Lake Hauroko
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| Views of the lake are stunning |
The deepest lake in New Zealand is Lake Hauroko in Fiordland National Park, with a maximum depth of 462 meters.
Lake Hauroko, in fact, is one of the deepest lakes in the world.
The glacial lake is 40 km long with an area of 63 km². It lies near the southwestern tip of New Zealand, 13 km from the southern coast of the South Island. Lake Hauroko lies between two other lakes of a similar size - Monowai and Poteriteri.
Mary Island is the largest island in the lake and was named after the wife of a 19th-century government surveyor. The island is the site of the burial of a Maori chieftess in what historians believe to be the 16th or 17th century. The site was discovered in 1967 and can be viewed from behind a metal fence.
Like rivers, the lakes in New Zealand are often known by their Maori names. The Maori word for "lake" is "Te." In this case, "Hauroko" can translate as the "sound of the wind" or "sounding winds."
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| The lake is the deepest in New Zealand |
Tourism
The 20 km long Wairaurahiri River drains the lake into the Foveaux Strait.
Tourist jet boats operate on both Lake Hauroko and down the whitewater rapids of the Wairaurahiri River.
In addition, there are walking tracks around the lake and plentiful fishing for visiting anglers.
The 20 km gravel Lilburn alley Road leads to the lake, which is 32 km west of Clifden.
The 84 km-long Dusky Track also reaches the lake and takes between 8-10 days to hike.
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| The lake is one of the jewels of Southland |
Access - Getting There
There are daily flights between Auckland Airport and Invercargill operated by Air New Zealand. The flight takes 2 hours, 5 minutes.
There are InterCity buses to Invercargill from Christchurch (10 hours), Dunedin (3 hours 15 minutes), and Queenstown (3 hours).
The main InterCity bus stop in Invercargill is close to the i-Site Visitor Centre (see below).
From Invercargill, Lake Hauroko is about a two-hour drive.
Invercargill i-SITE
10 Dee Street, Wachner Place, Invercargill 9810
Tel: +64 3 211 0895
Related
Hotels in New Zealand
Some recommended places to stay in Invercargill include the four-star Ascot Park Hotel with an on-site bar and restaurant, the Kelvin Hotel also boasts four stars and a central location, and the four-star Ibis Styles Invercargill with free fitness centre access, games room, and an in-house movie theatre.
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