Legend of the Lake

Pale pumice and crushed rhyolite transform the deep waters of Lake Tikitapu into a luminous turquoise mirror, enclosed within the native bush and exotic conifers of the volcanic plateau of Rotorua. The Banana Boat Legend of the Lake – Rotorua is an open water swimming event held in the clear freshwater of Lake Tikitapu, also known as Blue Lake, in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand. Organized by the New Zealand Ocean Swim Series, the gathering invites swimmers into a sheltered volcanic basin where white rock catches the sun beneath the surface.

The Legend of the Lake: courses and night swims in Lake Tikitapu

The centerpiece of the race morning is the 3.5-kilometer Round the Lake, a premier distance in the national series that tasks competitors with a complete circumnavigation of the basin. Sighting off the forested skyline, swimmers trace the outer contour of the shoreline from one bay to the next, gliding across open stretches where the pale lakebed glows beneath their strokes. The full circuit delivers the rare satisfaction of navigating the perimeter of an entire volcanic bowl in one unbroken line of breathing and rhythm. Families and aspiring young swimmers join the lineup through the Banana Boat OceanKids events, offering 100-meter and 200-meter distances for ages five to twelve. Race mornings in late February often start beneath clear skies studded with bright stars, giving way to glass-calm conditions as the morning sun cuts through the water.

Sunlight filtering through the calm surface reflects off the pale volcanic rock, creating electric blue shallows that illuminate the path forward stroke after stroke. The clarity of the water allows swimmers to watch the ripples of white stone pass smoothly beneath their goggles. When twilight falls, the water opens to the Swim the Night event, a dedicated 2-kilometer night swim strictly capped at two hundred swimmers. Every participant is required to tow a personal safety float illuminated by an interior light, sending a quiet constellation of glowing lanterns floating across the dark lake. Swimmers are invited to pause, roll onto their backs, and float in absolute stillness while looking directly up at the star-filled southern sky.

To safeguard these pristine waters, Biosecurity New Zealand requires every competitor to complete the Check Clean Dry procedure before stepping in. This protocol cleans all wetsuits, goggles, and swim gear to stop the potential spread of invasive freshwater clams, ensuring the clear lakebed remains untouched for future seasons.

Lake Tikitapu and Lake Rotokākahi: volcanic origin and rhyolite lakebeds

The extraordinary setting of the swim is the result of violent geological upheaval. Lake Tikitapu occupies a collapsed volcanic crater that drops to a maximum depth of 27.5 meters, formed when a massive lava dam blocked the valley during the Rotoroa rhyolitic eruption sequence roughly 15,635 years ago. Its deep waters are exceptionally clear and undisturbed. That remarkable clarity interacts directly with the mineral geology of the floor. While swimming over the drop-offs, the change from shallow white stone to profound indigo offers an unmistakable sense of floating suspended above an ancient volcanic caldera. Just across the narrow divide sits Lake Rotokākahi, nestled along the western margin of the larger Ōkataina Caldera. While Tikitapu shines brilliant blue, Rotokākahi displays a striking emerald green tone across its surface at 394.9 meters above sea level. This vivid green coloration is caused by its shallow, sandy bottom, which reflects light through the water in an entirely different spectrum.

From the hei-tiki talisman to the 1886 Mount Tarawera eruption

The human story of these shores is rooted deep in ancestral memory. According to local tradition, the name Tikitapu commemorates a sacred greenstone necklace lost by the daughter of a chief while she was bathing in the lake's clear waters. Only about five kilometers down the road lies Te Wairoa, an early settlement established near the edge of Lake Tarawera. The aftermath of the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera, which buried Te Wairoa, altered the landscape for miles around. Earthquakes following the eruption cracked open a massive fissure 230 meters long and up to 30 meters deep right through the road connecting Rotorua to Te Wairoa. Nearby, the Wairoa Stream still courses through the lower edge of the ruined settlement, tumbling over the Wairere Falls to link Lake Rotokākahi down to the surface of Lake Tarawera.

The steaming hydrothermal rift of Waimangu and Whakarewarewa

The cataclysm of 1886 ripped open a 17-kilometer volcanic rift across the terrain, giving birth to Echo Crater and Inferno Crater Lake. Within Echo Crater sits Frying Pan Lake, recognized as the largest natural hot spring on the planet, spreading across 38,000 square meters. Along its northern edge rise the Cathedral Rocks, ancient precipices of rhyolitic lava that date back at least 60,000 years. Frying Pan Lake and Inferno Crater Lake share a remarkable subterranean connection, pulsing together on an interconnected hydrological cycle that repeats roughly every 38 days. During this rhythm, the water level of Inferno Crater Lake rises and falls by up to twelve meters, reaching maximum depths of thirty meters when completely full.

Its temperatures climb anywhere between 35 and 80 degrees Celsius, colored a brilliant, opaque turquoise by finely suspended silica particles. About six kilometers from the swim course, the geothermal activity surfaces again at Whakarewarewa. Here, the earth vents heat across roughly five hundred thermal pools and at least sixty-five active geysers. Chief among them is the famous Pōhutu Geyser, which reliably surges into the sky roughly every hour, driving boiling water up to thirty meters high against the valley backdrop.

Whakarewarewa Forest: trails, trout and shores of Lake Tikitapu

Back on the shores of Lake Tikitapu, the atmosphere shifts from steaming thermal vents to the deep green calm of the Whakarewarewa Forest. The crater rim is wrapped in a dense canopy of native bush and introduced conifers, woven through by a scenic 5.5-kilometer walking track that follows the water's edge. Supporters can follow the progress of the swimmers from the shaded trail beneath towering trees as the race moves across the water. Beneath the surface, the freshwater supports thriving populations of rainbow trout and brook trout that navigate the clear shallows. The clean, brisk water provides ideal swimming conditions without the swells, tides, or salt sting of the open ocean. The shore is equipped with picnic tables, barbecue areas, and children's playgrounds, turning the event into an unhurried day out on the grass. Swimmers linger beside the water long after their swim, enjoying a lakeside meal while watching the blue lake catch the afternoon light.