The Waihora Lagoon has a reputation as being a top beauty spot within Pureora Forest Park. After a short forest walk with a mix of regrowth and ancients, you follow a boardwalk to arrive at a rain-fed lagoon surrounded by kahikatea trees. Ideally, it will be calm, with perfect reflections in the lagoon.
Unfortunately, it is not that easy. Firstly, the 11 km access road is poorly mapped and one of the worst maintained we have driven in the country, with enormous potholes and only just negotiable without a 4WD. Secondly, it has no obvious name, is only mapped as a track on Topo NZ, and is not on Google Maps. There is a road sign for Waihora Lagoon on the highway as you drive by, but good luck seeing it if you are doing the speed limit!
In addition, the lagoon is known to dry up in Summer, but it is less known that it takes months to refill, even after plenty of rain. At least the unique grassy meadow is still pretty when the lagoon is empty. The best advice is to try this walk in mid to late Spring! Hopefully, you will have better luck than we did with the road and the lagoon. A similar option is the Arohaki Lagoon in Whirinaki Forest, where the access road is much better maintained.
The longer Waihora Track starts at the car park at the end of the access road. This connects to the multi-day Hauhungaroa Track.