Lake Wakatipu is a so-called ‘finger lake’ as it extends into various fjordlike arms; it is situated in the southwest corner of the
Otago Region and close to the wild and beautiful Southland district. The lake is over 75 km long and is therefore one of the country’s longest ones. At over 290 km2, it is at the same time the third largest lake in
New Zealand. It is also an extremely deep lake, its floor being as low as 100 m below sea level! Lake Wakatipu is fed by the
Dart River that flows into its northern end, the lake then runs south for about 30 km before turning radically to the east. 20 km further, it again turns sharply to the south, reaching its southern end 30 km further south, near Kingston. The lake is drained by the
Kawarau River, an excellent white water rafting playground. The most famous town on the shores of
Lake Wakatipu is
Queenstown.