With the borders still closed we were lucky enough to explore a local summer hotspot all to ourselves. Packing the car up in the early morning we left Auckland to head down to Rotorua and explore an area known for its geothermal activity and lakes galore with one goal - catch some trout. 

 

We arrive at The Landing at Lake Tarawera ready for the next part of our adventure. Around 30-minutes later we hear a faint and ever-growing murmur from the seaplane that’s about to take us around the lake to some hidden local fishing spots. Coming into view over the redwoods behind us, she slowly comes down to a glide, locals and tourists alike with their iPhones out to capture the landing.

 

Before lugging all our gear onto the plane, Steve our pilot gives us a rundown of the history behind this 1950s Otter. She’s old but beautiful, all the best things are still intact with a few modern trimmings. We look at each other excitedly, ready to get up in the air to check this iconic summer holiday spot out from the sky.

 

As we touch down by Hot Water Beach on Lake Tarawera, John our fishing guide announces that the best spot for trout fishing is just around the corner near some sandy bays, so we motor over those ways. Once settled on the spot, the rods are the first thing out of the plane – half of us settle into capturing the natural landscape in front of us…the other half head off to catch dinner.

 

Straight off the bat, John launches into telling us local stories about this particular area, the ledge in front of us has a 15M straight drop, and apparently in the early days of rubber waders, fishermen use to accidentally step off and never be found, he also confesses that his brother one night caught a 45-pound eel in this exact spot - both stories we’re still yet to corroborate.

 

The only way to this hidden spot is by boat, seaplane (in our choice volcanic air), or along and down the Tarawera trail that drops you right down here – on foot though it’ll take you several hours.

 

It’s a bustling area between mid-December and Waitangi Day which he suggests to just stay clear of through the summer busy patch, but today, we’re the only ones there and lucky for us it’s a scorcher too.

 

With some trout caught for dinner and our heads filled with local yarns, we gather up our gear and head back to the plane. As time has gone by the wind has now picked up so it’s an easier take off with the water more choppier. We circle once more to take in the view and land back in the bay, grateful for the time out in nature exploring one of Rotorua’s hidden gems.