If you need to open gates please close them behind you. Even though this is Department of Conservation land and is available to the public, it is a working farm so dogs are not allowed.
At the GZ you will find a sign board. You will be required to gain some information and supply answers. The terrain is flat and suitable for wheelchairs. The area surrounding the lake is a bird sanctuary and an idyllic picnic and camping spot. There is fantastic trout fishing in the lake's northern reaches and the rivers that flow into it. If you are into walking then there is the the Tutira Walkway, steep in places, passing through Tutira Station and the adjoining Lake Tutira Domain. There are splendid views of coastal Hawkes's Bay from Table Mountain Trig. Allow five hours for the full round trip of 9km.
Cyclone Bola was one of the costliest cyclones in the history of New Zealand, causing severe damage as an extratropical cyclone when it passed near the country in March 1988. It formed on February 24 to the north of Fiji, and tracking generally southwestward it reached hurricane-force winds near Vanuatu on February 28. The next day it generated peak wind velocities of 195 km/h (120 mph), though it quickly weakened as it accelerated southward. On March 4 Bola transitioned into an extratropical storm, passing to the north of the North Island of New Zealand on March 8. It weakened further and was absorbed by a stationary trough near the South Island on March 12. The worst hit area was Hawkes Bay and Gisborne. The cyclone slowed as it moved over the area, resulting in over three days of torrential rain.
The lasting effects of the damage from Cyclone Bola are easily seen here at Lake Tutira. The 758mm of rain that fell over those three days caused soil to pour off the hills burying fences and flats, destroying pasture and water courses. More than a metre of soil was deposited on the flats and a good deal of this ended up in the Lake.
Geology: The lake was formed 7,400 years ago when the hillside collapsed into the south end. The lake contains a high-resolution record of the sedimentation since its formation. It has a small catchment area, whose dominant erosion mechanism is land sliding; as a result of this, infrequent, large storms account for the bulk of the sedimentary depositional volume. Scientists using Carbon dating and Pollen tests have identified up to 23 layers of ash. This ash is mainly from volcanic events on the Central Plateau but is from as far away as Mt Taranaki. Between the layers of ash is light grey sediment deposited after erosion and darker bands of organic material from stable periods between storms.
Once you complete the following EarthCache requirements you can post your find without delay, as per the EarthCache guidelines. You will also need to verify your find by sending us a message with your answers to these questions and we will answer in due course:
1. Use the text "Lake Tutira - GC1ZJB4" in your email.
2. How much sediment is currently in the lake ?
3. How many mls of rain is enough to cause soil erosion in the area?
4. When did deforestation begin in the Tutira catchment ?
5. While standing at the sign, evidence of the effects of Cyclone Bola can be seen. One object in particular graphically shows how much soil was deposited. What is it?
6. (Optional) Take a picture of you and your GPS clearly shown with the Lake in the background.
Please note: Please DO NOT post answers with your log. Just post your photo.