Tennent's and Mistletoe Loop

Starting from opposite the Motor Camp, look to the right of the Motor Camp for Okareka Loop Road and make your way over Tarawera Road to the start of that road, about 50m down the road is an 80km sign. Go into the bush at the right of that to a small unmarked trail. This is the start of Tennent's track dubbed by Paul Charteris, founder of the Tarawera Ultra Marathon - which this is part of. Follow this pretty clear but un-marked track for 1.5km, there are a few small side trails but when unsure take the most worn trail or failing that, the one straight ahead. 

As you pass the water reservoir at the high point of this track, look for the trail straight ahead on the other side (not the gravel 4wd track). Eventually the trail pops out on Okaraka Loop Rd just short of Okareka. Turn right and cross the road, just past the large 'Slow down for Tamariki' sign is a smaller DOC sign saying 'Help Protect Native Mistletoe'. Just to the right of this is the start of the Mistletoe trail.

This trail is very clearly marked with white rectangle markers on trees. Follow these as you climb just under 200m in the next 1.5km. There are a few trapline trails to the side, they increase in number near the top. One is marked with white triangles... this is NOT the trail, keep following white rectangles. At around 3.4km you will come to an intersection with an old wooden seat. Take a right here onto the trail marked as "Saddle Track, Tarawera Rd".

Zoom down some lovely runnable single track interspersed with a little semi-technical, still following the white rectangles, and eventually, you will come out on Tarawera Road, look left and over the road and you will see a white section of barrier/fence, cross over and take the trail in just left of the barrier and almost immediately you are on the main track from town to Blue Lake... turn left.

You will quickly come to the start of the bush and 2 trails, take the track marked 'Feeder Track' and from here you follow the Black Track walking markers through to the Blue Lake. At Blue Lake turn left and follow that track to its end where it comes onto the grass as the lake foreshore, make your own way from here back to your vehicle.