Hidden Treasures in Wai-O-Tapu Forest
Waiotapu Loop Road. Take great care when near these thermal areas. The highlight of Waiotapu is undoubtedly Echo Lake (Whangio-te-Rangi), reached from Rotorohe Road. It is a lukewarm gem cradled in the vertical white walls of its crater. Pines, Douglas fir, and native shrubs find a precarious roothold in the cracks of the cliffs and cast their reflections on the still, cloudy water.
The colour is what gets you: it’s sort of surreal — a mix between turquoise, green, grey and azure blue, with an opacity that makes the water appear solid. As we looped the lake on a somewhat overgrown trail (marked by occasional orange blazes and tags), many spots returned a clear echo to our calls. Grey teal were a feature. At the head, we paused to enjoy a glorious view down its full length, with Maungaongaonga (Nettle Mountain) forming a dark green backdrop.
We all just had to do the “cooowee” thing again to hear the reverberations — quite amazing and almost eerie. This lake is stunningly beautiful, particularly in autumn when the water contrasts with the gold of the larches. Onlookers feel as though they are in the Canadian Rockies. It is a shame that so few
get to see this spectacle, superior to anything in the nearby tourist park.
Waiotapu offers the opportunity to explore outstanding natural features, using either boots or bikes. It would be a worthy inclusion in any future Rotorua Lakes National Park!
If you have a hankering to undertake these walks, Footsteps Aotearoa NZ would be pleased to make it possible.
Contact them: footstepsanz@gmail.com, 021 172 3244, 07 544 9509..