The hidden valley

By GERALDINE McMANUS

Quietness wrapped around me as I stepped from my car. I was so far from the city clamour that to me as a city-dweller, it was almost as though the world had stopped.

Orakei Korako is a hidden valley some 40-odd kilometres from Rotorua. To get there is just a matter of turning at the main highway sign and believing that you are on the right track. It's more than 10 minutes' drive through rural farmland and the final stretch is a country road that winds down into the valley.

Eye-catching Orakei Korako resort spreads across hectares of parkland rimmed with forest and bush-clad hills.

Between the lodge and parkland and the geothermal area is a wide stretch of the Waikato River - now a dam and part of the river's hydro power system.

Lake Ohakuri is still, calm and limpid.

I dumped my backpack and sleeping bag on the bunk and hurried back to the lakeside. I had arrived just in time to kayak up the lake at dusk to hot water pools.

A small group set off in the twilight.

Our paddles dipped in and out, rippling the glassy surface. We felt little need to converse but rather a preference to stay silent immersing ourselves in the tranquillity and remoteness.

As the sun dipped low we neared an inlet and began to paddle single file upstream between the reeds. The water became progressively warmer, heated by the geothermal region.

As the stream banks narrowed to ferns we climbed from the kayaks, leaving them on the river bank, then stepped back into the warm stream.

We worked our way on foot upstream for 15 minutes, the warm water- knee-high to waist-deep - washing our legs. The most extraordinary experience was squeezing through the Crack, a chasm of hard rock just wide enough for us in single file.

The rocks on either side shaped and curved smooth like modern sculptures filled with pools of the stream.

We emerged from the Crack just a few minutes' walk away from where two waterfalls tumble noisily into a rock pool, nature's hot tub edged by smooth, rocky cliffs and a fringe of ferns.

As the sun went down, the banks on either side developed a radiance all their own, thanks to hundreds of glow-worms. Although we carried a torch, no one wanted to use it and we retraced our steps back down the stream-bed lit by nature's lanterns on both sides.

Even the Crack's mossy walls were a tunnel of sparkling, glinting glow worm's lights. Magical.

In quietness we paddled back, picking out the star formations in the sky. Just the night sounds of owls in the bush broke the quiet dipping of paddles.

In high summer Orakei Korako can be overrun with school rowing camps and water skiers. It is known to be one of the world's top natural water-skiing spots. Fine, if that's your passion, but off-season is my choice, when it is undisturbed.



Next morning I watched as mist lay like a blanket over the water. It was as though a taniwha might appear. Overnight, the lake had cooled, attracting a layer of geothermal steam and mist. Through this the dawn was trying to sparkle and water birds emerged on to the bank.

Rays of sun gradually warmed the mist and it began to rise off the water. The tall pine trees on the hillside became silhouettes against the brilliant golden light and reflections lit up the still water.

As it was early, I could take the first boat across the lake to the thermal area. The boat leaves when there are enough people for a load and plies back and forth all day.

The walk through the geothermal area takes about an hour, more if you want to wander slowly and less if you are impatient. It's a good stretch for an hour's walk across boardwalks by the terraces and beside the bubbling mud pools. The painter's palette is a terrace of colours and riverlets of steaming water stream alongside the walkways.

After a 20-year absence one of the most prominent geysers, Wawiri (angry waters) was setting off again. Several times a day Wawiri shoots water and plumes of steam skyward.

Beyond the terraces the track curves through bush to a deep cave. Maori folklore and legend add mystique. A steep, winding path leads down to the edge of the water. Luck is with you if you put your toes into the warm, jade-green water. Looking back up to the entrance of the Ruatapu Cave the cliff is rimmed with ferns outlined against the light.

Returning to the jetty, then by boat across to the cafe, we see a float plane tied up. It is possible to drop in to Orakei Korako by plane, taking off from Lake Taupo, then landing on the still waters of Lake Ohakuri.

Primeval in the evening dusk; tranquil, misty and ghostly in the dawn, Orakei Korako is off the beaten track and this is its charm.

It is worth remembering the words of Lonely Planet New Zealand: "Since the destruction of the Pink and White terraces Orakei Korako is possibly one of the best geothermal areas in New Zealand and one of the finest in the world".

Case notes:


Where to stay:


Orakei Korako Geyserland resort,

494 Orakei Korako Rd, Taupo, ph (07) 378 3131, fax (07) 378 0371,

* Email ok@reap.org.nz


www.orakeikorako.co.nz


What it costs:


Accommodation: $20 a person

Facilities:


The lodge is for self-sufficient guests. No coffee plungers or espresso machines, but plentiful hot water and cupboards full of mugs, dishes and enough cooking utensils for an army. A lakeside cafe provides meals and coffee all day and, by request, evening meals.

Where to find the resort:


45km south of Rotorua. The turn-off is marked on the SH5 between Rotorua and Taupo and SH1 between Atiamuri and Wairakei.

What to do:


Guided dusk kayak to natural hot pools,

$25 each. Boat transfer to geothermal area:

$19 an adult, $7 children under 16.