Lake Pukaki, Glacial lake in Mackenzie District, New Zealand
Lake Pukaki is the largest of three parallel alpine lakes along the northern edge of the Mackenzie Basin in Canterbury. It covers 178.7 km², and its surface normally sits between 518.2 and 532 metres above sea level. Glacial flour from the Tasman and Hooker Glaciers gives the water its blue colour.
The lake basin was dammed twice in the 20th century to generate hydroelectric power and increase water capacity. These interventions permanently altered the landscape and shoreline.
The Pukaki Scientific Reserve near the lake protects 32 hectares of land and provides a habitat for native species including the Izatha psychra moth.
Traveling along State Highway 8 passes several viewpoints where you can observe the lake and mountain scenery. The best time for clear views is on calm days when the water surface is less disturbed.
A life-size bronze statue of a Himalayan tahr stands on a boulder near the visitor centre on the southern shore. It marks the site of a 2020 protest by hunters against a tahr culling programme. The lake also submerged Five Pound Note Island, which appeared on New Zealand's £5 banknote from 1940 to 1967.
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