Green & Blue Lake Lookout

 

Blue and Green Lakes Rotorua - Māori names are Lake Tikitapu and Lake Rotokakahi. These two lakes in Rotorua sit side by side and yes, one is blue and the other is green.

There is a point in between where it is high enough to view both and on a good day the difference is quite marked.

 

Lake Tikitapu (Green Lake) to the left & Lake Rotokakahi (Blue Lake) to the right

Green Lake

Lake Rotokakahi or Green Lake, is one of four small lakes lying between Lake Rotorua and Lake Tarawera in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. Rotokakahi means the lake of the shellfish "kakahi". Rotokakahi is sacred to Maori and Motutawa island in the middle of the lake is the burial ground of many Maori ancestors. The lake is privately owned by local iwi (tribes) and no swimming, fishing or boating is permitted.

The Green Lake is 21m (69ft) below the level of the Blue Lake. It has an outlet by way of Lake Tarawera (further along Tarawera Rd) which is then 98m (322ft) lower again than the Green Lake.

Blue Lake

Lake Tikitapu, the Blue Lake, is the closest to Rotorua and its clear, clean crystal blue water is popular with boaties, swimmers and water skiers. There is an easy walking track which encircles the lake with incredible views towards Rotokakahi, the Green Lake. A perfectly lovely spot for a picnic, there are delightful sandy beaches and grassed areas with barbeques and rubbish bins provided. is one of our more popular lakes that caters for swimming, water skiing, jet skiing, walking, running, biking, barbecues and all sorts of local events. It is one of our more popular lakes that caters for swimming, water skiing, jet skiing, walking, running, biking, barbecues and all sorts of local events.

As a collapsed volcanic crater, it is shallow as lakes go with the deepest section being about 27m. If you're looking at it from above, in certain lights it looks quite blue/aqua/turquoise in colour. This is due to it having a pumice and rhyolite bottom which the sun reflects up. It's roundish (about 5km) and takes about an hour to get around if walking at a brisk pace.  

Buried Village of Te Wairoa

Te Wairoa was established by the Christian missionary in 1848 as a model village, however Te Wairoa survived for fewer than 40 years before it, and the nearby Pink and White Terraces were obliterated by the eruption of Mt Tarawera. We went to view the excavated remains and hear the moving story of how one of New Zealand's greatest natural disasters buried a village beneath rock, ash and mud.

 

Karangahake Gorge

The Karangahake Gorge lies between the Coromandel and Kaimai ranges, at the southern end of the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand's North Island. A sharply winding canyon, it was formed by the Ohinemuri River. State Highway 2 passes through this gorge between the towns of Paeroa, Waikino and Waihi. This road is the main link between the Waikato region and the Bay of Plenty.

The East Coast Main Trunk Railway used to run through the gorge until it was bypassed by the Kaimai Deviation. The Karangahake Gorge section of the line, including a 1100-metre tunnel, is now a combined walkway and cycleway, part of the Hauraki Rail Trail, and together with the natural sights of the gorge, makes it into a well-visited local tourist attraction. The railhead at the Waikino end of the gorge still exists, preserved as part of the Goldfields Railway to Waihi.

At Karangahake, several walks and tracks ranging from 30 minutes to over 2 hours start at the Karangahake Reserve car park and picnic area.^[4] One of the most spectacular walks in the area is the "Windows Walk", a loop walk that leads through the old gold mining tunnels of the Talisman Mine, crosses the Waitawheta River over a suspension bridge, and joins the Crown Tramway Track back along the cliffs of the Waitawheta Gorge. The path follows the route of a bush tramway and passes by "windows" in the cliff face at the end of mining tunnels, which were used to tip tailings down into the Waitawheta Gorge. Two of the mining tunnels, which are about 2 metres (7 ft) tall and wide, are safe to enter. They end abruptly after about 50 metres (164 ft) and are home to glowworms and cave weta.

The Woodstock Underground Pumphouse in the Waitawheta Gorge is also still accessible via a short detour from the Crown Tramway Track.

Rainbow Springs Kiwi Wildlife ParkEnter a post title

Rainbow set in 22 acres of  beautiful native trees and streams we are home to a huge variety of New Zealand’s most precious inhabitants.

The entire experience is built around New Zealand’s largest and most successful kiwi conservation centre.

A definite must see for the animal lovers with lots to do and see. The kids really enjoyed this outing tremendously as did the adults.