Lake Okataina
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lake Okataina, is the northernmost and largest 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 (Green Lake), Lake Tikitapu (Blue Lake), and Lake Okareka.
Unlike many other lakes in the region, it 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 large 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 Tamar Wallabies introduced from Australia in the 19th century.
 |
This Bay of Plenty-related geography article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
