Lake Waikareiti Walk
Alerts
NIWA weather risks
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Forecast point: Panekire Hut (1357m) · 12.4km away
Check the DOC website for current alerts and conditions before you go. This site gets current alert info from DOC, but is not an official source of information.
The Lake Waikareiti Walk will take you two hours to complete a return trip. Along the way you may hear the screech of the kākā and the chatty ki-ki-ki of the yellow-crowned parakeet (kākāriki).
Elevation
Cover mapped summer 2023/24.
Description
This well-graded track rises 300 m in altitude to the day shelter at Lake Waikareiti. The forest is predominantly red and silver beech with mighty rimu trees emerging above the canopy.
Beyond the day shelter a tramping track runs to Sandy Bay Hut at the northern end of the lake (a further 3 hours from the day shelter). The hut (bookings required) lies idyllically on the shores of a shallow bay which features brilliant white sand.
The Ruapani Circuit Track can be accessed from this track about half an hour beyond the Waikareiti day shelter.
Getting there
The Lake Waikareiti Walk begins 200 m from the visitor centre on the road to Rotorua.
Know before you go
Be prepared, with warm clothes, food and a raincoat.
Weather
Forecast at the start of the track