Facilities & Attractions
Rotota Sun Club has many excellent facilities available for the use of its members. Due to the secluded location of the club grounds on the shores of Lake Ohakuri these facilities range from the rustic to the ingenious.
There is no mains electricity available on the grounds and no town-supply water but this is no problem in the eyes of the innovative club members. Gas supplies many with heating and light, while others prefer solar power. Fresh, pure rainwater is collected at locations around the grounds for the use of all and shower blocks heated by gas ensures that our members can stay clean without undue discomfort in winter!
Our old club house site was situated in a prime location overlooking the waters of Lake Ohakuri and was the venue for many a club barbecue and disco before it was tragically burned to the ground during the New Year break in 1999. Nowadays it is still a prime spot to have a picnic whilst taking in the fantastic view, and there are now two lovely baches called "Quail Cottage" and "Tui Lodge" situated there. A large flattened area nearby is suitable for volley ball games and a flying fox stretches between two trees above the area.
A new clubhouse was officially opened during Easter 2000 and is located between Caretaker's Corner and Sun Court. Comprising of two large 16 x 3 metre wide decks and an enclosed area of 16 x 9 metres, the clubhouse has multiple large sliding glass doors providing good indoor-outdoor flow and has plenty of room to cater to the club's indoor entertainment and meeting needs well into the future. In keeping with Rotota's green image, the clubhouse is heated by a log burner and has solar panels on the roof to charge batteries that run indoor lights at night, although it is possible to hook up a generator to provide additional lighting and power for events such as our discos and barbecues that are held on many holiday weekends. A donated piano, pool table, dart boards, a small library and other knick-knacks provide entertainment for those days and evenings when being outdoors is simply not the best option! Just outside the clubhouse is a pleasant barbecue area, swings for the kiddies and a couple of petanque pistes.
Naturally, the lake provides for much of the recreational activity at the club. A large grassy foreshore area is ideal for sun bathing and boarding vessels of all kinds for excursions, water skiing, sailing and kayaking. An area of the waterfront is dedicated to mooring members' water craft and for water skiers to prepare and set off from, which keeps them comfortably away from the swimmers and sunbathers at the other end of the lakeshore area.
A raft moored in the cove just off the foreshore provides a stop-off on a swim around the corner into a small lagoon, or more often a platform for more sun-soaking.
Also situated on the foreshore is a large hot-tub, supplied by a natural hot spring on the water's edge. Great for a soak during the day, the hot tub really comes into its own at night when it's the perfect location to take in the stillness of the lake and admire the stars and satellites passing overhead, brilliant and unobscured by city lights and pollution.
Both rainbow and brown trout are abundant in the lake, but of course you must obtain a trout fishing license for your self before trying your hand at angling. Baked fresh trout for dinner takes a lot of beating!
Many tracks branch out from the grounds of the club and are great for taking a leisurely stroll. One leads around a small hill at the northern end of the grounds. A short side trip to the trig station at the top of the hill reveals spectacular views out over the lake. Another hill to the south of the club is topped by steam vents and fumaroles. While this thermal activity is nothing to rival Rotorua, it proved to be hot enough to make a steam oven for some forestry workers to heat their lunch in a couple of years ago and the occasional natural hangi is still laid down in these natural cookers!
Several short tracks lead to the Akatarawa natural hot stream which has several pools that are great for soaking in. The largest of these thermal pools is at the top of a waterfall and is the site of many a gathering both during the day when the overhanging trees and ferns filter the light and at night when glow-worms cast their magic lights through the darkness.
It is possible to walk down the stream all the way to the lake if you're prepared to breathe in and negotiate a narrow crevasse known as 'The Chasm'. Doing this on a moonlit night with torches turned off is a truly breathtaking experience as you realise just how many glow-worms there really are. The keenest amongst us have been known to swim from the point where the stream enters the lake back to the club's beach and boat ramp area. Birds are abundant in the bushy areas surrounding the hot stream and there will often be a friendly fantail keeping you company while you walk. There are large families of California Quail that run about the club grounds and the morning air often rings with the sound of Tuis and Bellbirds.
As you will have gathered, Rotota is a step beyond the ordinary, a world apart from the pace of city living, a place to relax and enjoy some of the more simple pleasures in life. Naturally.
If you would like some more information about the Rotota Sun Club, you can find out how to contact us by clicking on this link.