Blue Lake Track

Welcome, outdoor enthusiasts and nature scholars, to the trailhead of the Blue Lake Track. The magnificent body of water before you is officially known by its indigenous Maori name, Lake Tikitapu. …

We commence our journey along the northern shoreline, starting near the popular recreational beaches. This area is the hub of aquatic activity during the summer months. …

Leaving the open, sunlit beaches behind, the track gently curves and plunges us into the dense embrace of the forest along the lake's eastern ridge. The transition in environment is immediate and profound. …

As we navigate the highest point of the eastern ridge, we find ourselves walking along a critical geological spine. This narrow strip of land is all that separates the vibrant waters of the Blue Lake from its immediate neighbor,…

Descending from the dividing ridge, the track leads us around the southern curve of the lake, plunging us fully into an ancient, unmodified section of native New Zealand rainforest. The towering exotic pines give way entirely to…

Emerging from the dense native bush, the trail opens up once again as we skirt the southern shoreline of Lake Tikitapu. We are now walking almost at water level, providing an intimate, close-up perspective of the lake's surface. …

We have now entered the final leg of the Blue Lake Track, following the western shoreline back toward our starting point. The path here widens and becomes an easy, gently undulating walk through a light, mixed woodland. …

We have successfully completed the loop around Lake Tikitapu, arriving back where we began. This relatively short hike has offered us an incredibly dense and rewarding cross-section of the Rotorua landscape. …