Like all the Great Walks, the Lake Waikaremoana walk needs to be booked and pre-paid in advance with DOC. Getting to the lake is straightforward. We drove from Wainuiomata to Waikaremoana Motorcamp and spent a night in a spacious cabin. Getting to the track itself can be a hassle. The Water taxi service is not very reliable. In the end we used the 38 Shuttle Service - an excellent choice. For $60.00 per person we were picked up from the Onepoto car park (where we would end our walk) and dropped off at the start of the track - the Swing Bridge near Hopuruahine Landing. (N.B. This service is no longer operating.)
Day 01
It was our first multiday walk since the 1980s and we were not sure what to expect. Did we
pack too much or not enough? Did we have the right gear? Did we bring everything?
Once we crossed the swing bridge all the doubts become unimportant. It felt good to be in the
middle of Te Urewera National Park, the largest area of untouched natural wilderness
remaining on the North Island. It was an easy/medium walk starting in the forest and following
the lake edge for most of the morning. After 4 1/2 hours we reached the Waiharuru Hut, a very
modern place with comfortable, semi-private bunks and a stand alone kitchen/dining block. As
this hut is close to the start of the track many trampers chose to walk on to the next hut. We
planned to stay in all of the huts, to make the most of our time in this beautiful area. There was
a big group with a number of families with children of various ages who were on their last night
having walked the track together. It was good to see the kids enjoying the track as much as we
were. It gave you confidence for the future of tramping in NZ.
Day 02
We had a very short walk on the second day so were able to stop and swim at beaches on the way. The amazing late January weather around 29 to 30 degrees made swimming very inviting. Marauiti Hut is an older style hut where fewer trampers stayed. There was a very basic kitchen and a bunk room with a long bunk with a row of mattresses. As the first to arrive we claimed 2 mattresses at one end next to the wall. We met here a pair of long distance runners who were on a mission to fast walk the whole track in two days. There was a good place to swim with big rocks to sit on while drying in the sun. In the morning you could see the mist moving across the water.
Day 03
By far the most difficult and the longest day of the trip. It started with a long uphill just outside the Marauiti Hut and just went up and down, up and down. The track is covered in tree roots and we had to be very careful not to get hooked on them. A considerate owner of a private hut allows trampers to refill water bottles at the water tap. It was a saver on scorching summer days. Just before reaching the Korokoro campsite, we came across a well-marked track leading towards the Korokoro Falls. It is a 30 minutes one-way track. We left our backpacks in the bushes and embarked upon the venture. The rewards were great: a beautiful waterfall hidden deep into the forest and amazing views of the lake. At the Korokoro campsite, we met a small group of well-established campers. They had been coming to this spot for years. First as kids with their parents and now passing on their passion to the next generation. From there it took us over an hour to get to the Waiopaoa Hut. Waiopaoa Hut is flash, with easy access to the lake shore. We had a few swims before dinner and a nice chat with some Danes.
Day 04
The steep track gained around 500 meters, including multiple wooden steps. Challenging but not over the top. We learned a long time ago that 'constant slow' works for us better than the 'fast and stop' approach. Amazing views of the lake from the upper parts of the bushline were the highlights of the walk. After a relatively short walk on the top of the final ridge, we were pleasantly surprised by the appearance of the final sleeping place, the Panekire Hut, sooner than expected. Coming from the Waiopaoa side we arrived at the hut relatively early and were able to choose a couple of the bottom bunks. This hut is probably the oldest one on the track and one of the sleeping rooms includes three-tier bunks. Later trampers who had walked up the hill from Onepoto arrived at the hut looking totally exhausted. We were very glad we have opted for the anticlockwise option. Fiona followed the advice of another tramper and went on photo hunting opportunities. A short walk on the track we would walk the next day offered great views. It was a good decision, as the following morning low clouds covered the lake. The rest of the day/evening we spent basking in the sun at the top of the Panekire Bluff appreciating the glorious views, watching kids, and not only kids, throwing wooden sticks down the cliff so the sticks could be lifted by the air current and brought back near the hut. A fascinating, totally relaxing activity.
Day 05
It was interesting to watch people at breakfast time. Those who climbed from the Onepoto
Landing enjoyed fresh groceries and some of those who arrived from the opposite direction
had run out of food. As we had carried extra Tararua Biscuits (Fiona's version of a NZ classic
tramping recipe) we were able to help some of the less prepared ones.
After the initial wooden steps just outside the hut, the track followed the undulating ridge line
and transformed into a long and steep descent ending at the Onepoto car park. The views
photographed the day before were completely hidden by the mist. The highlight was walking
through the ghostly mossy forest. Around the halfway mark we started to meet trampers just
starting their adventure. Our light, half-empty backpacks were the envy of those struggling up
the hill carrying heavy loads. When we arrived at the car park we were tired, happy and just in
time to escape from the rain. We loved out first NZ Great Walk.
Ready for the Abel Tasman.