Lake Tawera trail from Hot Water Beach to Te Wairoa carpark

The Lake Tarawera trail in Rotorua is on many ‘someday’ lists, with the 15km track taking you lakeside as well as deep in the bush. It’s a beautiful yet challenging walk that shouldn’t be underestimated as the walk does require a good level of fitness. Being a solo adventure, I booked the water taxi to Hot Water Beach and walked back to Te Wairoa car park, where my car was waiting for me.

Totally Tarawera runs a regular water taxi service to Hot Water Beach from The Landing. If you plan to walk back to the car park from the beach like I did, there’s also a free shuttle to The Landing - just make sure to choose this option when you book the water taxi. The water taxi takes about 20 minutes, and owner Terry is a fantastic host. I share the taxi that morning with two friends, Anahera and Manaakitanga.

Bay of Plenty: Sunshine, rock hopping and cinnamon pinwheels

This was an unplanned, random adventure - unplanned because we had actually planned to go in the opposite direction, yet it turned out pretty cool in the end. Sunshine, rock hopping and cinnamon pinwheels at McLaren Falls was an awesome half-day adventure with my friend, Jem, her daughter Amelia and Vlado (Jem’s flatmate).

I know what you’re thinking, why go rock hopping when you can chase waterfalls, right? It turns out that rock hopping in the sunshine is good for the soul, not to mention a great workout for your quads! It certainly brought out Amelia’s sense of adventure, who was still to be convinced that road trips with adults (particularly with her mum’s friends) can actually be fun.

Bay of Plenty: Learning about te ao Māori in the Ōtanewainuku Forest

The connection I feel when I’m in nature, be it in the bush, on a mountain, lake or coast isn’t something I find easy to describe in words. It’s a language we are all born with, yet will lose over our lifetime unless we continue to build on that connection.

Up until a few days ago, I had never heard of the Ōtanewainuku Forest. It's just over an hour's drive from Whakatāne, tucked away in Oropi, just inland of Te Puke. Basically, right on my doorstep!

For my Sunday hike, I was lucky enough to be joined by Te Reiroa, a local whose knowledge of
Te Ao Māori exceeded his years. This was his hau kāinga (a forest he grew up in) and I felt privileged to be given a personal guided tour, learning about various Māori folklore. He took me to Whataroa Falls, where it's believed to be a gateway between 'noa' or the land of the living, and the spirit world. It's a rare sharing of old world knowledge and insight into Te Ao Māori that most people may never experience in their lifetime, and for that I was most grateful.

Bay of Plenty: Exploring Te Rerekawau (Kaiate) Falls

I like exploring the Bay of Plenty, and last Sunday’s mini-roadie took me to Te Rerekawau Falls (also known as Kaiate Falls). It’s in Waitao, about 20 minutes south of Tauranga. From Whakatāne, it’s an easy hour drive along the Tauranga Eastern Link (SH 2) until the turn off to Kairua. The drive is surrounded by farmland - I read that there used to be a gravel section leading to the car park, but now it’s sealed. The car park isn’t that big, so if it’s full you just have to park down the hill and walk back up.

Before the car park, there’s a track that runs along the river, don’t use this as the section that connects to the main track is now permanently closed. The track starts at the car park.