Lake Wakatipu is the third largest lake in New Zealand and about 80 kilometres long. At its deepest point it is 378 metres deep. The name means “ the freshwater trough where the giant demon lies”. It only has one outlet the Kawarau but has several rivers flowing into it. A strange phenomenon is that the Lake Wakatipu rises and falls by 12cm every 5 minutes and that the temperature only varies by a few degrees each season. This is story of Maori legend but also could be explained by a seiche which is where the atmospheric pressure causes the water level to change height.

The Remarkables were named as such because they are only one of two mountain ranges that runs from North to South.

The stunning scenery was recognised by Peter Jackson the Director of Lord of the Rings as the setting for Middle Earth. Many tour operators organise trips to visit the sites some of which can be visited by raft, by bike,by air, by 4WD, by horse or walking.