Lake Tennyson

Lake Tennyson is a lake dammed by glacial moraine, located in the Canterbury high country between Molesworth Recreation Reserve and St James Conservation Areas. The lake is within the headwaters of the Clarence River, with the river flowing through the lake. St James Range lies to the west and the Crimea Range to the east. […]

Matthews Lagoon

Matthew’s Lagoon is located at the eastern edge of Lake Wairarapa in the Greater Wellington Region. The lagoon is part of the wider Wairarapa Moana wetland complex, which became a RAMSAR site in 2020, recognising it as a wetland of international importance. The Lagoon formed as a result of sanddune deposition and changes in river […]

Lake Rototawai

Lake Rototawai is a small lake which lies on a farm near Kahutara, to the east of Lake Wairarapa, and is mostly used for duck shooting. The lakebed is alluvial plain bordering old sand dune. The lake is in a degraded state and thick with green algae.

Barton’s Lagoon

Barton’s Lagoon is a shallow 7.5 hectare lake connected to the north end of Lake Wairarapa. It is part of the wider Wairarapa Moana wetland complex, which became a RAMSAR site in 2020.The lagoon is part of a collaborative restoration project to restore the native wetlands species and restablish the valuable role wetlands play in […]

Lake Tahaaroa (Waikato)

Lake Tahaaroa is the central lake of a complex of seven shallow freshwater dune lakes. Together they make up the only significant coastal freshwater wetland between Kaipara Harbour to the north and the South Taranaki bight. Taharoa lakes wetlands are now under a comprehensive restoration plan led by local iwi through the Taharoa Lakes Trust, […]

Whatihua Lake / Thompson’s Lake

Lake Whatihua (also known as Thompson’s Lake) is a long and narrow dune lake, surrounded by farmland at the base of the Āwhitu Peninsula. It is made up of a dune lake and wetland complex. It is located approximately five kilometres west of Waiuku, near Karioitahi beach and Lake Puketi. A narrow band of wetland […]

Lake Kaituna / Lake B

Lake Kaituna (also known as Lake B) is one of eight small peat lakes in the Horsham Downs district, north of Hamilton city. Once part of the now drained Kainui peat bog, the lake is located in an agricultural catchment and is hydrologically linked to the smaller Lake Komakorau (Lake C). Lake Kaituna covers an […]

Lake Whangape

Lake Whangape is located north-west of Huntly and is the second largest lake in the lower Waikato catchment. It was once a clear water source which sustained many generations of Māori, who managed it carefully to ensure it maintained its reputation as a formidable food basket resource. The Lake Whangape catchment is mostly pastoral, and […]

Lake Waikare

Lake Waikare is the largest lake (3,442 hectares) in the lower Waikato catchment. In 1965 the lake level was lowered by one metre as a flood control measure with the construction of an outlet gate. Lake Waikare discharges to the Whangamarino Wetland from the artificial Pungarehu Canal (www.waikatoregion.govt.nz).Due to its shallow nature (its depth is […]

Lake Waahi

Lake Waahi (or Lake Waihi) is located west of Huntly, linked to the Waikato River by way of a weir onto the short Waahi Stream. Lake Waahi is the third largest lake in the Waikato Region. The smaller Lake Puketirini is immediately southeast. The lake is supertrophic, meaning it is very nutrient enriched (www.waikatoregion.govt.nz). The […]

Lake Te Ku Utu

Lake Te Ku Utu (sometimes spelled Te Koo Utu and Te Koutu) is a 5.3 hectare lake situated in the heart of urban Cambridge, in the Cambridge Domain. The lake was treasured by Maori in pre-European days, taking eels, koura and fresh water from the lake, whose name translates to “ladle dipping into water”. The […]

Lake Rotopiko / Lake Serpentine N

Lake Serpentine North is one of three small peat lakes that make up the Rotopiko Lakes complex near Ohaupo in the Waipa District. Originally a single lake that formed at the end of the last ice-age, drainage of the surrounding land over the past century lowered the water level, creating three lakes connected by areas […]

Lake Rotoroa / Hamilton Lake

Lake Rotoroa (Hamilton Lake) is the largest of three lakes located within Hamilton city. The lake is used for a wide variety of recreational activities and is an important habitat for wildlife. Lake Rotoroa has high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen, which affect water clarity. However, water quality has improved over recent years as nutrient […]

Lake Rotongaro

Lake Rotongaro is located near Ohaki between the Waikato River and the larger Lake Whangape. It is a large shallow riverine lake, which links to the Waikato River. The lake has a single outflow draining into Lake Rotongaroiti, which then flows through the Rotongaro canal, and on into the Lake Whangape outlet (via a floodgate […]

Lake Rotomānuka North

The Rotomānuka Lakes are peat lakes situated in the Waipā District of the Waikato, 12 kilometres north of Te Awamutu. The Rotomānuka Lakes are made up of two open water areas – Rotomānuka North and Rotomānuka South, which are remnants of a once larger single lake. This splitting of the lake is due to historic […]