ACCESS
LAKE WAIKARE
Waikato's largest lake (3442 hectares) with thousands of waterfowl which flight in and out of the wildlife refuge on northern half of the lake, the boundaries of which are marked by four buoys. The lake also holds large numbers of Canada geese as the season progresses. Much of the lake edge is owned by Crown but not clearly marked as such.
- Roto Street, Te Kauwhata
Boat ramp next to old landfill provides access to northern and western areas of the lake.Key required - contact Fish & Game, Hamilton. - Ruahine Road, Te Kauwhata
Boat ramp at Ruahine Road at the lake's outlet provides access to northern area of lake and beyond. - Yacht Club, Waikare Road
Boat ramp adjacent to yacht club site (note: now demolished) off Waikare Road gives access to most of the lake. - Matahura Stream, Waikare Road
Simple boat ramp on private land off Matahura Stream off Waikare Road - landowner permission required. - Gill Road, Ohinewai
4WD vehicular access from Gill Road. No sign posts, and is an unformed paper road which is marked on maps. Please respect private property either side. - Te Onetea Road, Rangiriri
Boat ramp off Te Onetea Road gives access to Te Onetea Stream and the lake. Take care of shallow sill at lake edge.
Lake Rangiriri (a.k.a Lake Kopuera) north of Rangiriri is a Wildlife Refuge (entry forbidden with dogs or firearms) which holds many thousands of ducks in the area that might otherwise have gone off to sea when the season progresses.
“The Island” a.k.a Lake Waikare Fish & Game property. This can only be reached by boat. Typically, people use the old yacht club site or Gills Road to access this.
LAKE ROTOKAWAU - (Also known as "Black Lake")
22 hectares of open water surrounded by 260 hectares of Crown owned conservation area connected to Lake Waikare by a drain.Foot access is via gate on Tahuna Road. DoC permit required.
- Tahuna Road, Ohinewai
1. Access can also be achieved by using small rowboat or canoe on drain which leads to lake, although overgrown.
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Via Lake Waikare
Access by small boat or canoe via canal connection between lakes.Effort often required to bash through obstructions.
LAKE OHINEWAI
16 hectares in area with well planted reserve surrounded by farmland - Ohinewai Domain
Foot access can be had via Domain on north end of lake which is a conservaron area. A DoC permit required. - Frost Road, Ohinewai
Vehicle access possible via farm race off Frost Road - landowner permission required.
A. = Fish & Game property - Waikare Wildlife Block. Access only via boat.
