Originally, the campsites that are dotted around the shore here were designed to be accessed only by water, but Phil points out the construction of a new trail. The village had access to fresh water, abundant fish, mussels, eels and woodhens, and was a rich source of pounamu, which rolled down from the mountains and tributaries into the lake. Around 1700 CE, a Ngāti Wairangi woman named Raureka discovered a route from the Arahura River across the mountains to the east coast, where she encountered the Ngāi Tahu iwi.
Author: @NatGeoTravel
Published at: 2025-11-02 00:00:00
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