Waihaha

western bays

You can access Waihaha from SH32 on the western side of Lake Taupo, with a walk through the Waihaha river valley, down to the Waihaha beach. A rural landscape of rock outcrops, cliffs, gorges, flax wetland and plateau above the lake. There are tours to be taken through a picturesque gorge, beech trees and podocarp hardwood forest. The Waihaha stream is a significant spawning habitat for trout with common indigenous fish present. The flora in the area is fivefinger-kohuhu, beech forest, podocarp, silver tussockland, monoao scrub, flax tussockland and kanuka forest.

Waihaha is of strong cultural significance with local iwi educational tours to the beach, marae, Tieke falls, and Waihaha river.

Waihaha's spiritual meaning 'the tail waters of exploding planets where the spirit world bathe their young'