Trekking Lake Waikaremoana – A New Zealand Great Walk; the view from Panekire Hut
I have always loved to walk. Even as a young girl, walking the hills around the neighborhood where I grew up somehow made me feel better. It was a sort of meditation before I knew what meditation was. Walking in nature is most definitely when I am happiest and feel most at ease. Spending time in the woods, engaging in mindful birding, having moments to think about nothing but the nature surrounding me is what sustains me. Over the years, I have been lucky to be able to spend time walking by myself in the wilderness, whether along a nature trail close to home, or a hike on the other side of the world.
Having said that, I don’t get many opportunities to do extended walks that last longer than a few hours. The last time I went on a solo days-long trek was in 2019, right before the Covid-19 pandemic. I hiked and camped for about 5 days along the shores of Lake Khovsgol, in Mongolia. It was an amazing experience, and one I won’t soon forget. So, needless to say, I was looking forward to my next trekking adventure, whenever and wherever it would be.
Fast forward to mid 2024. I learned that I would be traveling to Australia and New Zealand for a Whitehawk tour with some amazing clients and friends. I had often heard that New Zealand is an ideal place for hiking and camping, especially for a solo woman traveler. It is beautiful, clean, and most importantly, safe. Immediately, I made plans to arrive a few days early in order to get some days of hiking in, though I didn’t yet know where.
Planning the Great Walk
I never used to do too much planning before my trips. Instead, I thrived on the adventure of arriving and figuring things out once in-country. But, as I have gotten older, I have come to enjoy the ease of traveling when, at least some things, are organized ahead of time. Particularly, I knew that to do a trek safely, I would need to do some planning.
I did quite a bit of research about the many Great Walks in New Zealand, asking friends and looking on line. I had originally planned to do the Routebern Track, on the South Island. It is regarded as one of the most beautiful walks in New Zealand. Of course, it also makes it one of the most popular. When I was ready to make my reservations for campsites along the trek, I found that everything was full. I was a bit disappointed, but not ready to give up yet.
Since our Whitehawk tour was going to be on the South Island, I thought it would be a good idea to explore the North Island. As I read about each of the Great Walks, one in particular stood out – Lake Waikaremoana. It was a less popular route, which meant less people – a bonus! And it was only about 6 hours from Auckland, and the scenery seemed beautiful and varied. I am so glad I chose this walk. It was everything I had hoped for and more. Booking the great hike was easy using the NZ Department of Conservation website.
Getting there
One of the many things I loved about New Zealand was their very strict regulations on bringing anything into the country. When coming into New Zealand with camping gear, they will inspect your hiking boots, tent, hiking poles, and other gear to make sure they are dirt-free. If not, they will clean them for you.This is to avoid the unwanted spread of nonnative plants, in particular. Normally when I plan a trek, I bring most of the camp food with me, just to avoid having to go to the grocery store once I arrive in a new country. But, I didn’t want to risk having any food thrown out and wasted. So, I decided to book a hotel right near the Auckland airport. Thankfully, there was a grocery story within walking distance that had all I needed for the trek. And this led to a very happy surprise.
As I was approaching the grocery store, I caught a glimpse of an open, grassy field dotted with birds. I immediately changed course and approached the field. As I got closer, I identified one Australian Magpie and several Australasian Swamphens walking around the field! Just beyond the grass, was a line of trees. I decided to investigate. It turns out the trees actually formed a ring around a small trail the circled a pond. It turned out to be a delightful birding spot. I saw New Zealand Scaup, New Zealand Grebe, Grey Gerygone, Silvereye, Paradise Shelduck, New Zealand Fantail – all lifers for me, in about an hour or so. Though I could have stayed all afternoon, I had to pull myself away to get to the grocery store and back to the hotel in time to repack for the trek and rest.
The next morning, I rented a car and drove 6 hours. Though I was nervous about driving on the other side of the road than I was used to, once I got out of the city, it was quite easy. The drive took me through beautiful scenery – green pastures dotted with white sheep and cows, and then to the rainforest road, beautiful scenery, birds, rivers, and waterfalls.
I arrived at around 3 p.m. at Lake Waikaremoana Holiday Park. This was a great place to spend the night prior to the trek. They offer a few choices of lodging from camping, to private rooms with shared bathroom and kitchen facilities, to completely private rooms with en suite bathroom and a small kitchenette. They also have a nice center where one can sit, check internet and have a nice conversation with the managers. After settling in, I took a short forest walk and got several more lifers: Tui, New Zealand Bellbird, and New Zealand Pigeon. Black Swan, Little Pied Cormorant, Mallard, and Paradise Shelducks dotted the lake. After a warm meal and reorganizing my backpack, I went to bed early in preparation for my trek tomorrow.
Lake Waikaremoana Day 1
I woke up at around 6:30 a.m., nervous but excited at the same time. After showering, I double checked my gear, and then drove to the Onepoto trailhead. I left my rental car there and took a water taxi to the start of the trail. As we approached land, a beautiful Swamp Harrier was floating along the edge of the lake. I took it as a good sign. My original plan was to start at the Hopuruahine trailhead. But, that portion of the trail was closed, so I was dropped off a bit further along the trek than anticipated. All in all, I estimate it cut my trek short by 2 hours or so. After hopping off the water taxi, which proved challenging with my heavy pack, I turned left on the trail and started my hike.
Right away, I noticed how well-kept the trail was – it was free of trash and debris, and it was very well marked, with orange markers every few feet to guide you along the way. There were also well-designed signposts that indicated (in time) the distance between the different campgrounds and huts. Much of the trail skirted the beautiful, blue waters of the lake. After about an hour of walking, I passed the Tapuaenui Campsite, a tranquil, forested camping area. Not too far beyond that, I stopped to read a sign about conservation efforts to protect Southern Brown Kiwi.
I was hoping to see or hear one of these iconic birds on my hike, but didn’t get the chance. But, it was honestly enough knowing that these incredible birds roamed the same forest where I was now walking – perhaps some even walked the same path the night before! I was also glad to read about the work being done to save these birds, including fencing off an area of the forest to protect them from introduced predators, such as stoats.
The trail had me climbing up and down small inclines, and crossing over beautiful hanging bridges until I eventually reached the Waiharuru Hut and Campsite. The camping area was lovely – an open, grassy space along the edge of the lake. Like all the other campgrounds, this one was equipped with a water pump, a covered area, and some benches. I filled my water bottle (signs advise you to boil the water or treat it, but I carried along iodine tablets to treat the water and flavored electrolyte powder to take away the iodine taste). I set my heavy pack down and stood in the warm sun for several minutes. It felt fantastic. I didn’t explore the hut, but from the outside it looked nice and cosy.
After about 20 minutes or so, I strapped on my backpack on and continued the few hour walk to the Maraunui Campsite. This is where I would spend the night. As I hiked, I stopped often to look at birds. Black Swan, Little Pied Cormorant, and Paradise Shelduck were the most common birds I saw from the trail. I also noticed several tracks of introduced White tail Deer on the muddy patches of the trail. Apart from the wildlife around me, I saw very few people this first day. After several hours of trekking, including a bit of a steeper climb, I passed the Marauiti Hut, and the wonderful sign telling me I had less than an hour to go before reaching my campsite.
When I finally arrived, I was delighted to find that I was the only one there. The campsite itself is located just past the Department of Conservation staff housing. But no one appeared to be home. I felt very secluded, in the best possible way. I set up my tent, ate dinner, sat on a spot by the lake and read for a few hours before turning in. After the sun set, it became quite chilly, so I decided to get into my tent and read a bit more before falling asleep.
Sometime during the night I awoke to two Moreporks calling back and forth. I didn’t have a strong enough flashlight to find them in the trees, and they sounded a bit far off, so I just enjoyed the warmth of my sleeping bag and the lovely sound of the two owls’ calls lulling me back to sleep.
Day 2 – Korokoro Falls
After a packing up my tent and supplies, I said goodbye to the beautiful campsite. And I continued the hike toward my next campsite – Waiopaoa. About 2 and a half hours into the walk, I took a detour of about an hour to visit the lovely Korokoro Falls. I left my large pack at the trailhead, and hiked in with a small fanny pack with some water, snacks, and of course, my binoculars. The hike to the falls was spectacular, not in the least because it felt so good to be free of my heavy backpack.
The trail meandered through a beautiful forest, and along clear streams and natural pools. At one point, I had to cross the river. I carefully walked across the large boulders scattered across the river. The Department of Conservation had installed a strong cable across the river to use for balance! It was fun. After about 30 minutes, I made it to the viewpoint of the falls. And what a view it was! Though the pool at the bottom looked inviting, I was content to sit and admire the beautiful waterfall from exactly where I was. After about 20 minutes, I slowly made my way back to the main trail.
I once again slung on my heavy pack and walked about 1 hour and a half to the campsite. Along the way, I heard Gray Gerygone (who were quite vocal – a wonderful soundtrack for my hike). I saw Tomtits, Yellowheads, New Zealand Pigeon, and even an introduced California Quail!
When I made it to the campsite, I quickly set up my tent. Afterwards, I decided to go for a swim in the lake. Of course, being from California and having spent the last nearly 20 years living in Panama, my tolerance for the cold is quite low. So, I guess you couldn’t call what I did “swimming.” It was more like a quick dunk in the water and a mad dash back to the bank to dry off in the sun. I spent several hours just sitting and enjoying the view. The occasional Little Pied Cormorant or Black Swan sailed by.
Day 3 – The Long Trek Out
On my final morning, I woke up early, packed up, and began my trek out at 7:30 in the morning. The hike to reach the Panekire Hut, and the viewpoint, was the hardest part of the hike. From what I had read, most people start the trek hiking to this view point to get the uphill part out of the way. But, I was happy with the direction I hiked in. The one advantage to doing this section of the trail at the end of the trek is that your backpack is (or at least should be) a little bit lighter than when you started.
The walk to the hut took about 4 hours, and it was mostly uphill, with a series of wooden stairs leading up to the hut for what felt like the last few miles. Along the way, I took my time and enjoyed the forest, stopping occasionally to rest and have some snacks and a water break. The day started out cloudy, and by the time I made it to the view point, it was completed socked in. I had read about how beautiful the view was, and I didn’t want to miss it.
So, I sat outside the hut, took a small break and waited for the clouds to part. After only about 30 minutes, they did just that. And I was rewarded with an incredible sight of the entire lake below me. I was all alone with just the sounds of birds and a light breeze. It was heaven. I still had a long hike (5.5 hours) down to my vehicle. So, after a few more minutes of enjoying the serenity, I began the final trek out.
The hike to the trailhead was nearly all downhill. Once again, I also took frequent breaks to enjoy the views and the changing forest landscape. I made it to my vehicle by around 5: 30 p.m. My legs felt like jelly after the 10-hour hike, but I was very happy. I threw my backpack in the car and took a few deep breaths of gratitude. Then I drove back to the Lake Waikaremoana Holiday Park. The following morning I drove back to Auckland. I would spend the next day exploring the Auckland Botanical Gardens – another fabulous birding stop. The following day I flew to Christchurch to meet our clients for the start of our New Zealand tour.
Though admittedly a long trek is not for everyone, for me it was one of the greatest experiences. I can’t wait to plan my next trek, whenever and wherever it might be. In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy as much time walking in nature as I can. Right here in my own backyard in Panama.
– Marta
