Lake Tikitapu
Encyclopedia
Lake Tikitapu or Blue Lake, is the smallest of four small lake
s lying between Lake Rotorua
and Lake Tarawera
in the Bay of Plenty
region of New Zealand
's North Island
. The others are Lake Rotokakahi
(Green Lake), Lake Okareka
, and Lake Okataina
.
Along with the others, Lake Tikitapu lies within a volcanic caldera
formed within the last 300,000 years. The blue colour of the lake can be attributed to rhyolite
and pumice
on the lake bed. The lake has no visible outlet, however subsurface flow drains towards Lake Tarawera
.
In summer, the lake is used for recreational purposes, with many sports events being held such as water skiing
and triathlons. Like many of the lakes in the Rotorua
district, it is also used for trout fishing.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s lying between Lake Rotorua
Lake Rotorua
Lake Rotorua is the second largest lake in the North Island of New Zealand by surface area, and covers 79.8km2. With a mean depth of only 10 metres it is considerably smaller than nearby Lake Tarawera in terms of volume of water. It is located in the Bay of Plenty region...
and Lake Tarawera
Lake Tarawera
Lake Tarawera is the largest of a series of lakes which surround the volcano Mount Tarawera in the North Island of New Zealand. Like the mountain, it lies within the Okataina caldera. It is located 18 kilometres to the east of Rotorua, and five kilometres to the west of the mountain...
in the Bay of Plenty
Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty , often abbreviated to BOP, is a region in the North Island of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name...
region of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
. The others are Lake Rotokakahi
Lake Rotokakahi
Lake Rotokakahi or Green Lake, is one of four small lakes lying between Lake Rotorua and Lake Tarawera in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. The others are Lake Tikitapu , Lake Okareka, and Lake Okataina...
(Green Lake), Lake Okareka
Lake Okareka
Lake Okareka is one of four small lakes lying between Lake Rotorua and Lake Tarawera, in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. The others are Lake Rotokakahi , Lake Tikitapu , and Lake Okataina. All lie within the Okataina caldera, along its western edge.The lake has a...
, and Lake Okataina
Lake Okataina
Lake Okataina is the northernmost and largest of four smaller lakes lying between Lake Rotorua and Lake Tarawera in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. The others are Lake Rotokakahi , Lake Tikitapu , and Lake Okareka...
.
Along with the others, Lake Tikitapu lies within a volcanic caldera
Caldera
A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption, such as the one at Yellowstone National Park in the US. They are sometimes confused with volcanic craters...
formed within the last 300,000 years. The blue colour of the lake can be attributed to rhyolite
Rhyolite
This page is about a volcanic rock. For the ghost town see Rhyolite, Nevada, and for the satellite system, see Rhyolite/Aquacade.Rhyolite is an igneous, volcanic rock, of felsic composition . It may have any texture from glassy to aphanitic to porphyritic...
and pumice
Pumice
Pumice is a textural term for a volcanic rock that is a solidified frothy lava typically created when super-heated, highly pressurized rock is violently ejected from a volcano. It can be formed when lava and water are mixed. This unusual formation is due to the simultaneous actions of rapid...
on the lake bed. The lake has no visible outlet, however subsurface flow drains towards Lake Tarawera
Lake Tarawera
Lake Tarawera is the largest of a series of lakes which surround the volcano Mount Tarawera in the North Island of New Zealand. Like the mountain, it lies within the Okataina caldera. It is located 18 kilometres to the east of Rotorua, and five kilometres to the west of the mountain...
.
In summer, the lake is used for recreational purposes, with many sports events being held such as water skiing
Water skiing
thumb|right|A slalom skier making a turn on a slalom waterski.Waterskiing is a sport where an individual is pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation on a body of water, skimming the surface.-History:...
and triathlons. Like many of the lakes in the Rotorua
Rotorua
Rotorua is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. The city is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority encompassing the city and several other nearby towns...
district, it is also used for trout fishing.