Lake Rotoroa

Lake Rotoroa is the larger of the two large glacial lakes in Nelson Lakes National Park. The lakes were formed when rivers were dammed behind past glaciers’ terminal moraines (ridges of rubble that form at the front of a glacier) (source www.teara.govt.nz). Lake Rotoroa (meaning long lake in maori) is a long deep lake nestled […]

Lake Chalice

Lake Chalice is a steep sided alpine lake approximately 2km long located in Mount Richmond Forest Park, in the Marlborough Region. It formed approximately 2000 years ago when a huge landslip, possibly caused by a large earthquake, dammed the upper Goulter River. There is no outlet to Lake Chalice so water drains through the landslip […]

Lake Rotoiti (Nelson Lakes)

Lake Rotoiti is the smaller of the two large glacial lakes in Nelson Lakes national park. The lakes were formed when rivers were dammed behind past glaciers’ terminal moraines (ridges of rubble that form at the front of a glacier) (source www.teara.govt.nz).

West Kaihoka Lake / Whupa

Whupa (West Kaihoka Lake) is one of a pair of remote lakes 10km south of the base of Farewell Spit (Golden Bay) known as the Kaihoka Lakes.  They were formed by the landward advance of large sand dunes obstructing the outlets of small valleys and are spring fed. The lakes border a scenic reserve managed […]

East Kaihoka Lake / Tinawhu

Tinawhu (East Kaihoka Lake) is one of a pair of remote lakes 10km south of the base of Farewell Spit (Golden Bay) known as the Kaihoka Lakes.  They are formed by the landward advance of large sand dunes obstructing the outlets of small valleys and are spring fed. The lakes border a scenic reserve managed […]

Lake Killarney

Lake Killarney is a small lake surrounded by park and residential houses. Residents remember swimming in this lake in the 1970’s. It now experiences severe algal blooms and has poor water quality.

Lake Lockett

Lake Lockett is a deep alpine lake in a cirque on the slopes of Mt Lockett above the Cobb Reservoir in the Kahurangi National Park.

Lake Mangarakau

Lake Mangarakau is a shallow lake situated in the largest remaining wetland in the Nelson/Marlborough region – almost as big as all the other freshwater swamps in Nelson put together (for more information see http://mangarakauswamp.com).

Lake Otuhie

Lake Otuhie is a shallow coastal lake located between Westhaven/Whanganui Inlet and Kahurangi Point. The lake has three inflow tributaries and a surface outflow. The lake’s catchment is influenced by limestone geology. The eroded limestone bluffs at the western end of the lake suggest that it lies in a river basin that is quite old […]

Lake Peel

Lake Peel is an alpine lake in a cirque on the Peel Range above the Cobb Reservoir in the Kahurangi National Park.

Lake Rototai

Also known as Blue Lake, this small 14 m lake near Takaka has a distinctive turquoise blue colour and a pH of about 4.