Lake Manapouri

Lake Manapouri is located in the South Island of New Zealand. The lake is situated within the Fiordland National Park and the wider region of Te Wahipounamu South West New Zealand World Heritage Area.

Māori History

According to Māori legend Lake Manapouri was created by the tears of two sisters, Moturua and Koronae, who were daughters of an old chief in the region. Koronae journeyed deep into the forest one day only to become stranded after a fall. Her sister Moturua went looking for her and when she found Koronae she realised that Koronae could not be rescued. Moturua lay with Koronae and there they lay until they died, their tears creating Lake Manapouri. Lake Manapouri means anxious or sorrowful heart because of the grief of the two sisters however the present name was given by mistake. An early settler accidentally called it by the name of one of the Mavora Lakes, which lie between Lake Te Anau and Lake Wakatipu. The original name of the lake is believed to have been Roto-ua which translates to Rainy Lake and later Moturau which means Many Islands. Māori have a long history in the area, finding the lake and its surroundings offering an abundance of food in the form of eels and bird such as pigeon and New Zealand kaka (forest parrot). Manapouri was discovered by Europeans in 1852, by the explorers Charles J Nairn and W H Stevens.

Manapouri

Manapouri is a small town in Southland / Fiordland, in the southwest corner of the South Island, in New Zealand. Located at the edge of the Fiordland National Park, on the eastern shore of Lake Manapouri, close to its outflow into the Waiau River, tourist boat services are based in the town.

Manapouri Township is a 20 minutes drive from Te Anau. It is the gateway to both Doubtful Sound and Dusky Sound and the starting point for many local walking tracks. It is a popular tourist destination, particularly during the summer months. The massive Manapouri Hydroelectric Power Station is located on West Arm of Lake Manapouri, with most of the electricity generated serving the Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter. Manapouri Township is the westernmost municipality in New Zealand.

Facilities

Commercial services include a petrol station/garage, art gallery, cafes, shops, two restaurant and bars as well as overnight hotel, motel and motor camp accommodations. There are several tourist boat excursions based in Manapouri to service the Fiordland Sounds to fishing charters and boat hire. An excursion originating at Pearl Harbour takes tourists across Lake Manapouri to view the underground hydroelectric facility.