| Lake Waikareiti | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Lake Waikareiti | |
| Location | Wairoa District, Hawke's Bay region, North Island |
| Coordinates | 38°42′36″S 177°10′26″E / 38.710°S 177.174°E |
| Primary outflows | Aniwaniwa Stream |
| Basin countries | New Zealand |
| Surface elevation | 880 m (2,890 ft) |
| Islands | Rahui |
Lake Waikareiti, also spelt Lake Waikare Iti, is located in Te Urewera National Park in the North Island of New Zealand. A number of hiking trails are found within the catchment basin of the lake.[1]
Its formation followed a landslide 18,000 years ago, in which a part of the landmass of 10 kilometers wide slid to the north-west.[2] It is four kilometres to the northeast of the larger Lake Waikaremoana, into which it drains via the Aniwaniwa Stream. The smaller lake's surface is at an altitude of 880 metres above sea level - considerably higher than that of Waikaremoana - and as such the stream has several fine waterfalls such as the Āniwaniwa Falls and Papakorito Falls.
Several small islets are found in the lake. One of these, Rahui, itself contains a tiny lake - one of New Zealand's very rare lakes within lakes.
Numerous flora species are found within the lake catchment basin, crown fern (Blechnum discolor) being a widespread understory plant.[3] An assortment of birds found in the North Island are present at the national park except for the weka.[4]
The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "little waters" for Waikareiti.[5]
- ^ Charles Rawlings-Way, Carolyn Bain, Brett Atkinson, Errol Hunt, Peter Dragicevich and Sarah Bennett. 2008
- ^ "Te Urewera National Park Walks and Tracks". Department of Conservation. Retrieved 10 October 2006.
- ^ C. Michael Hogan. 2009
- ^ New Zealand Department of Conservation. 2009
- ^ "1000 Māori place names". New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 6 August 2019.