CRYSTAL CLEAR SAND LAKES IN NORTHLAND
10 AUGUST 2022
Lake Taharoa
Caribbean Waters
Being at Kai Iwi Lakes on a sunny day feels like you're in the Caribbean. The sand is white and the water is crystal clear - soooo beautiful!
There are 3 lakes in the Taharoa Domain - Lake Kai Iwi, Lake Waikere and Lake Taharoa which is the most popular lake. All of the lakes are sand dune lakes which is very unusual because you expect stones and pebbles! The whole of the area is pretty much a giant sand dune!
We spent most of our time at Lake Taharoa because, of course, the colour of the water was amazing and because of the amount of sand and space around the lake. Parking was easy as and it was right on the lake so we didn't have to drag our stuff for miles just to enjoy the place.
The first time we went to the lakes, it was just us! Knowing that in summer there are over 2000 visitors a day, we expected it to be pretty busy even though it was winter, but were were pleasantly surprised to have it all to ourselves. It was a cloudy day so we didn't get to experience seeing the blue water, but it was a really peaceful place to walk around and explore and we could still see how crystal clear the water was.
The girls found a sandcastle and some random large, wide holes in the sand which they explored. We walked around the lake a bit and of course I stopped a million times to take photos and videos (sorry fam!).
There are 3 lakes in the Taharoa Domain - Lake Kai Iwi, Lake Waikere and Lake Taharoa which is the most popular lake. All of the lakes are sand dune lakes which is very unusual because you expect stones and pebbles! The whole of the area is pretty much a giant sand dune!
We spent most of our time at Lake Taharoa because, of course, the colour of the water was amazing and because of the amount of sand and space around the lake. Parking was easy as and it was right on the lake so we didn't have to drag our stuff for miles just to enjoy the place.
The first time we went to the lakes, it was just us! Knowing that in summer there are over 2000 visitors a day, we expected it to be pretty busy even though it was winter, but were were pleasantly surprised to have it all to ourselves. It was a cloudy day so we didn't get to experience seeing the blue water, but it was a really peaceful place to walk around and explore and we could still see how crystal clear the water was.
The girls found a sandcastle and some random large, wide holes in the sand which they explored. We walked around the lake a bit and of course I stopped a million times to take photos and videos (sorry fam!).
Lake Taharoa
Lake Taharoa
Lake Taharoa - The Popular One
Our last day in the Kai Iwi area was FINALLY a sunny day – yaaaay! We just knew we had to go and see the lakes while the sun was shining because for weeks we had mainly been experiencing storms with heavy rain and gale force winds (but had the odd few mornings or afternoons when it wasn’t too bad to explore) and we wanted to experience Lake Taharoa on a real bluebird day. What a difference it makes to see Lake Taharoa's picturesque blue colour in the sunshine. The water looked so different to when we had visited 2 weeks earlier. It was crystal clear and a beautiful Caribbean blue - so glad we went!
Wee thought it would be super busy at the lakes being such a mint day, but we were surprised again when it was just us and one other family. We tried to convince Lath to go in swimming but he didn't have a towel or togs... which is ok in summer when it's hot but not in winter when it's freezing and it takes 3 days for washing to dry!
The girls got changed into their togs and spent aaaages playing in Lake Taharoa. I don't know how they managed that because I put my feet in and it was FREEZING!! I guess they have a good mix of Scottish & Rarotongan blood so they never seem to feel the cold! They had bought some floating cup holders at the $2 shop a while back that they were wanting to use a 'pool floaties' for their Barbies and they hadn't had a chance to use them yet so they were suuuper excited to use them in the lake. The Barbies were living a life of luxury and looking like they were having great fun - well, that's what Sienna told us anyway.
At one point the girls were doing running jumps into the lake, but since the water level has been so low, we were pretty paranoid about them going too far from the edge of the lake but they still had a lot of fun doing running jumps in.
In summer there are thousands of swimmers, sunbathers and kayakers as well as people out fishing on their boats. The Kai Iwi Lakes are full of trout and are known to have a significant amount of rainbow trout.
Our last day in the Kai Iwi area was FINALLY a sunny day – yaaaay! We just knew we had to go and see the lakes while the sun was shining because for weeks we had mainly been experiencing storms with heavy rain and gale force winds (but had the odd few mornings or afternoons when it wasn’t too bad to explore) and we wanted to experience Lake Taharoa on a real bluebird day. What a difference it makes to see Lake Taharoa's picturesque blue colour in the sunshine. The water looked so different to when we had visited 2 weeks earlier. It was crystal clear and a beautiful Caribbean blue - so glad we went!
Wee thought it would be super busy at the lakes being such a mint day, but we were surprised again when it was just us and one other family. We tried to convince Lath to go in swimming but he didn't have a towel or togs... which is ok in summer when it's hot but not in winter when it's freezing and it takes 3 days for washing to dry!
The girls got changed into their togs and spent aaaages playing in Lake Taharoa. I don't know how they managed that because I put my feet in and it was FREEZING!! I guess they have a good mix of Scottish & Rarotongan blood so they never seem to feel the cold! They had bought some floating cup holders at the $2 shop a while back that they were wanting to use a 'pool floaties' for their Barbies and they hadn't had a chance to use them yet so they were suuuper excited to use them in the lake. The Barbies were living a life of luxury and looking like they were having great fun - well, that's what Sienna told us anyway.
At one point the girls were doing running jumps into the lake, but since the water level has been so low, we were pretty paranoid about them going too far from the edge of the lake but they still had a lot of fun doing running jumps in.
In summer there are thousands of swimmers, sunbathers and kayakers as well as people out fishing on their boats. The Kai Iwi Lakes are full of trout and are known to have a significant amount of rainbow trout.
Arabella & Sienna playing in Lake Taharoa
Safety warning at Lake Taharoa
Safety Warning
Lake Taharoa has a sudden drop which is obvious as the water turns from light blue to dark blue instantly. This is definitely something you need to be fully aware of with kids or anyone who can't swim and lake water isn't as buoyant as the ocean. Sadly, there have been a few drownings here.
Lake Taharoa is Northland's deepest lake with an astonishing 38m depth at the deepest part.
Lake Taharoa has a sudden drop which is obvious as the water turns from light blue to dark blue instantly. This is definitely something you need to be fully aware of with kids or anyone who can't swim and lake water isn't as buoyant as the ocean. Sadly, there have been a few drownings here.
Lake Taharoa is Northland's deepest lake with an astonishing 38m depth at the deepest part.
Lake Taharoa
Kai Iwi Lakes Playground
Playground
After spending heaps of time at the lake, it was time to check out the playground. It's located right in front of the main carpark and there are toilets not too far on the right.
It's a pretty basic playground but it does the job! We like that it has shade cloths for the intense summer heat and a picnic table beside it as well as loads of grass area to have a picnic.
After spending heaps of time at the lake, it was time to check out the playground. It's located right in front of the main carpark and there are toilets not too far on the right.
It's a pretty basic playground but it does the job! We like that it has shade cloths for the intense summer heat and a picnic table beside it as well as loads of grass area to have a picnic.
Lake Kai Iwi
Lake Kai Iwi
After we packed up the car, we went across the road to check out Lake Kai Iwi. The entrance is closer to the entry of the domain then Lake Taharoa is and is well sign posted as you come in. It’s definitely not like Lake Taharoa - it has a lot of weeds and doesn’t have a nice beachy feel to it and from what we could see, there are no nice open spaces to set up for the day... but I'm sure plenty of people still swim in it and enjoy it!
You can stay parked at the main carpark and walk over or there are a couple of grassy bays you can park in nearby.
After we packed up the car, we went across the road to check out Lake Kai Iwi. The entrance is closer to the entry of the domain then Lake Taharoa is and is well sign posted as you come in. It’s definitely not like Lake Taharoa - it has a lot of weeds and doesn’t have a nice beachy feel to it and from what we could see, there are no nice open spaces to set up for the day... but I'm sure plenty of people still swim in it and enjoy it!
You can stay parked at the main carpark and walk over or there are a couple of grassy bays you can park in nearby.
The track we wanted to climb up for sunset... but didn't.
Yeah, nah. Not the best track for climbing up!
Sunsets, Reflections and Regrets
We always love a good sunset, especially west coast ones (like Muriwai)! We had soooo much packing and cleaning to do before moving the next day to One Tree Point... however, we always say ‘carpe diem MOFO’ (well, not the kids) so we went back for sunset and decided to finish the packing and cleaning later. We take every adventure we can, while we can, because tomorrow is never promised.... and neither is good weather!
We had been told of a track up the hill behind the campsite that gives an awesome view across the lake, so we decided to hike up that for sunset.
The track was so muddy, sandy and steep, it just wasn’t going to work for us. For starters, Lath had sandals and socks on (lol), then Sienna kept trying to slide down on her bum and was getting super muddy and we all just kept slipping and losing our footing – not worth it for us at that point! Lath even lost his glasses in the process but hey ho, they're clearly not needed this winter with the weather we're having. So we regretted even trying to get up there! It was hopeless and we ended up all muddy and down one pair of sunnies.
We still spent sunset at Lake Taharoa, just down at the lake instead, taking silhouette snaps of the girls and capturing reflections of the hills and sun in the water. It was an AMAZING sunset, one that we had all to ourselves and will never forget. We had a lot of fun but it took a while for the girls to understand that if they stood in front of each other while I was trying to take a photo, it looked like I was taking photos of a blob with 4 arms and 4 legs! We got there in the end.
We always love a good sunset, especially west coast ones (like Muriwai)! We had soooo much packing and cleaning to do before moving the next day to One Tree Point... however, we always say ‘carpe diem MOFO’ (well, not the kids) so we went back for sunset and decided to finish the packing and cleaning later. We take every adventure we can, while we can, because tomorrow is never promised.... and neither is good weather!
We had been told of a track up the hill behind the campsite that gives an awesome view across the lake, so we decided to hike up that for sunset.
The track was so muddy, sandy and steep, it just wasn’t going to work for us. For starters, Lath had sandals and socks on (lol), then Sienna kept trying to slide down on her bum and was getting super muddy and we all just kept slipping and losing our footing – not worth it for us at that point! Lath even lost his glasses in the process but hey ho, they're clearly not needed this winter with the weather we're having. So we regretted even trying to get up there! It was hopeless and we ended up all muddy and down one pair of sunnies.
We still spent sunset at Lake Taharoa, just down at the lake instead, taking silhouette snaps of the girls and capturing reflections of the hills and sun in the water. It was an AMAZING sunset, one that we had all to ourselves and will never forget. We had a lot of fun but it took a while for the girls to understand that if they stood in front of each other while I was trying to take a photo, it looked like I was taking photos of a blob with 4 arms and 4 legs! We got there in the end.
Sunset at Lake Taharoa
Sunset at Lake Taharoa
Lake Waikere
We did a quite drive by of Lake Waikere on our way home. The sun had gone down a lot so we didn’t get to see how blue the lake looked in the day but we have been told it's a nice lake.
To get to Lake Waikere, just keep heading straight for a few kms, instead of turning right into Taharoa Domain to get to Lake Taharoa & Lake Kai Iwi. It is sign posted and there are also campsites down there.
To get to Lake Waikere, just keep heading straight for a few kms, instead of turning right into Taharoa Domain to get to Lake Taharoa & Lake Kai Iwi. It is sign posted and there are also campsites down there.
Lake Waikere
Mappy McMap Face
How To Get To Kai Iwi Lakes In Northland
30 mins north of Dargaville
1 hour 15 mins south of Opononi
3 hours north of Auckland City
1 hour 20 minutes west of Whangarei
Before you go
There are no food places anywhere near the lakes, you have to go to Dargaville or Opononi. There is a gas station in Kaihu with a really friendly family running it, but you're limited with food options so stock up on plenty of food and drinking water!
The gates to Tarahoa Domain open at 7am and are locked at 9:30pm. No dogs are allowed.
Accommodation
Kai Iwi Lakes Resort - just 3 minutes from the lakes! We stayed at the resort for 3 weeks while house sitting and you can read all about it here. There are 6 great self contained houses to choose from and you may even meet Cosmo the cheeky alpaca! There are forest walks, 4WDing tracks & more to explore at the Kai Iwi Lakes Resort. Relax and unwind from all the chaos of towns & cities and enjoy turning up with everything you need - just bring food and drinking water. The resort books out fast for summer! Your hosts, Julie and Rod, will take care of you. Check out their website here.
Conclusion
We absolutely loved our time at Kai Iwi Lakes. Even on cloudy days it was a beautiful place to explore around and take pictures. We recommend visiting in winter (on a rain free day!) as there's a high chance you will have the place to yourself and MOST OF ALL we recommend heading there in summer!
30 mins north of Dargaville
1 hour 15 mins south of Opononi
3 hours north of Auckland City
1 hour 20 minutes west of Whangarei
Before you go
There are no food places anywhere near the lakes, you have to go to Dargaville or Opononi. There is a gas station in Kaihu with a really friendly family running it, but you're limited with food options so stock up on plenty of food and drinking water!
The gates to Tarahoa Domain open at 7am and are locked at 9:30pm. No dogs are allowed.
Accommodation
Kai Iwi Lakes Resort - just 3 minutes from the lakes! We stayed at the resort for 3 weeks while house sitting and you can read all about it here. There are 6 great self contained houses to choose from and you may even meet Cosmo the cheeky alpaca! There are forest walks, 4WDing tracks & more to explore at the Kai Iwi Lakes Resort. Relax and unwind from all the chaos of towns & cities and enjoy turning up with everything you need - just bring food and drinking water. The resort books out fast for summer! Your hosts, Julie and Rod, will take care of you. Check out their website here.
Conclusion
We absolutely loved our time at Kai Iwi Lakes. Even on cloudy days it was a beautiful place to explore around and take pictures. We recommend visiting in winter (on a rain free day!) as there's a high chance you will have the place to yourself and MOST OF ALL we recommend heading there in summer!
Gallery of Kai Iwi Lakes
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