lovely-ohau

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Lake Ohau

Looking to the moutains from the Round Bush campsite

A lovely long weekend away at Lake Ōhau

Pam Clarke

I’ve just had a lovely long weekend away at Lake Ōhau in my little Wanda.

Stayed one night at Round Bush campsite and 2 at Lake Middleton, both are DOC sites, Round Bush is free and Lake Middleton just $10 at this time of year and free from Easter to October.

It was quite windy the entire weekend so my plans of getting out on my paddleboard didn’t happen, but I did have a (very quick and cold!) swim in Lake Ōhau which was refreshing!

I walked some of the Parsons Creek track, which goes up through beech trees then joins the Te Araroa Trail with amazing views over the lake. It was a really hot day so I only continued on for about 45 minutes then turned back, but will go back in cooler weather to do more.

I also walked half of the Lake Ōhau Track which follows around the lake for 10km coming out on Glen Lion Road. This is part of the A2O and I really wished I’d brought my bike! Again, next time!

At the campsite I got chatting to a guy about local walks and he said it’s possible to get up to the Tarnbrae Lookout track from a path behind the village. I had a quick wander to look but didn’t find it. With all the new building going on it’s hard to tell what’s a public path and what’s a new driveway to somebody’s section.

As there were high winds Sunday afternoon I decided to stay another night, and drove straight to work early Monday morning, which was of course a bright sunny and calm day! Driving past the lake it was like glass, and much as I enjoy my job I did wish I had the day off to stay and paddleboard. n