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Location & access
DOC track reference point, not a verified trailhead, entrance or the whole route. Check the official route directions before travel.
Official location informationLocation source
DOC track reference point, not a verified trailhead, entrance or the whole route.
Reference point: -38.17545, 176.34651. WGS84 coordinates retained at the official service's returned precision; decimal resolution is not survey accuracy. Source positional accuracy is not specified.
DOC Maps walking and tramping reference point (WGS84), exact official-page GUID / Department of Conservation. Checked 2026-10-12.
Key facts
- Distance
- Not confirmed on the checked DOC page; see individual route sections
- Walking time
- 10 mins
- Track grade
- Easiest
- Location
- Lake Ōkareka Scenic Reserve
- Dog access
- No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Checked against official sources on 8 October 2026. Rules and conditions are set by Department of Conservation — confirm with them before you go.
Route overview
The short walk for the whole family provides views of the threatened native mistletoe.
This DOC directory entry covers Ōkareka Mistletoe Walk in Bay of Plenty, within Lake Ōkareka Scenic Reserve. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.
Distance, time and grade
- Distance: Not confirmed on the checked DOC page; see individual route sections
- Walking time: 10 mins
- DOC grade: Easiest
Access and alerts
Source checked 2026-10-08. This page is a dated snapshot, not a live track-status report. Check current DOC route information immediately before travelling. An absence of listed alerts does not establish that a route is open.
Dog access
No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
This a short walk designed with the whole family in mind. The path is of even surfacing with a slight incline with a few steps thrown in. It's great opportunity to see these threatened plants.
Getting there
Drive to Lake Tikitapu/Blue Lake, situated 9 km south-east of Rotorua, via Te Ngae Road then Tarawera Road. Once at Lake Tikitapu take the left turn onto Ōkareka Loop Rd, 1.6 km down this is the mistletoe walk on the left.
Nature and conservation
Mistletoes are semi parasitic plants which grow on the stems of certain trees and shrubs, drawing nutrients and water from their hosts. On the Ōkareka Mistletoe Walk you will see many green mistletoe or pirita, growing on five-finger trees. This is its common local host, but it is also found growing on the exotic tree lucerne in the Ōkareka area.
Green mistletoe is one of nine mistletoe species native to New Zealand. Another species of green mistletoe is also found in small numbers in this area, growing on Mahoe and various exotic trees.
Populations of these mistletoes are scattered and localised. In the Bay of Plenty they are found mainly around certain Rotorua lakes, particularly in regenerating forest or shrubland where light levels are higher.
The Ōkareka Mistletoe Walk was built as a joint venture between the Rotorua branches of the Botanical Society and Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society, with support coming from DOC and Environment Bay of Plenty.
The Ōkareka Mistletoe Restoration Project regularly hold working bees controlling weeds and pest such as possums and rats by laying poison baits. These are all threats to the mistletoe plants.
Sources and reuse
Route descriptions and practical information reproduced from the Department of Conservation, Crown copyright, under CC BY 4.0, subject to DOC's copyright policy. Formatting has been adapted, including flattening page sections; follow the original DOC page for maps, section-specific layout, current notices and linked documents. Outdoor Next is independent and is not endorsed by DOC.
The accompanying photograph is a licensed general hiking illustration, not a photograph of this route.
