need it as most of the track is under the shades)
- First Aid Kit, Compass & Whistle
- Rechargeable headlight
- Phone (with booking confirmation pdf file), powerbank & charging cables
- Food and snacks (dried fruit bread slices, muesli, tortilla wraps, tuna cans, nuts, energy bars), paper towels, rubbish bags
- Water bottles (1L, didn’t need to carry a lot of water as I could easily refill from the lake and filter it with my water filter)
- HydroBlu lightweight waterfilter (many visitors and locals drink the water straight from the lake without issue, but when in doubt or to be sure, filter/boil/treat it)
- CuloClean portable bidet, some toilet paper
- Toothbrush, toothpaste, hand sanitizer, soap, comb
- Fire lighter (for emergency, useful for lighting fire wood if staying in a hut)
- Folding scissors
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The Day Before: Driving To Waikaremoana (Best Route?)
As it takes hours to travel from the closest towns, it is best to travel to Waikaremoana the day before your great walk. Waikaremoana can be accessed from the North via Te Urewera Rainforest Route (around 90km of unsealed gravel road), or from the South via State Hightway 38 (60km+ from Wairoa, 20km+ of unsealed gravel road).
While many sources recommend taking the highway from the South (due to shorter length of unpaved road and closest to a major town), I find the Te Urewera Rainforest Route from the North the most scenic and would definitely recommend it!
I arrived at Waikaremoana from the North and the trip through Te Urewera Rainforest Route was a great drive surrounded by nature. I also passed by many free roaming horses along the way (take care while driving, slow down, stop and let the animals pass). Before the trip, I was concerned about the unsealed road and lack of accessibility of breakdown services but after driving through it, I found the road was pretty smooth and comfortable to drive on. Due to its narrow and winding unsealed road, the driving speed is around 30-50 km/h (don’t trust the navigation apps for the driving time). It’s a long and slow drive (I think around 4 hours) but definitely a scenic and worthy one!
When leaving Waikaremoana after the great walk, I took State Highway 38 on the South and found it less enjoyable to drive. While it has a shorter unsealed gravel road, it was much rougher and more dusty compared to the Northern road. My car vibrates a lot and there were many big pieces of loose rocks on the road I had to avoid. Traffic was a lot busier from the South, and passing oncoming traffic or following behind a vehicle means passing through a lot of dust clouds. When I was driving from the North, I hardly saw any other vehicles (the road was also not as dusty).
There were some small slips (landslides) and fallen trees along the road from the North but nothing major. As this is quite common on this road, do check for any road closure / slips updates at Te Urewera Facebook page and Ngāi Tūhoe updates page before your drive.
On the way to Waikaremoana, you will pass by a scenic Mokau Falls that can be seen from the road, before driving over the bridge above the waterfall.
I stumbled upon this possum by the side of the road. Along with stoats, rats and feral cats, possums are one of the top destructive introduced pests in New Zealand, contributing to the extinction or near-extinction of New Zealand’s native birds. They were introduced in the 1800s by European settlers hoping to establish the possum fur industry. Soon the possums became a threat to New Zealand’s ecosystem and spread all over the country.
Where To Stay In Waikaremoana Before The Great Walk: Waikaremoana Holiday Park
The best option is to stay in Waikaremoana Holiday Park the day before the great walk. You have options from luxury chalets and ensuite tourist flats, to simple, budget group cabins/bunkhouses and tent sites with communal kitchen, toilet and shower facilities included. If you are driving a campervan or motorhome, you may book the powered campervan sites. As for me, I booked the unpowered tent site at zone 5 for a nice view of the lake. Bookings can be made at this site.
Lake Waikaremoana Track - Day 1
Onepoto Car Park & Water Taxi To Whanganui hut (Whananui)
As I was going the anticlockwise (North to South) direction of the track, I parked my car at the track end at Onepoto and waited for the water taxi to pick me up at the booked scheduled time (8.30am).
8.24am: Waiting for the water taxi to arrive. The wind was pretty strong that morning and the water was choppy.
The water taxi was on time and I was the only passenger at the time. During the choppy ride, the driver shared a lot of useful info and weather updates for my walk. The lake is so big it feels like we’re at the sea.
9.13am: The water taxi dropped me off at Whanganui/Whananui, stopped by the shore so I could hop onto the dry land.
(+2)9.15am: This site used to have Whanganui Hut nearby but the hut was removed as part of the huts removal plans in Te Urewera. This is where you wait for your water taxi booked scheduled pick up if you are doing the other direction of the walk and finish here.
Whanganui Hut to Tapuaenui Campsite (3.2km)
(+2)9.17am: Right away, I was greeted by the fresh scents and calmness of the ancient forest.
(+27)9.44am: As a rainforest, Te Urewera tracks can be quite muddy. It was raining a lot before and during my walk, so some sections were very muddy and greatly slowed me down.
(+10)9.54am: Some little uphill walk.
(+51)10.45am: Tapuaenui Camspite
Tapuaenui Campsite to Waiharuru Hut & Campsite (2.1km)
(+7)10.52am
(+3)10.55am
(+2)10.57am: Temporary kiwi dispersal fence to prevent young kiwi birds from leaving the stoat control area, until they are big enough to be less likely to be killed by the introduced predators.
(+12)11.09am: Lush rainforest
(+40)11.49am: Waiharuru Hut in sight just across the lake.
(+4)11.53am: Crossing Waiharuru Bridge.
(+2)11.55am: The biggest hut in Lake Waikaremoana Track, with 40 bunks available. Not everyone staying here are doing the great walk as some may take a water taxi / private boat to chill here.
Kitchen/dining area and bunks room of Waiharuru Hut.
Waiharuru Campsite is just a minute away.
Waiharuru Hut & Campsite to Marauiti Hut (6.2km)
12.46pm: After a quick lunch (dried fruit bread) and toilet break at Waiharuru, I continued on.
(+2)12.48pm: Nice views of Waikaremoana Lake along the track.
(+23)1.11pm
(+26)1.37pm
(+2)1.39pm
(+10)1.49pm: A hollowed out tree leaning towards the track. Walk pass swiftly to be safe as it looked like it could collapse any moment.
(+13)2.02pm: Another open view track with lake scenery.
Good spot to refill my water.
(+4)2.06pm
(+14)2.20pm: Marauiti Hut in sight across the lake.
(+12)2.32pm: Crossing Marauiti Bridge.
(+7)2.39pm: Marauiti Hut is 2 minutes from the main track. The hut features 26 bunks and a dining area with a small furnace.
Marauiti Hut to Maraunui Campsite (1.7km)
2.53pm: Onwards to Maraunui Camspite about 30 minutes away.
(+9)3.02pm: It has some uphill and downhill climbs.
(+5)3.07pm: Some fragments of skull and bones. Rabbit’s, maybe?
(+9)3.16pm: Maraunui Campsite is 2 minutes off the main track. You would pass by a ranger staff quarter (not for public use) which may or may not have a ranger present.
The grassy trek towards the campsite.
A longdrop toilet near the campsite.
A shelter at the campsite.
The tent site.
Lake view near the tent site.
The land across the lake is where the track I will take the next morning.
I always opt for tenting rather than staying in the hut. I had the whole picturesque campsite all by myself! Though, I had the whole evening not sure what to do. There were some sandflies around so I spent most of the hours in my tent, reading an ebook from my phone.
As I was having my dinner (tortilla wraps with tuna), the roller clouds appeared along with a cold front, signaling that rain would arrive by the next morning. Knowing that, I woke up early to pack my tent before it rained, so I wouldn’t have to pack it wet. And guess what, it started raining as soon as I finished packing my tent!
Lake Waikaremoana Track - Day 2
Maraunui Campsite to Korokoro Campsite (6.8km)
8.14am: After my breakfast of the remaining tortilla wraps and tuna, I left the campsite and started my second day of the great walk under the day-long rain.
(+22)8.36am
(+3)8.39am
(+22)9.01am: Passing by a private hut (Ormond Hut).
(+65)10.06am
(+40)10.46am
(+22)11.04am
(+4)11.08am: One of the two junctions to Korokoro Campsite.
(+4)11.12am: The shelter at Korokoro Campsite.
Korokoro Campsite is highly prone to flooding and the ground around the tent site is very wet most of the time. This campground often ended up being underwater during heavy or long periods of rain, so I wouldn’t recommend camping here. The campsite shelter is a good spot to have a snack/lunch break and to leave your heavy packs while going for the side trip to Korokoro Falls.
Side Trip: Korokoro Falls
12.01pm: After taking a break and some snacks (mixed nuts), I left my heavy pack and carried a light sackpack with the essentials, to go for the ‘must-do side trip’ to Korokoro Falls. From Korokoro campsite you need to head back to the main track and continue the great walk path. (The other junction to Korokoro Campsite can be found just before this Korokoro Bridge.) Two black swans spotted while crossing the bridge.
(+3)12.04pm: Non-native lupin plants along the track.
(+1)12.05pm: The turnoff point from the main track to Korokoro Falls track (a warning notice attached to advise visitors not to do this track in winter, as more rain means rivers could rise rapidly, making the crossings unsafe).
(+10)12.15pm: On Korokoro Falls track, you will see some beautiful river flows on the side of the path.
(+16)12.31pm: Then, you have to cross to the other side of the river. You could cross the river by stepping on the rocks. The rocks looked mossy and slippery but to my surprise, my shoes gripped the rock surface very firmly. It seemed that the top of the rocks were recently scraped off of moss and surface roughten for safer crossings. A long metal cable is tied across the river to aid your balance.
(+6)12.37pm: And there you go, the silky curtains of Korokoro Falls!
This would be an awesome place to take a dip and cool off during summer hike. I did not go to the bottom of the waterfall as it was raining quite heavily (didn’t want to get caught in a water surge, plus there was no one else around).
Korokoro Campsite to Waiopaoa Hut & Campsite (3.6km)
1.58pm: Back to Korokoro Campsite, collected my stuff, and continued the onward tracks of Lake Waikaremoana. There were quite a lot of very muddy sections here, especially that it was raining since morning.
(+38)2.36pm: The rain has finally stopped.
(+14)2.50pm: Waipaoa Bridge
(+11)3.01pm
Waiopaoa Hut and Campsite (next to each other) is 5 minutes away from the main track. I stayed here on my second night of the great walk.
Lake view in front of the hut and campsite.
The interior of Waiopaoa Hut. I met only a person staying here, doing the opposite direction of my walk. The hut warden wasn’t around during this low season.
Lake Waikaremoana Track - Day 3
Waiopaoa Hut & Campsite to Panekire Hut (7.6km)
7.42am: Started my walk in the morning with sighting of black ducks swimming around the lake.
(+4)7.46am: Lovely forest trail to start the day!
(+8)7.54am: I expected a tougher climb but the inclination felt pretty gentle for me. Most of the inclinations are mild and the steeper ones (some with stairs) are short and end quick enough not to feel too exhausted.
(+62)8.56am: Some stairs.
(+7)9.03am: An exposed section of the track with a view through the clearings.
(+19)9.22am: Entering the mossy forest section as you get higher.
(+10)9.32am: A viewpoint along the way.
(+44)10.16am: Reaching Panekire Hut, the highest hut for Lake Waikaremoana Track.
The interiors of Panekire Hut.
The views from the outside of Panekire Hut.
Panekire Hut to Onepoto (8.8km)
10.42am: I had a snack and toilet break at the hut before continuing on. The first half of the last stretch to Onepoto track end involves several mixtures of declinations, inclinations and flat paths.
(+43)11.25am
(+19)11.44am: There are many viewpoints of the massive Lake Waikaremoana along the track.
(+6)11.50am
(+3)11.53am
(+28)12.21pm
(+12)12.33pm
(+5)12.38pm
(+12)12.50pm
(+26)1.16pm
(+1)1.17pm
(+3)1.21pm
(+1)1.22pm
1.22pm: The best view of the vast Lake Waikaremoana from the highest point of the track! There was a big group of teens doing a hiking trip from Onepoto to this viewpoint and back.
(+18)1.40pm: After that, the track descends steeply and rapidly. This is the section with the most intensive and constant elevation gain/loss. Climbing this stretch on day one with the heaviest pack would be really exhausting. I was glad that I was walking down by taking the opposite direction of the great walk!
(+21)2.01pm: A junction to Lake Kiriopukae.
(+7)2.08pm: Feeling curious and having time to spare, I went for this side trip to Lake Kiriopukae to have a look. Not much to see here.
(+19)2.27pm: Completed Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk Track and exited via Onepoto! At Onepoto Shelter, there are infographics explaining the formation of Lake Waikaremoana, and the Maori legend of Haumapuhia associated with the area.
I drove back to Waikaremoana Holiday Park to take a hot shower (way too hot for me as the water temperature wasn’t adjustable haha, but it was great after days of walking without taking any shower) for $5 as I wasn’t staying there for the night. After that, I drove Southward to Wairoa via State Highway 38 and car camped for free at Clyde Court Carpark Freedom Camping, sleeping in my car for a night.
In Wairoa, I had delicious takeaway fish & chips for dinner and a wholesome sushi breakfast the next morning, before heading to the Southeastern coast of the North Island for more explorations in Hawke’s Bay.
Have this guide helped you? Tag @meowtainpeople in your hiking stories & posts!
*Captain Planet passing by* Remember, please take care of our environment, and please don’t destroy the Nature. Leave no trash behind and take back only photos and memories (and also some trash if you can). Walk on the designated path and stay in the middle as much as you can, so that the exposed soil doesn’t spread/corrode further. BE ONE WITH NATURE *flies away*
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Thank you for the detailed blog with images. We are doing it next week, same direction as you and this greatly helped. ❤️
Awesome! Enjoy the walk 😀