Stunning Lakes in the Southern South Island
A trip to the South Island isn’t complete without visiting some of the most beautiful lakes in the world. Due to it’s ever-changing landscape, the South Island puts on a different and spectacular display each season. Take a trip down to the South and see for yourself.
Lake Hawea – Located in the Otago region, Lake Hawea is New Zealand’s 9th largest Lake with a maximum depth of 392 m. Lake Hawea stretches 35 kilometres from north to south. It lies in a glacial valley formed during the last ice age, and is fed by the Hunter River. The lake is a popular recreational resort for swimming, boating and jet skiing. It also provides peaceful and secluded fishing for a good population of brown and rainbow trout.
Lake Manapouri – Situated in the Fiordland National Park, Lake Manapouri is known as the country’s most beautiful lake. The lake is New Zealand’s 2nd deepest lake measuring 444 metres. The area is well renowned for its fishing and high water quality. The peaceful and picturesque setting will provide a feeling of solitude and calm.
Lake Pukaki - Lake Pukaki is the largest lake in the Mackenzie District. It is fed by melt-water from the Tasman, Murchison, Mueller and Hooker glaciers, among others, via the Tasman River at the lake’s northern end. The glacial feed to the lake is a distinctive blue colour, created by glacial flour, the extremely finely ground rock particles from the glaciers. The maximum depth of this lake is 70 metres.
Lake Wanaka – The country’s 4th largest lake with a depth of more than 300 metres, Lake Wanaka is a stunning destination to pass your time. With the alpine backdrop of the Mt Aspiring National Park, visitors can find a secluded picnic or swimming spot and soak up the unique surroundings. New Zealand's famous Wanaka tree, a symbol of hope is one of the most photographed in NZ. The tree is a solitary, crooked crack willow which sits alone on Lake Wanaka.
Lake Tekapo – With a maximum depth of 120 metres, the lakes beautiful turquoise blue is a product of the surrounding glaciers. The glaciers in the headwaters of Lake Tekapo grind rocks into a fine dust on their journey down towards the lake. The resulting particulate, called “rock flour,” is suspended in the water and causes the magnificent turquoise. Tekapo’s night sky is renowned for the brightness and number of stars visible, due to its 700 metre altitude and the lack of any light pollution. It is also known for its stunning seasonal display of Lupin that bloom along its shores around Mid November.
Lake Wakatipu - Lake Wakatipu is the 3rd largest lake in New Zealand and at 84 km long, it is also the longest. It’s maximum depth is 380 metres. Queenstown was built on the lake shores. The lake area is known for its scenic beauty, as it is surrounded by mountains The Remarkables mountain range. The tallest peak next to the lake is Mt Earnslaw, with an altituted of 2,819 meters.
Lake Te Anau - Te Anau is the South Island’s largest lake with a depth of 417 metres. Its remoteness is due to its alpine location. It is just over two hours’ drive from Queenstown and 2.5 hours from Milford Sound. This usually calm lake is serenely beautiful, often showing reflected images of surrounding snow-capped mountains. Te Anau township, at the southern end of the lake, is considered a gateway to Fiordland National Park and popular destinations within it, including Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound and Manapouri.
