The Tarawera Trail in Rotorua officially opens this weekend, making the picnic and camping spot of hot water beach available for walkers and hikers. The collaborative project has taken over nine years of negotiations and development, with 11 km of trail from the Te Wairoa car park to Te Rata Bay (Hot Water Beach) now complete. The one-way walk is expected to take moderately fit walkers around four-five hours to complete.
The Tarawera Trail was built in partnership between the department of conservation and several private Maori land blocks that border Lake Tarawera and the Te Wairoa Valley.
Te Ohu Mokai Wi Kingi, trustee, Tarawera Trail Trust said, “the opening of the trail is a great asset for Rotorua with the trail set to become one of New Zealand’s greatest walks. The volcanic backdrop, geothermal features of the lake, surrounding bush and cultural and historic stories makes this trail one of a kind. We’re expecting 33,000 people a year to walk the trail – or around 90 people per day.”
Panels along the trail will educate walkers and hikers about the history and ecology of the area.
“The trail is a perfect addition to the region as it has a low impact on the environment and ensures tangata whenua, as kaitiaki of the area, continue the stories of their forefathers,” Kingi added.
The Tarawera Trail is the first of the proposed network of trails, planned for development in the future, involving DOC and Maori private land owners to connect the 14 Te Arawa Lakes in this area.
