Lake Tikitapu

Lake Tikitapu or Blue Lake is the smallest of four small lakes lying between Lake Rotorua and Lake Tarawera in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. The other three are Lake Rotokakahi (Green Lake), Lake Okareka, and Lake Okataina.

Lake Tikitapu
Lake Tikitapu
Location	North Island
Coordinates	38°12′S 176°20′E
Type	crater lake
Basin countries	New Zealand
Max. length	1.6 km (0.99 mi)[1]
Max. width	1.3 km (0.81 mi)[1]
Surface area	1.4 km2 (0.54 sq mi)[1]
Average depth	19.1 m (63 ft)[1]
Max. depth	27.5 m (90 ft)[1]
Surface elevation	418 m (1,371 ft)[1]
References	[1]

Lake Tikitapu and the other three lakes lie 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, but subsurface flow drains towards Lake Tarawera.[2] The lake's environmental condition is moderate.[3]

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. It is one of the lakes visited by amphibious vehicle tours from Rotorua.[4]