Lake Disappear

On the road to Kawhia is an attraction you may or may not see. It is Lake Disappear.

In limestone land, where the way water travels can be mysterious, there are sometimes features formed named Turlough, or Polje or even ephemeral. These terms describe a flat floored valley with no visible outlet for the stream. Lake Disappear is the largest one of these known in New Zealand.

Pakahi is the name of the waterway here, and like all streams, it runs towards the sea. However a huge lava flow from the Okete Volcanics cooled and blocked the valley with rock a few million years ago, so the Pakahi stream naturally found a way out through underground limestone caves, re-emerging a few kilometres later and heading towards Aotea Harbour. In the rainy season, those skinny caves cannot cope with all the water, and a temporary lake often appears, draining slowly until the valley is dry again.

There are other sinkholes and limestone features in the area. Apparently the place where the stream pops out is not as interesting or attractive as the lake.

Nearby is the celebrated Bridal Veil Falls, also created by the work of the Okete Volcanics. It is easy to combine a viewing of this pair of curiosities on one trip.

NZPlaces would love an original picture of Lake Disappear.

Image Credits: Johnragla