I feel privileged to live in New Zealand. It is full of some of the most beautiful places in the world. Here’s some information about one of them…
Hush, hush, whisper who dares
Lake Alexandrina has answered my prayers
If your prayers are to find a sanctuary of idyllic beauty, tranquil quiet, and some of the best trout and salmon fishing around, Lake Alexandrina is the place for you. Nestled in Canterbury’s Mackenzie Basin, the headwaters of the mighty Lake Tekapo, Alexandrina is one of the South Island’s best kept secrets.
There is what must be a rural myth (ie not an urban myth), that at a wedding it was said that the groom was only marrying the bride because her family owned a fishing hut on the shores of Lake Alexandrina.
The lake is a normally a deep blue, a glistening gem in the dry, brown, tussocky landscape. The waters are fertile, in contrast to the barren alpine land. It lies in a basin scooped out during the last Ice Age, fed by a spring flowing from the feet of the Southern Alps. The lake overflows to smaller Lake McGregor, then into Lake Tekapo. Unseen from the road, it is a surprising haven in the rather austere landscape of the foothills of the Alps.
The area is a wildlife refuge, and the lake is home to more than 40 species of birds, such as the shoveler, scaup and the southern crested grebe. Only rowboats are allowed, so there is no buzzsaw noise of motors tearing the air. The lake shore is peppered with the upturned hulls of kayaks, dinghys and flat-bottom skiffs. There are baches dotted about, a cluster at the end of the lake with the flattest ground. The air is often redolent with the aroma of manuka woodsmoke and smoking fish, which reminds visitors of the lake’s main attraction – trout and salmon fishing.
Hopefully this has tempted you to book your tickets and come down under to explore.