Queenstown sits on the shores of this distinctive Z-shaped lake that is surrounded by high hills and covers an area of 293 square kilometers. According to local Maori legend, Lake Wakatipu was born when the monster Matau burned to death, and it is said that his heart still beats at the bottom of the lake, causing the lake water to rise and fall by 10 centimeters every 20 minutes (this is it is actually due to a tide caused by the strange shape of the lake).
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| Lake Wakatipu |
Europeans first came to the lake in 1853, and during the Otago Gold Rush in the 1860s, around 30 passenger ships plowed the waters here catering to the thousands of gold prospectors in the district. Today, the lake's traffic is much more moderate, used for recreational boating, fishing, and kayaking.