Lake Okataina is the northernmost and largest of four smaller lakes lying between Lake Rotorua and Lake Tarawera in the Bay of Plenty region. The others; Lake Rotokakahi (Green Lake), Lake Tikitapu (Blue Lake), and Lake Okareka, all lie within the Okataina caldera. Unlike many other lakes in the region, Lake Okataina is completely encircled by native forest. It also has no inlets or outlets, and as a result, over the past 30 years, the level of the lake has risen and fallen approximately 5 metres. The Okataina Reserve is home to numerous rimu, totara, rata, kahikatea and pohutukawa trees as well as many birds. The name Okataina means the lake of laughter, a shorted form of Te Moana-i-Kaitaina-a-Te Rangitakaroro, which means "The ocean where Te Rangitakarora laughed".
The cache is located about 1/3 of the way along the walk from Lake Okataina Carpark (Tauranganui Bay) to Humphries Bay (Lake Tarawera). A short uphill scramble is needed as you reach the cache location.
NOTE: the track in this area is closed due to a slip however the cache is still accessible (refer to logs for tips). Please do this cache only if you are comfortable with this risk!
Happy Hunting!