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Spotlight on: Lake Alexandrina
Photo © Daan Dehn
If you had never heard of Lake Alexandrina until right now, I guarantee that you're not alone! Dwarfed by its neighbour, the mighty Lake Tekapo, this smaller lake may be less well known, but it sure is big on beauty and is perfect for an off-the-beaten-track holiday experience.
Photo © Pat Barrett
Lake Alexandrina lies in the Mackenzie Basin in the Canterbury high country, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and tussock-covered hills. The lake's clear water and beautiful surroundings create a peaceful, picturesque environment - great for a bit of peace and quiet!
Activities at Lake Alexandrina focus on the great outdoors. Nature lovers will be right at home - the area is a wildlife refuge and a haven for rare and endangered birds, with bird spotting being a popular pastime in the area. The beautiful scenery makes for great scenic walks, and kayaking on the lake is also popular. Although motorized boats are banned from the lake, trout fishing ranks highly on the list of local activities, as Lake Alexandrina is known for its large numbers of brown and rainbow trout.
For a bit of snow action, the lake is in close proximity to the Round Hill, Ohau and Mt Dobson ski fields.
Lake Tekapo is also nearby, and offers horse trekking, mountain biking, hunting, scenic boat and plane rides and much more.
How to get there: From SH 8 just past Lake Tekapo, turn right onto Godley Peaks Road. From this road, either take the turn-off sign-posted ‘Alexandrina’ to reach the southern shore, or take the Lake McGregor turn-off and follow this to reach the central eastern shore.
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