HYDERABAD: Wherever you travel in New Zealand, the spellbinding scenic splendour follows! It is a country filled with the most beautiful lakes that come in many hues of blue, green and a blend of both in the most awesome combinations; the long, endless lakes make a visual feast as you travel along. Sometimes you may wonder why God was so partial, making New Zealand so exceptionally picturesque! The waters here are as blue as blue can get; the dense forests are a deep green; the landscape is dotted with the prettiest of wild flowers; the snowy white backdrop of glaciers is like icing on the cake. It only proves that the Creator has a good sense of colouring! On a serious note, the colours are bluer and greener because the melting snow feeds most of them from the glaciers.
While many of the lakes in the central North Island area are volcanic crater lakes, glaciers carved the majority of the lakes near the Southern Alps. In the West Coast’s Glacier Country, which is home to some of New Zealand’s most iconic scenery, I could experience Franz Josef’s unique landscape while enjoying unbeatable panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and glaciers reflected upon Lake Mapourika’s mirror-like water. Lake Mapourika sits in the Franz Josef Glacier valley and was created as the glacier retreated leaving behind a large block of ice some 14,000 years ago. As though in gratitude, the calm waters of the glassy lake continue to mirror the exotic views of glaciers and some of the tallest peaks in the country.
I have a soft corner for gentle water bodies and the urge to indulge in my favourite pass time surfaces whenever I see one. That is a good enough reason I suppose, and I didn’t think twice before opting for Kayaking in Mopourika Lake. My partner was Jony (Jonathan Ure), a young man with loads of enthusiasm for sharing his knowledge of the Glacier Country. A scenic gem on the Wild West Coast, Lake Mapourika’s beauty has been celebrated since the first settlers arrived to visit the glaciers in the early 1900’s. It is said that they were taken from the village in a horse- drawn carriage, arriving at the lake’s landing for a scenic tour in a wooden boat.
We gently slid our kayaks into a small estuary, which winds through the forest and deep into the kiwi sanctuary. As we swiftly glided on the waters, friendly native birds came darting, and the reflective waters showed up some 900-year-old kahikatea trees. The back of the lake borders the Okarito State forest, which is left in its prehistoric state as this forest has sprung up after the last ice age and is found in its same pristine state today. Home to many fish and freshwater eels, native birds, this area is the protected habitat of a rare kiwi– the Rowi. When the sun sets these elusive birds (kiwis) come out to play.
The snow-capped mountains were absolutely stunning!
From the lake, we enjoyed watching the weather patterns as they formed. Sandwiched between the Franz Josef Glacier and the sea – watching the clouds roll in and sweep over the hills, creating a dramatic setting. It is any photographer’s delight to capture such lovely frames, but I gave it a miss, concentrating on my rowing (lest I fall into the depths of 77 feet!). Jony said Lake Mapourika is a kettle lake. The lake is fed by a number of small streams that come from the surrounding bush clad hills.
It drains into the Okarito River. Mapourika roughly translates from Maori to English as the ‘Flower of the Dawn’ and dawn is an excellent time to go fishing on the lake. If you are feeling energetic you can hire a freedom kayak, or take a guided kayak tour. A more relaxed way to see the lake is on a boat cruise or from one of the two picnic areas. This is a premium tour only available during the summer months. Whichever you choose, be sure to look out for the abundant bird life!
I rowed on as Jony relaxed and clicked some amazing pictures, joking that he has left all the hard work to me. We weaved around the twists and turns, sometimes going through the narrow paths under the twisted tree branches that almost touched the waters. I cupped my hands to scoop and drink the pure, delicious water from the lake. While we were discussing my interesting kayaking experiences from around the world, we discovered that Kylie with whom I kayaked on Kangaroo Island (South Australia) is a friend of his! We laughed calling it’s a small world- but realised that this huge planet has so many wonders to be explored.
As the golden sun was setting behind the lofty mountains, the ripples of the lake caught the last of the sunrays, the whole scene became like a just-completed beautiful painting. Intoxicated with the bliss after gazing at the panoramic views of the Southern Alps and glaciers, I thought to myself, what better way to end my day in the Glacier Country?Details: www.glacierkayaks.com (The author is a documentary filmmaker and travel writer; she blogs at vijayaprataptravelandbeyond.com)