The Tikitere Graben also is associated with the geothermal tourist attraction of Hell's Gate and the western aspects of Lake Rotoiti.

[6] These north-west to south-east trending faults could be modelled to suggest the graben is being produced by a transtensional stress regime or as an accommodation zone between offset spreading centres.

[7]: 135  Historically some suspect that the graben did not exist, after the Rotorua Caldera forming Mamaku eruption of approximately 240,000 years ago.

[11] Drainage may not have been through what seems to be a very young Kaituna River gorge and a possible route far to the east beyound the present eastern end of Lake Rotoiti is suspected.

[1] By about 9500 years ago dome building activity in the eastern Haroharo portions of the Ōkataina Volcanic Centre had raised Lake Rotoiti to a maximum elevation of 294 m (965 ft) so it started flowing down the Kaituna River and in due course further graben sinking resulted in both lakes having the near common outlet level of today's 280 m (920 ft).