Attraction
Skyline Queenstown
Queenstown's gondola climbs from the top of Brecon Street to Bob's Peak, where a viewing complex, restaurant, café and two luge tracks look over Lake Wakatipu.
Lake Wakatipu
New Zealand's longest lake, an 80 km dog-leg of deep glacial water that frames Queenstown and links it by boat and road to Kingston and Glenorchy.
At a glance
- Type
- Glacial lake
- Area
- Queenstown Bay, Queenstown, New Zealand
- Official site
- queenstownnz.co.nz
Good to know
- Free access
- Lakefront promenade
- Steamer cruises
Why we recommend it
Lake Wakatipu, also written Whakatipu, is the reason Queenstown looks the way it does. At about 80 kilometres it is the longest lake in New Zealand and, at roughly 295 square kilometres, the third largest. It has an unusual reversed N or dog-leg shape: from Glenorchy at the head it runs south, turns east past Queenstown, then swings south again to Kingston. The town sits on the northern shore at the elbow of the lake, with the Frankton Arm stretching away to the east towards the outlet of the Kawarau River.
The lake is deep as well as long. Its maximum depth is about 420 metres and the average is around 217 metres, which means the floor lies more than 100 metres below sea level. The Dart River feeds it from the north. One of its odd features is a seiche, a slow rocking of the water with a period of about 26.7 minutes, which raises and lowers the level in Queenstown Bay by roughly 20 centimetres. Māori tradition explains this differently: the lake's name is linked to a giant who lies at the bottom, and the rise and fall is said to be his breathing.
For most visitors the lake is something to look at, walk beside and travel on rather than a single sight. The waterfront around Queenstown Bay is the place to start, with the Steamer Wharf and Queenstown Gardens on the peninsula. The TSS Earnslaw, a coal-fired steamer launched in 1912, still crosses from the Steamer Wharf to Walter Peak High Country Farm. The views from Skyline, Queenstown Hill and Ben Lomond all show the lake's full shape.
Further afield, the road along the northern shore leads about 45 kilometres to Glenorchy, at the head of the lake where the Dart and Rees rivers come in. Film fans may recognise the scenery: the lake stood in for Loch Ness in The Water Horse (2007), and the area appears in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
Ben Campbell-Macdonald became the first person to swim its full length in 2012, which took him about 18 and a half hours. For a gentler introduction, sit on the waterfront at sunset or take a short cruise, and allow time on a clear day to watch the light change on the mountains across the water.
Lake Wakatipu FAQs
How long is Lake Wakatipu?
It is about 80 km long, making it the longest lake in New Zealand. It covers about 295 square kilometres, the third largest in the country.
How deep is the lake?
The maximum depth is about 420 metres and the average around 217 metres, so the lake floor lies over 100 metres below sea level.
Why does the lake level rise and fall?
The lake has a seiche, a slow rocking of the water with a period of about 26.7 minutes that changes the level in Queenstown Bay by around 20 cm. Māori tradition links it to the breathing of a giant beneath the lake.
Which towns are on the lake?
Queenstown is on the northern shore, Glenorchy at the northern head and Kingston at the southern end.
How can you get out on the lake?
The best-known option is the TSS Earnslaw, a 1912 coal-fired steamer that sails from the Steamer Wharf in the town centre to Walter Peak High Country Farm.
Was the lake used in films?
Yes. It stood in for Loch Ness in The Water Horse (2007) and appears in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
Has anyone swum the length of the lake?
Ben Campbell-Macdonald was the first, in 2012, taking about 18 and a half hours.