Lake Hayes
Mirror-still lake with mountain reflections and floating nests of crested grebes.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to Lake Hayes near Queenstown starts with a lakeside lawyer who, in twenty seventeen, told a reporter what happened to him every time he swam here in summer. It follows the trouble hidden beneath a famously still reflection, reaching back to drained wetlands and the streams that feed the lake, and to the neighbours who went to work upstream. Along the way you'll meet the pūteketeke, the crested grebe that floats its nest on this water. Best heard from the shore, with a view into the shallows.
This audio guide was created using AI.
Similar places
Glenorchy Lagoon Scenic Walkway
Boardwalk loop across a bird-rich wetland with mirror-still water and snowy mountain views.
Mirror Lakes
Twin oxbow lakes reflecting mountain peaks, with a backwards sign that reads true in the water.
Lake Pukaki
Turquoise glacier-fed lake dammed by moraine, with long views north to the highest Southern Alps.
Lake Wānaka
Alpine lake ringed by mountains, with a lone willow growing from its shallows.
Blue Pools Track
Glacier-fed river pools of startling blue, reached by swing bridges through silver beech forest.
Moke Lake
Small alpine lake ringed by tussock hills, with a lakeside campsite and a loop walking track.