Lake Rochfort Ramble

From the road, locate the "Lake Track" sign hanging in the trees, and take the trail into the bush. You will quickly come across one of the hydro scheme buildings; head around to the right and over the bridge, staying in front of the building. The track is marked with pink triangles, and initially you might need to keep a careful eye out for them as you move through a rocky, rooty section alongside the stream.

The track then veers away from the stream and starts to climb. About 1.1km, you pop out at the private road - check for traffic, then head straight across and up the stairs to regain the track. The vegetation becomes a bit more scrubby (this section can be exposed to the wind) before heading back into forest. Eventually you reach a series of large concrete blocks/steps, and emerge at the lake.

There is a picnic table just along to your right - grab a seat and a bite to eat, or just take a moment to catch a breath and admire the view. Now there's a little flat running to stretch out the legs. You can't quite loop the lake, but you can enjoy views around 2/3 of it. Follow the road around to your right until you reach a small beach (about 500m), then double back past the concrete steps where you emerged from the bush, to skirt a short distance around the other end of the lake.

Once you reach another small 'beach' and the road heads up and away from the lake, it's time to turn around. Retrace your steps to reenter the bush, and follow the track all the way back to the car. Take care on the various roots, rocks and timbers as you descend, especially if it's been wet.