Lake Manapouri is located on New Zealand’s South Island and is part of the Fiordland National Park. In the Māori language, the name of this natural feature is “Sad Heart Lake”.
Geologists believe that Manapouri was created by the waters of melting glaciers that came down from the mountains about 20 thousand years ago. The reservoir covers 142 km2 of territory with a depth of 444 meters, Lake Manapouri being the second deepest lake in the country. You will be able to see this natural treasure by ordering a visa to New Zealand for eco-tourism in BTS group.
From the ancient name “Thousand Islands” it becomes clear that the lake is rich in islands, but there are actually 34 of them, and 22 of them are covered with dense forests. Pomona Island has the status of the largest on the lake, and its location is also remarkable – right in the middle of the reservoir. Other large islands include Holmwood, Rona, and Mahara.
Lake Manapouri is fed by streams that flow down from the Hunter, Tarrett and Kepler mountain ranges that encircle the lake, leaving open the eastern shore, which became the site of a small settlement.
In ancient times, the Manapouri shoreline was inhabited by the indigenous Maori, whose livelihoods included gathering, hunting and fishing.Manapouri shore settlement The first explorer of this natural attraction in New Zealand was James McKerrow. This man conducted the first research work in 1862 and named many geographical objects of the area. These names have been preserved to this day. Since 1901 European deer have lived on the shores of the reservoir, which were released here for breeding.
An underground hydroelectric power station of the same name was built on Lake Manapouri. In the last years of the 1960s, the New Zealand authorities put forward a proposal to raise the lake’s water level by 8.2 mozero Manapouri in New Zealand in order to increase energy production, but environmentalists staged nationwide protests with the slogan “Save Manapouri!” and succeeded in getting the idea dropped. This protest campaign became famous as the first environmental mass movement in New Zealand.
