Tarawera Trail Pick Up - Departs from Hot Water Beach

This adventure begins with a 25 minute ride on the Water Taxi followed by a 10 minute van shuttle to the Tarawera Trail car park. Departures are available at 9 30 a m, 12 30 p m, and 3 30 p m from Hot Water Beach, and bookings are essential for the service to operate. The trail itself spans approximately 15 kilometers and typically takes four to five hours for walkers of reasonable fitness. Participants will follow the trail from the car park to the end point, just 100 meters from Hot Water Beach, providing a mix of lakeside views, historic sites, and native bush. Along the way, walkers can pause at scenic lookouts, inlets, and picnic spots to rest or enjoy the surroundings.

As you walk, you will experience the impressive presence of the now dormant Mount Tarawera and enjoy ever changing views of the lake and its bays. The trail passes through past settlements, crosses spring fed streams teeming with trout in season, and winds under Rata and Pohutukawa trees shaded by giant Mamaku ferns. Visitors are encouraged to bring walking shoes, drinking water, lunch, a camera, sunscreen, and summer swimwear to take advantage of the lake. Travel on the water is in an all weather boat providing safe and scenic access to the trail.