WELCOME TO JAMES AND KELLY BLOG: j14 short walks at Lake Waikaremoana area

Lake Kaitawa, Green Lake

Lake Kaitawa is an artificial lake formed in the 1920’s as part of the system delivering water to the Tuai hydro electric power station. The track leads around the lake past some majestic rimu trees to a turn-off near a small bridge. A left turn here takes you to a translucent green pool in the forest. Water wells up (冒出) gently as “Fairy Springs” in this pool. The water flows from Lake Waikaremoana through “leaks” in the lake bed.

Attempts were made from 1948 to 1955 to seal the leaks to maximise the water available for power generation. But water still percolates (滲出) through gaps in the rock to emerge as springs feeding the upper Waikaretaheke River and Fairy Springs. The track leads around this pool and back to the bridge. Climb over the stile and return to the power station along a gravel road.

pipeline of hydro electric power station

elegant walkway

green lake

crystal clear water

Lake Kaitawa viewing from when returning gravel road

Onepoto Caves

The track starts with a gentle 10 minute climb, through a number of rocky outcrops and over-hangs. It then follows an undulating ridge, branching off at different points, to allow exploration of the various caves in the area. There is a lookout p多個可oint along the ridge that has a clear view of the stratified layers of rock comprising the "intact block" of rock that slid down from the Ngamoko Range.

At one point the track takes two different routes (marked "track" and "bypass"). The track takes you down through a rock tunnel several metres long and the bypass takes you around a large, jutting rock over-hang.

這是一處有趣的探索隨處是大石突岩岩洞因有三個出口因此像迷宮很容易繞圈圈走

大石

突岩

巨大成階的岩層

多個可探索的岩洞

經過這洞就進入很吸引入的狹長坑道

狹長坑道(rock tunnel)

Tawa Loop Walk and huge Northern Rata at Ngamoko Track

Follow the Ngamoko Track from Whaitiri Point for a short distance, then turn left onto the Tawa circuit. One highlight is the delicate willow-like yellow green foliage of the tawa tree. A short detour along the Ngamoko Track to the left takes you to one of the biggest rata trees in the country. It is around 1,000 years

following Ngamoko Track

variety of forest trees

a short detour to the Ngamoko Track

Northern Rata - 800 to 1000 years old

returning thru Tawa Loop Walk

lots of destinctive large trees

小教堂

Lou’s Lookout

It rises through rock bluffs and huge boulders in the forest to a platform which gives a spectacular view of Lake Waikaremoana and Panekire Bluff. Lou’s Lookout and the track up to it lie on a massive landslide from the end of Ngamoko (the peak to the east of the lookout) 2,200 years ago.

這是一條讓人驚艷的短步道沿路都在森林中直至Lookout 隨處是大石突岩並有峭壁尤其最後經過狹洞霍然別有洞天因Lookout已到