South Island lakes
New Zealand's southern lakes region often features in international quests to find the world's most beautiful places to visit, and not without good reason. Some of the most popular lakes in the South Island include:
Lake Wakatipu
This is New Zealand's third largest lake, with a surface area of almost 300 square kms, but is the country's longest lake with a length of 80kms. The town of Queenstown is the focal point for the lake and visitors can cruise on a vintage steamboat, the TSS Earnslaw. Surrounded by The Remarkables mountain range, the lake doubled as Scotland's Loch Ness in the 2007 movie The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep.
Lake Manapouri
As well as being a place of beauty, this lake provides New Zealand with hyrdo-electric power generated by the Manapouri Power Station which discharges water through two 10-km tailrace tunnels to Doubtful Sound and the sea. The lake became a focal point for ecologists who fought a long and successful protest to prevent plans to raise the lake by up to 30 metres for the power station.
Lake Hawea
Hawea is almost 400 metres deep at its deepest point and has a surface area of about 140 square kms. In 1958, the lake was artificially raised by about 20 metres to store more water for hydro-electric power generation. The lake is a popular destination for fishing, boating, swimming and camping in the summer and featured in the iconic New Zealand movie, Goodbye Pork Pie.
Lake Wanaka
This is New Zealand's fourth largest lake with a surface area of 192 square kms and more than 300 metres deep in many places. The town of Wanaka, beside the lake, is a popular resort offering fishing, boating and swimming as well as easy access to nearby ski fields. Lake Wanaka's name played a crucial role in the movie Mission Impossible III, being the answer to Tom Cruise's question on the phone to verify his wife's identity.
Lake Te Anau
Its name was originally Te Ana-au, Maori for 'the cave of swirling water'. The surface area is 344 square kms, making Lake Te Anau the country's second largest lake (behind Lake Taupo in the central North Island). The town of Te Anau lies at the south-eastern corner of the lake. Most of the lake is in the Fiordland National Park.
See Also: Lake Clearwater