Bay of Plenty Region

The first Maori settlers are thought to have arrived in the Rotorua area as early as the 14th century. These people were descendants of the first navigators who had sailed into the Bay of Plenty from Hawaiki in the Arawa canoe, from which they took their tribal name. Warfare between the increasing numbers of subtribes in the area eventually became a way of life and by the mid 19th century, after the Europeans had established themselves in the country, the Arawa were fighting with the colonial government troops against the Waikato tribes. By the 1870s the fighting was almost over and tourists were beginning to arrive in the region to view the natural wonders and bathe in the hot mineral waters. Today the powerful forces of nature that created this unique landscape are still at work and can be experienced first hand at a number of scenic locations between Rotorua and Whakatane.

Whakarewarewa

1Te Whakarewarewa and te puia

The trip starts at the southern end of Rotorua on SH30 and Hemo Road at the Te Whakarewarewa Thermal Area.
Set amongst the features of a geothermal landscape including hot thermal springs, silica terraces and bubbling mud pools, Whakarewarewa is a living Maori Village. Local residents act as guides through one of Rotorua's main attractions, continuing a tradition that has been maintained for over 200 years. The famous Pohutu geyser can be seen erupting every hour and the park also features a replica of a pre-European fortified Maori village. The nearby arts and crafts facility at Te Puia is only a short walk from Whaka as it is called by the locals. At Te Puia visitors can watch and also participate in a number of Maori crafts such as weaving, carving and sculpture.

whakarewarewa forest park

Continue northeast 0.7 km on Hemo Road and Fenton Street and turn right into Sala Street continuing 0.6 km before turning right onto Long Mile Road. Continue past the Forest Research Institute to the Whakarewarewa State Forest Visitor Centre and the Redwood Grove signposted to the right.
The forest visitor centre in the Whakarewarewa Forest Park has maps of the trails as well as information about this interesting area of forest. It was originally planted in 1901 as an experiment to determine which exotic species would be most suitable for New Zealand plantations. Of the 170 exotic species that were planted, it is the Californian coastal redwoods that have thrived in the rich volcanic soils and are now a major attraction. The Waitawa Walk takes an hour on a relaxing, educational nature trail through the forest where many of the trees and plants are labelled. The extensive network of mountain biking trails in the forest was designed by Fred Christansen, and these tracks are among the best in the country.

2green and blue lakes

Continue on Long Mile Road east 0.4 km and turn right onto Tarawera Road and drive southeast 6.6 km to the Blue Lake. It is another 2 km south to the viewing area between the Green and Blue Lakes.
Under the right lighting conditions you can see the remarkable difference in the colour of these two lakes, which are separated by a narrow isthmus. The Blue Lake (Tikitapu) is a popular venue for kayaking and water skiing while the tapu (sacred) Green Lake (Rotokakahi) has a walking track along its northern shoreline.

Buried Village Tarawera

3te wairoa buried village

Continue southeast 2.6 km along Tarawera Road to Lake Tarawera and the Te Wairoa Buried Village.

When Mt Tarawera erupted in 1886, Te Wairoa was a staging point for visitors crossing Lake Tarawera to get to Lake Rotomahana to visit the world famous Pink and White Terraces. Rated as one of the wonders of the world, these beautiful silica formations were completely destroyed in the eruption, which also buried three villages and killed over 150 people. Since the 1930s the Te Wairoa buried village has been undergoing a process of excavation, restoration and preservation and the village now features a number of the original buildings as well as historic items are on display. You can also follow a 20 minute walking track through the forest and down to the 30 m Te Wairoa Falls overlooking the forest clad Waitoharuru Valley.

Lake Okataina's sandy shoreline.

4lake okataina

Continue east 6.7 km on SH30 to the southern shoreline of Lake Rotoiti and turn right at the turnoff to Lake Okataina. Travel south 7.8 km to the lake.

Encircled by forest clad hills, Okataina is one of the most picturesque lakes in the Rotorua district. The level of the lake was raised 12 m by the Tarawera eruption, hiding any evidence of the established Maori settlement on the shore of the lake. The drive to Okataina takes you through luxuriant native forest with towering tree ferns and kotukutuku (native fuchsia) overhanging the road. Okataina is popular for trout fishing and swimming, with safe sandy beaches and a number of walking tracks. The Te Auheke Track leads to the 10 m Cascade Falls tumbling over a mossy cliff face. The trip takes about 40 minutes and you can see glowworms here at night. The Ngahopua Track takes about 50 minutes leads past the 3,500 yerar old twin volcanic crater lakes of Rotongata and Rotoatua.

5lake rotoehu

Return to SH30, turn right and continue east 8.1 km along the southern shoreline of Lake Rotoiti and through the forest between Lake Rotoiti and Lake Rotoehu. The start of Hongi's Track is signposted on the left.
Hongis track was originally named Hinehopu’s track after a Maori chieftainess who lived in the area around 1620 and used the trail to travel between her homes on the two lakes. In 1832 a Nga Puhi war party led by Hongi Hika and armed with muskets, landed in the Bay of Plenty and made their way inland. They paddled their canoes where possible, dragging them between waterways on their way to attack the Te Arawa on Mokoia Island. Hongis Track was one of the portages they used in this campaign to drag their canoes from Rotoehu to Rotoiti. Today it provides a tranquil 2.2 km walk through an unspoiled forest of rimu, pukatea, rewarewa and tawa.

6kawerau

Continue east 16.5 km on SH30 over the hills and turn right onto Kawerau West Road and SH34. Continue east 5.5 km on SH 34 to Kawerau.
The name Kawerau is derived from the Maori words, awe' (to carry) and 'rau' (leaves), the town being located beneath the 820 m summit of Mt Edgecumbe (Mt Putauaki) an extinct volcanic cone. You can climb to the summit of Mt Edgecumbe if you get a permit which is inexpensive and easily obtained from the local Maori Investments Group. The track starts just before Putauaki Road, off McKee Road, the route following an overgrown 4WD track to the summit, taking about 3 hours for the return trip. From the top there are impressive views out across the coast from the top of the mountain. With the construction of the massive Tasman pulp and paper mill in 1953, Kawerau became the hub of the timber industry in the eastern Bay of Plenty. A 2 hour guided tour through the mill is available while to the south of the town lies the Matahina and Kaingaroa forests which are some of the most extensive pine plantations in the world. Nearby Lake Pupuwharau is popular for water skiing while the Tarawera River provides good trout fishing.

tarawera falls

The information centre on Plunket Street in the centre of Kawerau provides directions, permits and maps for the forestry roads in the area. The forestry access road leading to the Tarawera Falls crosses the river directly below Mt Edgecumbe and follows a well marked route, 17 km out through the forest to the start of the Tarawera Falls track. Keep your lights on when you are driving through the forest and look out for logging trucks.
The spectacular Tarawera Falls, located in the pine forests west of Kawerau, surge out of deep fissures in the vertical lava rock cliffs. These bluffs were created about 11,000 years ago from an ancient rhyolitic lava flow that poured from Mt Tarawera, stopping abruptly to form the massive cliff face that can be seen today. The water travels through lava tubes from the lake above to pour out of exit tunnels in the cliff below. There are both rata and pohutukawa in the forests around the falls and these two closely related species have created a number of hybrid species which can be seen in the variety of leaf shapes found on the forest floor near the falls. It’s an easy 20 minute walk along the banks of the river through native bush to the falls and the track continues for another hour up to the top of the falls, where a bridge crosses the river and leads to the shoreline of Lake Tarawera.

7awakeri springs

From Te Teko continue northeast 7.4 km on SH30 to the Awakeri Springs on the right.
The soda thermal pools at the Awakeri Springs are located in a peaceful bush setting where birds far outnumber people. This is a relaxing place to stop at the end of the day before continuing to the coast.

It is another 14 km northeast on SH 30 to Whakatane.