Lake Tikitapu, or Blue Lake, is one of Rotorua's most popular places to visit. Known for its bright blue waters and surrounding forest, the lake was formed around 13,500 years ago and gets its iconic colour from the rhyolite and pumice on the lakebed, creating a blue reflection that I was surprised to find is as bright in person as it is in photos.

The name Tikitapu comes from Māori history and was a sacred greenstone necklace (pounamu) that was believed to have been worn and lost in the lake by the daughter of a high-ranking chief.

The area around Blue Lake is famous for swimming, water sports, hiking trails, and mountain bike tracks, which are located in a section of the Whakarewarewa Forest.

Track overview

• Difficulty: Easy

• Length: 5.5km loop

• Time: 1-2 hours

This family-friendly loop track winds through native bush and offers stunning views of Blue Lake (Tikitapu) and the nearby Green Lake (Rotokakahi). The path is mainly covered by native and redwood forests (Whakarewarewa Forest) and undulates in a lot of sections, but is never very steep. However, there are a few stairs to the Blue and Green Lakes Lookout. When we walked around the lake, we found that some trees had fallen across the path and parts of the track were only about 50cm wide, so it wasn’t suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs. In this case, I recommend heading to the Rotorua Waterski Club. It has accessible toilets, picnic areas, and BBQ facilities, making it a great place to relax and enjoy the lake without walking the loop.

How to get there

Lake Tikitapu is approximately ten minutes from Rotorua City Centre. There is no public transport to the lake, but if you don't have a car, you could join one of the many tours exploring some of the region's most popular lakes. Although this will allow you to see the lakes, you probably won't have time to walk around them.

Once you arrive, the best places to park for the Blue Lake Track are:

• Opposite Lake Tikitapu Campground

• At the Blue and Green Lake lookout

• Rotorua Waterski Club, near the Blue Lake Top 10 Holiday Park (this is my recommendation! If you park here, stop off at AirStream Cafe for a coffee before your walk)