After Queenstown, the second part of the trip involved a visit to Wanaka before stopping overnight at the Lake Hawea Hotel. The actual lake itself (Hawea) is located in the Otago region at an altitude of around 348 metres. The lake itself is named in Maori and is thought to be named after a local tribe, however, at the time no information was available as to the actual meaning of the name.

Lake Hawea was, in 1958 raised artificially by around 20 metres to allow the Lake to store more water and in turn increase the amount of hydroelectric power which could be generated. The lake itself is reported to have a surface area of approximately 141 km2 and a maximum depth of 392 m.

I found the lake to be a stunning place, with incredible views all around….

Images (click to enlarge):