Rotokakahi - Green Lake

A non- identical twin with nearby Blue Lake - Tikitapu, these two lakes are not the same.

The obvious difference in the emerald waters here is that the sandy base differs from the rhyolite and pumice which reflect light in the shallow waters of Tikitapu. Rotokahi is shallow too, but has different assets. Roto means lake and Kakahi is the name of freshwater shellfish, which used to be gathered here, before the Tarawera eruption. Rotokakahi has an outlet towards Lake Tarawera, whereas Tikitapu is closed and can rise after rainfall.

Now, the lake is tapu and privately owned by Tuhourangi, which means nobody can go here, especially not for water sports which are enjoyed on Tikitapu. The owners have allowed for the development of a network of walking and cycling tracks, and a there is a carpark too, but in 2019 vandalism led to removal of the access to these.

Tuhourangi have many ancestors, including Hinemoa, buried upon one of the lake's small islands, which is called Motutawa. There is also a story that one of the chiefs from far away NgaPuhi is also buried here, after a skirmish with the locals, which later led to the aggressions between visiting Nga Puhi Chief Hongi Hika and Te Arawa at Mokoia Island.

Trying to visit the lake is a bad idea, unless the tracks are clearly marked open. In which case NZPlaces could use a picture. Nearby Lakes Okareka and Okataina are good for a stopoff though.