Lake Te Anau
| Lake Te Anau | ||
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| Geographical location | Southland District , Southland , New Zealand | |
| Tributaries | Eglinton River | |
| Drain | Waiau River | |
| Places on the shore | Te Anau | |
| Location close to the shore | Queenstown , Gore , Invercargill | |
| Data | ||
| Coordinates | 45 ° 12 ′ S , 167 ° 48 ′ E | |
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| Altitude above sea level | 210 m | |
| surface | 344 km² | |
| length | 65 km | |
| Maximum depth | 270 m | |
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particularities |
second largest lake in New Zealand, largest lake in the South Island |
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The Lake Te Anau is a lake in the southwest of New Zealand's South Island and a station on the Southern Scenic Route . Its original Māori name was Te Ana-au , which means Cave of Swirling Water .
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The lake occupies an area of 344 km², making it the second largest lake in the country after Lake Taupo and the largest lake in the South Island before Lake Wakatipu . The main part of the lake runs about 65 km in a north-south direction. On the west side, there are also three large fjords , which - according to their geographical location - are called North Fiord , Middle Fiord and South Fiord . There are a few small islands at the entrance to the Middle Fiord . This fjord branches in the far west into a north-west and a south-west arm. Since the lake is at an altitude of 210 m above sea level, but it is partly up to 270 m deep, parts of the water are below sea level .
The lake is supplied with fresh water through several tributaries. Among them, the Eglinton River is the largest, flowing into the lake from the east. From the southernmost end of the lake, the Waiau River first flows into Lake Manapouri , which is further south , before the water flows into the sea in Te Waewae Bay on Foveaux Strait .
Most of the lake is located within the boundaries of the Fiordland National Park and thus within the Te Wahipounamu - World Natural Heritage . The starting point of the Milford Track is on the north coast, the start and end point of the Kepler Track on the south coast . The east coast of the lake is hilly. The only two settlements on the shores of the lake are located here: Te Anau , which has around 1,800 inhabitants, and the small farming village of Te Anau Downs. The areas on the other three sides of the lake are extremely mountainous, especially on the west bank, where the Kepler and Morchinson Mountains rise up to 1,400 m.
The immediate vicinity of the lake forms the habitat for numerous protected animals, some of which are threatened with extinction, such as the South Island kahe . Many of these birds inhabit the secluded area between the fjords. Also on the west coast is the extensive Aurora cave system, the accessible part of which is used for tourism as Te Anau Caves .
The cave also gave the lake its name. A Māori legend has grown up around its origins . Then the chief Te Horo discovered a sacred spring and urged his wife not to reveal its existence. But the unfaithful woman showed her to her lover. As soon as his face was reflected in the water of the spring, a raging stream emerged, and the village was drowned in today's lake.
