Lake Waikaremoana Hike, Day 1

I joined a couple of my work friends and some of their friends for some hiking ("tramping") in New Zealand. The walk around Lake Waikaremoana is one of New Zealand's "Great Walks", which means you can expect spectacular countryside ... and slightly more luxurious accommodation than you might normally expect on a bushwalk. We completed the 43km walk in a leisurely five days/four nights (most people do it three or four days; some fitness freaks/nutcases do it as a day walk). These photos are from the first day of the hike, encompassing the water taxi trip to the start of the track, and the hike through to Waiharuru Hut.

It's all about the journey ... but the destination is nice too

\

View from the water taxi as we crossed the lake at the start of the trip.
Our final night's goal is at the top of the far range.

 

ˆPeter, Elizabeth and Vicki making their way along the track. The lake is set in temperate rainforest, which means lots of lovely greenery suh as ferns and moss.

 

Tony crossing one of the many little creeks ("streams" in NZ, even when
they are raging rivers ... which this isn't).

 

Peter crossing one of the suspension bridges, which span the larger streams.

 

Approaching Waiharuru Hut. The track still has a fair way to go around to the right and then across a suspension bridge over the stream that comes out at the inlet on the right. A lot of boating activities occur on the lake, but I don't know how far the kayakers have paddled to get here.

 

Waiharuru Hut was the best of the huts on the trip. The building on the left is the bunkhouse, which is big and nicely designed; the other building is the kitchen with tables, stainless steel benches and sinks with cold running water. You have to bring your stoves and sleeping bags, but no tents (yay). There are ducks wandering around which may help to keep the grass down, but maybe the Department of Conservation does some mowing as well.

 

View of the Panekiri Range from Waiharuru Hut. Our final night will be spent at the top of this range. Some people do the track in the opposite direction, climbing the range before walking the lake-level section, but Ann the organiser thought it would be good to have eaten most of our food before hauling packs up the 600m climb.

 

Late afternoon view of Lake Waikaremoana from near Waiharuru Hut.

 

Up close and personal with the flora

Leaves of one of the NZ beech (Nothofagus) species. Brothers of this plant are found in Tasmania (see, for example, the deciduous beech).

 

Coiled fern crozier.

 

Sunlit fern frond.

 

Funny wrinkled fern (can't remember/no idea which one exactly).

 

Photos taken by Helen Chick.

Go to Day 1 blog entry  
Go to Day 2 blog entry Go to Day 2 gallery
Go to Day 3 blog entry Go to Day 3 gallery
Go to Day 4 blog entry Go to Day 4 gallery
Go to Day 5 blog entry Go to Day 5 gallery
Go to first Lake Waikareiti blog entry Go to first Lake Waikareiti gallery