Hokitika Weekend:Around Lake Kaniere, Canoe Cove Walk, Kahikatea Walk (post IV of IV)

Visiting Lake Kaniere, Hokitika area, West Coast.....

After Karen and I visited the Hokitika Gorge Walkway we headed off to Lake Kaniere as that was the focus of the second half of our day. Lake Kaniere is about 20 kilometers inland from Hokitika and can be reached direct from Hokitika or along Dorothy Falls Road which runs around the head of the lake.

On Dorothy Falls Road head of Lake Kaniere

Stupidly we decided to go along Dorothy Falls Road....I'm not quite sure what I was expecting but even my minuscule expectations were not meet...it is a long, dusty, muddy, rutted, narrow, winding gravel road which meanders for 15 odd kilometers along between the edge of thick bush and the lake side. It would be fine in a 4 wheel drive vehicle but a Nisan Teanna with bugger all ground clearance is not the vehicle to be driving through here.

The Silver Surfer won through but she did not like it one bit.....and nor did I to be honest. Don't go this way to Lake Kaniere unless you have no other choice...

On Dorothy Falls Road head of Lake Kaniere

Dorothy Falls on the Dorothy Falls Road, Lake Kaniere

There are a number of spots of interest along the road...the track up the Styx River, the tracks for Mt Brown Hut and Mt Tuhua and the Dorothy Falls that the road is named after. Dorothy Falls are 64 meters high in two drops and worth a look if travelling through.....

On Dorothy Falls Road head of Lake Kaniere

Anyway we eventually arrived at Lake Kaniere..the road ends at Hans Bay where there is a basic campground, boat ramp and some holiday homes. I would imagine it is quite busy over the summer months as the lake looked nice despite the low cloud and rain. 

Map: Canoe Cave Track, Kahikatea Walk and Hans Bay at Lake Kaniere

We stopped for five minutes and had a walk around and a look at the camp grounds before heading on our way to the Canoe Cove Track which was one of the reasons for our visit. There are a lot of good tracks around the lake but as it was raining on and off we decided to just walk along a couple of the shorter ones. 

Campground office at Dorothy Falls Road, Hans Bay, Lake Kaniere

Eastern end of Lake Kaniere from Hans Bay campground

The dock at Hans Bay, Lake Kaniere

Looking to the west at Hans Bay,  Lake Kaniere

Big fat Weka at the campgrounds at Hans Bay, Lake Kaniere

If you ever want to come up to Lake Kaniere I would suggest following the main route out of Hokitika along the Lake Kaniere Road...it is a sealed road and easy to follow....more straight forward than going around the head of the lake. 

Canoe Cove Walk, Lake Kaniere

Canoe Cove Walk is about 1.5 kilometers west of Lake Kaniere...there is a car-park on the left hand side of the road and a really obvious DOC sign advertising its presence. There was one other car in the car park (it was a group of European tourists having a picnic in the rain at the end of the track).

Car park at he start of the Canoe Cove Walkway, Lake Kaniere Scenic Reserve

Canoe Cove Walkway: DOC sign pointing to start of track

The track is along the crest of a small peninsula which sticks out into Lake Kaniere. It is a wet environment so there are a lot of swampy areas, small streams and the predominant tree type is Kahikatea. The walk takes about 30 minutes total depending on how much time you spend down looking at the lake...it would be about 1.2 km's return.

starting down the Canoe Cove Walkway

Extensive boardwalk on the Canoe Cove Walkway

Karen walking along the Canoe Cove Walkway

The track is a combination of boardwalk and gravel track...it is a bit rougher than some of the other tracks in the Hokitika area but still easy to follow and walk on. Some of the boardwalk is raised to take you over the top of the wetter areas so you can easily walk this track in sand-shoes or even sandals. 

Canoe Cove Walkway: boardwalk over a swampy part of the track

There is a significant area of blow down-wind fall about five minutes along the track...the wet soil and shallow root system of Kahikatea forest mean this is a common event. A tree will become loose and fall and topple many others in a concertina effect for considerable distances. DOC have removed most of the trees from the track but they generally leave timber to rot down in these instances. 

Eventually seedlings will fill the spaces left by the fallen trees...Its just the natural cycle in a Kahikatea forest.....

Wind fall area on the Canoe Cove Walkway, Lake Kaniere Reserve

....lots of wind damage on the Canoe Cove Walkway..

More of the wind fall along the Canoe Cove Walkway

There are two small bridges along the track both of which cross ravines which bisect the peninsula from side to side. Apart from that this track is flat all the way from the start to the lakeside. 

Crossing a bridge over a stream, Canoe Cove Walkway

Lovely fern along the Canoe Cove Walkway, Lake Kaniere Reserve

Rimu tree alongside Canoe Cove Walkway

As you approach the end of the track you can see the lake on one side and Canoe Cove on the other. When the lake is especially full I would imagine the stream at the head end of the peninsula is completely full making this a real island. 

First view of Canoe Cove, Canoe Cove Walkway

Vines cover these trees along the Canoe Cove Walkway

As with most West Coast forest the trees are covered in epipthye plants and vines...some of them are literally impossible to see under all the covering plants. It is super wet on the Coast and often quite warm so everything grows at an accelerated rate.  

Epipthyes cover a tree along the Canoe Cove Walkway

The track finishes at a very nice sand and pebble beach on the side of Lake Kaniere...it would be an awesome spot for a swim or even a picnic if  you could stand the sand-flies and if it wasn't raining. On the day we were there it was both wet and buggy so we had to keep moving around to stop the bugs from eating us alive. 

Lake Kaniere from the end of the Canoe Cove Walkway

Jon standing at the end of the Canoe Cove Walkway

It would be an excellent place to kayak around as there are a number of little bays and coves along the sides of the lake and places where you could paddle through the forest edges. It was very gentle, flat and calm on the day we were there but I imagine it gets a bit choppy with a strong wind blowing down the lake. 

Lake Kaniere from the end of the Canoe Cove Walkway

Beginning of Canoe Cove, Lake Kaniere Scenic Reserve

It started raining just after we got to the beach..you can see the fall of raindrops on the lake waters below but it ended after a couple of minutes. We were so lucky on this trip...it rained on-of for all the days we were on the Coast but yet we never had any downpours while we were out walking or doing the tourist thing....

Rain falls on Lake Kaniere as seen from the end of the Canoe Cove Walkway

Canoe Cove looks like a nice secluded spot for a swim but I am damn sure there would be monstrous eels in that lake...I would think twice before jumping in...

If you do go for a swim be careful of the snags on the lake bed..there are a lot of old logs, sticks and lake weed you could get trapped by so caution is required. 

Canoe Cove, Lake Kaniere Scenic Reserve

Tannin stained waters of Canoe Cove, Lake Kaniere

Looking towards the head of Canoe Cove, Lake Kaniere

Side stream which feds into Canoe Cove, Lake Kaniere

The mouth of Canoe Cove from the beach at the end of the Canoe Cove Walkway

We spent a good 10 minutes at the end of the track and started back to the car as a new shower came over the lake towards us...it s OK walking in the rain in a New Zealand forest as the trees tend to block most of the rain drops. We also had our wet weather jackets on so even though it was raining we stayed dry inside our jackets. 

Canoe Cove Walkway: the beach at the end of Canoe Cove Walkway

It a quality track....Canoe Cove Walkway, Lake Kaniere Reserve

Head of Canoe Cove, Lake Kaniere

The only bridge along the Canoe Cove Walkway

Almost back at the start of the Canoe Cove track

One of the semi mature Kahikatea Trees along the Canoe Cove Walkway

We got back to the car after about 30 minutes to have a snack and drink while we dried ourselves off. 

Back at the start of the Canoe Cove Walkway

Canoe Cove Walkway car-park looking at Milltown road to the Arahura River Valley

The Silver Surfer at the Canoe Cove Walkway car park

This is an excellent track...well worth a visit to Lake Kaniere to see it...I have already recommended this track and the Kahikatea Walk to a couple of people. 

Access:From Hokitika take the road to Kaniere and then follow the signs to Lake Kaniere. The Canoe Cove car-park is on the right hand side of Lake Kaniere Road at the western end of the lake just before you reach Hans Bay settlement. Alternately follow the 15 kilometer gravel Dorothy Falls Road around the head of Lake Kaniere to Kokatahi River Valley.
Track Times: The Canoe Cove Walkway will take 30 minutes to complete.
Miscellaneous: No toilets located at the start of Canoe Cove Walkway but there are a set at Hans Bay Campground 5 minutes further up Lake Kaniere Road. Be aware that the Dorothy Falls road is narrow, winding and often in a state of disrepair.

Kahikatea Walk, western end of  Lake Kaniere

After we walked the Canoe Cove Walkway we drove five minutes up the road to the Kahikatea Walk a short 15 minute stroll through swamp and forest. It is at the extreme western end of the lake and the turn off is clearly sign posted on Lake Kaniere Road. 

Lake Kaniere from near the Kahikatea Walk, Lake Kaniere Scenic Reserve

Sunny Bight from the Kahikatea Walk, Lake Kaniere Scenic Reserve

There is a car-park and toilet block at the start/end of the circuit track...the track starts on one side of the toilets and emerges from the bush on the other side. There is a small picnic area next to the lake with a couple of picnic tables and further along the shore line is a camper van park for over night stays.

Car-park and toilet block at the start of the Kahikatea Walk, Lake Kaniere Scenic Reserve

There were  lot of friendly Weka at the car park including a mother hen with five chicks...they came over for an exploratory peck at my car. This would be great terrain for Weka as they like wetlands and the fringe of bush-land along farm margins as a home. 

There were a lot of Weka around the Kahikatea Walk, Lake Kaniere Scenic Reserve

The start of the Kahikatea Walk starts right next to the toilet block...it is about a kilometer around and will take about 20-30 minutes to walk. The track is of a superior quality and the first hundred meters is boardwalk so anyone could walk along it. It is a mixture of boardwalk, gravel path, wetlands, bog, Kahikatea forest and old farming land returning to the bush. 

Start of the Kahikatea Walk, Lake Kaniere Scenic Reserve

Kahikatea Walk: on the boardwalk at the start of the track

Kahikatea swamp along the Kahikatea Walk, Lake Kaniere Reserve

There is a fine example of boggy Kahikatea forest at the start of the track....the roots of the trees are waterlogged which they enjoy. In the background are a stand of big Kahikatea trees on dry land and there are also rushes, flax and other aquatic plants around the bogs. 

More of the Kahikatea Swamp along the Kahikatea Walk

Jon on the Kahikatea Walk, Lake Kaniere Reserve

Typical Kahikatea Swamp along the Kahikatea Walk

Heading into the bush, Kahikatea Walk

There is an excellent information board which explains how and why this type of forest predominates in the local area...well worth a look...

Information panel along the Kahikatea Walk, Lake Kaniere Reserve

DOC tree identification panel, Kahikatea Walk

Large Kahikatea trees back the swampland, Kahikatea Walk

The track then heads into an area of native forest with a mixture of typical West Coast trees...Ngaio, Rimu, Totora and Matai. The under-story is thick as is typical along the Coast with a lot of moss, ferns and vines covering the bare ground under the trees. 

Walking through the bush, Kahikatea Walk

Kahikatea Walk: super dense bush along the track.....

 It was raining the whole time we were walking along the track. We were mostly protected from the rain under the mature tree canopy as the water that did land on us was dripping off the trees and not in the form of rain.

Karen looking at a Keruru on the Kahikatea Walk

Nice track along the Kahikatea Walk

Moss covered Matai Tree on the Kahikatea Walk

At one point you pas a strange three meter high bank of stones and earth with a profusion of trees and scrub growing on it. This is an ancient terminal moraine pile left behind by some long ago glacier...most of the lakes on the West Coast were formed by glacial action...as they advanced they pushed gravel, earth and stones in front of them...when they retreated they dumped the spoil at their furthermost extent.

I pleased I liked Geography at school as it helps me interpret geological terrain, flora and fauna when I am out tramping....

A glacial terminal moraine along the Kahikatea Walk, Lake Kaniere Reserve

Closer view of the 3 meter high terminal moraine, Kahikatea Walk

At the far end of the walk is an old farmstead that has been abandoned and is slowly returning to forest....I imagine someone called this area home around a hundred years ago...it takes a long time for a forest to regenerate after we decimate it but at least the process has started here. 

Heading into the old farm along the Kahikatea Walk

Old farm area adjacent to the Kahikatea Walk, Lake Kaniere Reserve

On the homeward stretch...Kahikatea Walk, Lake Kaniere Reserve

There is a stream running alongside the track as you turn and head back out to the car-park....it is not huge but would have a goodly volume of water in it during heavy rain. It was mostly dry on the day we were there despite the rain...this type of forest is very thirsty so it soaks up most of the rain before it has a chance to settle or flow. 

Sunny Creek runs through the Kahikatea Walk, Lake Kaniere Reserve

e

Vines and epipthyes cover the trees, Lake Kaniere Reserve

A mature Tree Fern, Sunny Creek, Kahikatea Walk

The track heading to the car park is especially nice as it has a profusion of ferns growing in the many semi open areas along the track. They range in size from 3 cm high to massive Tree Ferns over 4-5 meters high...beautiful!!!

The Kahikatea Walk follows the path of Sunny Creek...

A Tree Fern grove near the Kahikatea Walk car-park, Lake Kaniere Reserve

Sunny Creek meandering alongside the Kahikatea Walk, Lake Kaniere Reserve

Mature Kahikatea trees line the Kahikatea Walk

There are a couple of pretty cascades along Sunny Creek especially towards the end of the track..it is very pleasant to have the sound of running water as an accompaniment to a stroll. There were a number of Tui in the trees at the end of the track calling out to each other...I saw more Tui on this trip than I have seen in the last five years...the West Coast must be a bastion for them...

We saw Tui, Keruru, Weka, Tomtits and Belbirds in this reserve.....

Small rill along Sunny Creek, Kahikatea Walk

At the end of the Kahikatea Walk, Lake Kaniere Scenic Reserve

Closer view of the two ends of the track, car-park at the Kahikatea Walk

The Kahikatea Walk is well worth a visit if you are ever around Lake Kaniere...it is only a short track but it is a lovely piece of largely undisturbed Kahikatea forest...

Access:From Hokitika take the road to Kaniere township and then follow the signs to Lake Kaniere. Sunny Bight and the Kahikatea Walk are at the western end of the lake and are sign posted on Lake Kaniere Road
Track Times: The Kahikatea Walk is approximately 1 kilometer long will take 20-30 minutes to complete.
Miscellaneous: There is a toilet block at the beginning of the track. There is also a camper-van camping area adjacent to the Kahikatea Walk car-park.

The weather improved during the last day of our trip...by the time we got back to our accommodation it was clear and we had a magnificent sunset to watch. We both really enjoyed visiting Hokitika and will probably come back some time in the near future as we still have a lot of good stuff to experience in the immediate area. 

The sun sets over the beach at our accommodation near Hokitika

Again if you are ever on the West Coast stop and check out all there is to see & do near Hokitika....