Lake Wakatipu
Lake Wakatipu
Lake Wakatipu is an inland lake (finger lake) in the South Island of New Zealand. It is in the southwest corner of Otago Region, near its boundary with Southland.
With a length of 80 kilometers, it is New Zealand's longest lake, and, at 291
kmē, its third largest. It is at an altitude of 310 meters, towards the southern
end of the Southern Alps. The general topography is a reversed "N" shape. The
Dart River flows into the northern end, the lake then runs south for 30
kilometers before turning abruptly to the east. Twenty kilometers further along,
it turns sharply to the south, reaching its southern end 30 kilometers further
south, near Kingston.
The lake is drained by the Kawarau River, which flows out from the lake's
Frankton Arm, 8km east of Queenstown. Queenstown is on the northern shore of the
lake close to eastern end of its middle section. The lake is very deep, its
floor being as low as 100 meters below sea level. It has a seiche of period 26.7
minutes which, in Queenstown Bay, causes the water level to rise and fall some
200 millimeters.
Lake Wakatipu is renowned for its scenic beauty, being surrounded by mountains.
The Remarkables mountain range lies along its southeastern edge. It is a popular
venue for adventure tourism, with skifields, paragliding, bungy jumping and
tramping tracks within easy reach. A vintage steamboat, the
TSS Earnslaw regularly plies its
waters.
Text from Wikipedia
the TSS Earnslaw on the lake
lake craft leaving Queenstown dock
parasailing
lakeside hotel
Queenstown dock
sailing champion
dockside
the smoke from the TSS Earnslaw
the Walter Peak Station
at the Walter Peak Station
