Lake Mahinerangi is a moderately sized hydro lake, first developed in the early 1900s to support the Waipori River hydro scheme. It is also known for its fishing (trout and perch) and a modest number of holiday homes on the north side of the lake on Mahinerangi Road.
The view from the unsealed Waipori Falls Road on the south side of the lake is superb. The road is around 500 metres up at this point, with a hundred-metre drop to the lake. From there, you can turn off and drive down Mahinerangi Road to cross the lake on the Edger Stark Bridge, then drive all the way out to State Highway 87 and then north to Middlemarch or southeast to Dunedin. Or continue west on Waipori Road to Lawrence and State Highway 8. These options provide superb routes through farmland and sometimes tussock country.
