Sunlight filters through dense trees onto a tranquil forest pond with moss-covered logs and tall grasses, creating a serene, untouched atmosphere

I stayed the night at Te Tii Chalets in Ruatahuna. The chalet is lovely and I had a great sleep, but in hindsight, I wouldn’t want to drive to Waikaremoana the morning of a hike again. The road can be pretty foggy, and navigating narrow gravel roads while the sun is shining straight at you just sucks. It took about 1.5 hours from Ruatahuna to the Waikareiti car park. If you go by Google, there are mixed results about car park safety. Personally, I’ve been fortunate never to come back to vandalism or theft at a backcountry car park, and had no issues this time either.

My original plan was to walk to Sandy Bay Hut via Ruapani Track on day one, then walk out via the Waikareiti Walk Track the next day. Basically, a big day one and cruisy walk out. TLDR, I didn’t make it to Sandy Bay Hut that night, instead camping out at Puna Hokoi wetland for the night. As cold as it was, waking up to the fog rising above Puna Hokoi surrounded by frost, that was magical. It’s less than 30 mins from the Ruapani/Sandy Bay Hut junction, so if you get a chance, I recommend it as a side quest.

A vibrant purple mushroom with a shiny surface sits among moss and leaves on a forest floor, creating a vivid contrast with the earthy surroundings

 

How to get to the start of the track: The Ruapani Circuit starts and ends at the Lake Waikareiti Walk/Sandy Bay Hut car park on Waikaremoana Lake Road.

Distance: NZTopoNZ says the Ruapani section is approx. 10km, but Strava recorded my distance at approx. 14km / 6 hours. I did lose the track for about 45 mins in the first hour, so let’s meet in the middle and say it’s 12km. The Lake Waikareiti Track section was 6km at less than 2.5 hours.

Ruapani Circuit | 18km-ish at 8.5 hours

 

Dense forest scene with tall trees, moss-covered branches, and a small reflective pond. Lush greenery and tranquility fill the sun-dappled landscape

The start of the Ruapani Track is a left off-shoot on the Waikareiti Walk track - look out for a small wooden sign, about a minute from the start. From here, the track narrows, and there’ll be no mistaking that you’re in a rainforest. The ancient beech forest is incredible but make sure to wear extra layers as the temperature is at least a few degrees cooler in the shade. Although there are orange markers scattered on the track, this is more suited to people with good backcountry navigation. As less people walk the track, overgrown ferns have taken over, and some sections can be harder to follow. In saying that, if you have good experience in backcountry navigation, you should be able to follow the track and move faster than I did.

I had lost the track sometime in the first hour. There was a large messy windfall as the track began to climb and as I tried to get around it, I must have overshot the track while scrambling back up the bank. My NZTopo50 app showed that I had strayed too far east, so it was around 45 mins of making my own way to the Waipai Swamp, my first landmark. After a quick snack, I carried on, feeling very relieved that I was finally back on track. Underfoot didn’t get too muddy until I got beyond Lake Ruapani, although the overgrown ferns never really let up. For context, I’m 152cm, so ferns at half a metre are already knee height for me. Anything above that requires the majority of my body to move through it.

Serene lake view with calm waters reflecting lush green trees, framed by dark, twisted branches in the foreground under a clear blue sky

Lake Ruapani is HUGE. The track follows along the lake’s edge and just when you think it’s done, more water pops up through the trees. I had only planned to stop for a snack, but when my tummy let out a loud protest, I sat down on a log, grabbed my cold cheeseburger and soaked up the view. I had been walking under the canopy all morning and realised this was the first time the sun had touched my face.

Between Lake Ruapani and Puna Hokoi, the forest became denser, trees much taller and older. I hadn’t seen another hiker all day, yet I never felt lonely. I kept a close eye on the time and the fading light, and since I was nowhere near the Sandy Bay Hut junction, I thought about what I needed at a campsite. A source of water was my priority, everything else was in my pack. I actually wanted to camp by the junction near Lake Waikareiti, but by the time I arrived at Puna Hokoi, it was already dark. I changed into dry clothes, set up camp, cooked dinner and got inside the tent. I couldn’t find my knife, so I just ripped pieces of Camembert to eat with my crackers.

A tranquil lake surrounded by frost-covered grasses and a dense forest glows under early morning light. Mist hovers over the lake, creating a serene atmosphere

It was a cold night (though I wouldn't say freezing), even colder since I had to go to the toilet three times during the night. The juvenile possum that hissed at me earlier was long gone, thank goodness. I did get some sleep. I was awake before sunrise, but it was too cold to move around during twilight, so I tried to sleep some more. Each step made a loud crunching sound in the thick frost. I realised I had forgotten to cover my wet boots overnight; the frost claimed them too. It took about 15 mins just to get the laces undone, and even longer to feel my toes properly when I started walking.

Sunshine greeted me at the junction, and soon I saw the shimmering waters of Lake Waikareiti. The track conditions here were vastly different to Ruapani - open, no overgrowth, and steady underfoot. So much sunshine. And yay, no more bush bashing. The early morning light was so gorgeous coming through the trees, and it was nice to have the time to enjoy it. I stopped briefly at the Lake Waikareiti shelter, had a snack and carried on. I still had a 3.5-hour drive home and wanted to get on the road by midday. It took about 2.5 hours to walk out at an easy pace.

Maybe one day I’ll head back and actually stay at the hut, but I’m glad I walked the Ruapani Track. Backcountry tracks are usually maintained based on ease of access for contractors and how often they’re used by the public. Thick canopy and lack of flat open spaces rules out the use of a helicopter, and to walk in means carrying large chainsaws to clear windfalls. If the track conditions I experienced are anything to go by, I reckon the forest will reclaim the Ruapani Track sooner than later. Go out and experience tracks like this before they’re gone.