At the entrance of the Hinehopu/Hongi Track on SH30 stands a 28m tall sacred mataī tree (black pine tree). People call it the ‘wishing tree', with some placing a leaf at the base before making a wish, while others beep their horns for safe travels.
From the Department of Conservation website: Originally it was named after the Māori chieftainess, Hinehopu, who lived in the area around 1620. Hinehopu kept two homes, one at Rotoiti and the other at Rotoehu and often travelled between the two lakes. The track and area between the two lakes was named after her. The name Hongi was given to the area when the famous Ngapuhi warrior, Hongi, transferred his canoes from Lake Rotoehu to Lake Rotoiti in 1823 in order to perform a surprise raid on the Arawa people on Mokoia Island, Lake Rotorua.
The track is only a 30 minute drive from my home in Edgecumbe, so even with a Sunday sleep in I was well into the bush by 10.30am. I’d driven past it hundreds of times, never knowing a walking track was there until I was looking for walking tracks nearby. There’s also a natural hot stream at Waitangi Soda Springs just down the road if you feel like a hot soak afterwards. It costs $10 (they have EFTPOS), make sure to check Google for opening times.
It usually takes me just over an hour to walk from SH30 to Lake Rotoiti (return the same way), but with my camera in hand I knew it would be a slower pace. I've started bringing my SonyA600 out on my hikes again, and the light here is beautiful to photograph. It’s a family- friendly bush walk, well-marked and mostly flat. There’s one narrow section with a bit of a drop-off, other than that the track is really good underfoot. Parking is available at both SH30 and Lake Rotoiti. |
| A North Island robin. |
There were plenty of tūī and a handful of kererū/wood pigeon around, although I only heard the kererū this time round. Whenever I hear that unmistakable wop-wop-wop sound their wings make, it never fails to make me smile. Tawa and miro berries start to bloom from October, but won’t ripen until around January. I did see some rewarewa flowers on the track, so maybe they were feasting on those. I saw lots of pīwakawaka/fantails and some curious toutouwai/robin. Toutouwai are always finicky to photograph as I usually spot them in the shade, flitting between branches.
The water was choppy when I got to Lake Rotoiti. If you turn right at the lakeside, there is a small track that leads to a small bench. Unfortunately, the spot was a bit nippy for my liking so I walked back the same way and found a sunnier spot for lunch. After lunch, I walked over to the public toilets before heading back into the bush. The birdsong was quieter on the walk back, apart from the odd pīwakawaka coming to say hello, I didn’t see any other hikers by the time I got back to the car park.
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