Lake Waikaremoana Track
Consistently the least-booked of the mainland Great Walks, around a lake that's only 2,200 years old by geological standards — young enough that the landslide which formed it is still legible in the landscape.
- Distance
- 44 km
- Days
- 3–4
- Huts
- 5
A lake made by a landslide
Lake Waikaremoana, 248 metres deep at its deepest point, was formed around 2,200 years ago when a massive landslide blocked the narrow gorge of the Waikaretaheke River. The Great Walk largely follows its shoreline and cliffs, with five huts and five campsites spread around the route — more overnight options than any other Great Walk, which is part of why it's easy to build a flexible itinerary here even at short notice.
Panekire Bluff
The walk's high point, in every sense, is Panekire Bluff — a clifftop ridge reaching about 1,180m at the Panekire Trig, with Panekire Hut sitting in a small clearing right at the top with long views back down over the lake. It's also the steepest, most exposed climb on the track, usually tackled at the start or end of the loop depending on which direction you walk.
Te Urewera, and why this isn't quite a normal national park
Te Urewera holds deep significance for Ngāi Tūhoe, the iwi (tribal nation) of this region, and is managed by Te Uru Taumatua, Tūhoe's own governing body, rather than run as a standard DOC national park — a genuinely distinctive legal and cultural arrangement worth being aware of before you go, and a good reason to travel respectfully and stay on the track.
Booking reality check: this is the easiest mainland Great Walk to book on short notice. If a South Island track falls through, or you're travelling through the North Island and want a genuine multi-day Great Walk without months of advance planning, this is the strongest candidate on the whole list.