Lake Okataina
Encyclopedia
Lake Okataina is the northernmost and largest of four smaller lake
s lying between Lake Rotorua
and Lake Tarawera
in the Bay of Plenty
region of New Zealand
's North Island
. The others are Lake Rotokakahi
(Green Lake), Lake Tikitapu
(Blue Lake), and Lake Okareka
. All lie within the Okataina caldera, along its western edge.
Unlike many other lakes in the region, Lake Okataina is completely encircled by native forest. It also has no inlets or outlets. Perhaps as a result, over the past 30 years, the level of the lake has risen and fallen in a range of about 5 metres.
The lake can be accessed by road via Hinehopu on the southern shores of Lake Rotoiti
. At the end of the road there is a large sandy beach, a massive grassed area and the privately owned Okataina Lodge. Due to changes in the surface level of the lake, the lodge jetty has at times been either completely submerged or left high and dry.
The area around the lodge is, to the surprise of many, heavily populated by Tammar Wallabies
introduced from Australia
in the 19th century.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s lying between Lake Rotorua
Lake Rotorua
Lake Rotorua is the second largest lake in the North Island of New Zealand by surface area, and covers 79.8km2. With a mean depth of only 10 metres it is considerably smaller than nearby Lake Tarawera in terms of volume of water. It is located in the Bay of Plenty region...
and Lake Tarawera
Lake Tarawera
Lake Tarawera is the largest of a series of lakes which surround the volcano Mount Tarawera in the North Island of New Zealand. Like the mountain, it lies within the Okataina caldera. It is located 18 kilometres to the east of Rotorua, and five kilometres to the west of the mountain...
in the Bay of Plenty
Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty , often abbreviated to BOP, is a region in the North Island of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name...
region of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
. The others are Lake Rotokakahi
Lake Rotokakahi
Lake Rotokakahi or Green Lake, is one of four small lakes lying between Lake Rotorua and Lake Tarawera in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. The others are Lake Tikitapu , Lake Okareka, and Lake Okataina...
(Green Lake), Lake Tikitapu
Lake Tikitapu
Lake Tikitapu or Blue Lake, is the smallest of four small lakes lying between Lake Rotorua and Lake Tarawera in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. The others are Lake Rotokakahi , Lake Okareka, and Lake Okataina....
(Blue Lake), and Lake Okareka
Lake Okareka
Lake Okareka is one of four small lakes lying between Lake Rotorua and Lake Tarawera, in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. The others are Lake Rotokakahi , Lake Tikitapu , and Lake Okataina. All lie within the Okataina caldera, along its western edge.The lake has a...
. All lie within the Okataina caldera, along its western edge.
Unlike many other lakes in the region, Lake Okataina is completely encircled by native forest. It also has no inlets or outlets. Perhaps as a result, over the past 30 years, the level of the lake has risen and fallen in a range of about 5 metres.
The lake can be accessed by road via Hinehopu on the southern shores of Lake Rotoiti
Lake Rotoiti, Bay of Plenty
Lake Rotoiti is a lake in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand. It is the northwesternmost in a chain of lakes formed within the Okataina caldera. The lake is close to the northern shore of its more famous neighbour, Lake Rotorua, and is connected to it via the Ohau Channel. It drains to the...
. At the end of the road there is a large sandy beach, a massive grassed area and the privately owned Okataina Lodge. Due to changes in the surface level of the lake, the lodge jetty has at times been either completely submerged or left high and dry.
The area around the lodge is, to the surprise of many, heavily populated by Tammar Wallabies
Tammar Wallaby
The Tammar Wallaby , also known as the Dama Wallaby or Darma Wallaby, is a small member of the kangaroo family and is the model species for research on kangaroos and marsupials. It is found on offshore islands on the South Australian and Western Australian coast...
introduced from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in the 19th century.