Beautiful Lake Manapouri lies within the boundaries of Fiordland National Park and is south of Lake Te Anau. The lake is framed by the spectacular Cathedral Mountains and has four arms - North, South, West and Hope.
During the last ice age, about 20,000 years ago, glaciers originating in central Fiordland spread out to the east across the present day sites of Lakes Te Anau and Manapouri, dumping great quantities of rock and gravel in long ridges. When the ice melted, lakes formed behind the ridges.
Lake Manapouri is 440 metres deep in places and has 34 islands. The largest of these is Ponoma Island which lies close to the centre of the lake. It is one of the biggest islands to be found within any New Zealand lake and provides a safe habitat for endangered and threatened birds to breed safely.
Several tracks start on the eastern shores of Lake Manapouri. You can choose between day trips or easy two or three day hikes. From Pearl Harbour, which is adjacent to the Manapouri township, you can organise a lake cruise or a tour of the underground hydroelectric power station on the lake's western arm. The building itself is a feat of civil engineering. The campaign to save Lake Manapouri from the increasing demands of the power station became the genesis of the New Zealand environmental movement.
This region was chosen as a filming location for the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. The Norwest Lakes were used to show the Fellowship travelling south from Rivendell; sections of the Waiau River, which flows between Lakes Te Anau and Manapouri, were used for scenes of the River Anduin.
Regarded as serene, pristine and secluded, Lake Manapouri truly is one of New Zealand's most naturally spectacular lakes.
Fiordland
