10-459: Mirror Lakes are a set of lakes lying north of Lake Te Anau and immediately to the west of the road from Te Anau to Milford Sound in New Zealand . At 56 kilometres (35 mi) north of Te Anau, the lakes are about halfway to Milford Sound and the car park right next to State Highway 94 is a popular stop for tour buses on route to Milford Sound. The lakes are only a 5-minute walk away from
20-678: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Lake Te Anau Lake Te Anau ( Māori : Te Ana-au ) is in the southwestern corner of the South Island of New Zealand. The lake covers an area of 344 km (133 sq mi), making it the second-largest lake by surface area in New Zealand (after Lake Taupō ) and the largest in the South Island. It is the second largest lake in Australasia by fresh water volume. The main body of
30-464: The car park along a wheelchair-friendly boardwalk. A wooden viewing platform and short walking track run along the lakes, one of which has a deliberately mirrored sign mounted just above the water's surface, so that the name "Mirror Lakes" is shown correctly in its reflection. On a calm day, the Earl Mountains can be seen reflected in the water. This Fiordland , New Zealand geography article
40-647: The crown fern, Blechnum discolor . Several species of endangered birds live around the shores of Lake Te Anau, notably the takahē ( Notornis hochstetteri ). An area between the Middle and South Fiords called the Murchison Mountains is a sanctuary set aside for these birds. The western shore of the lake also features the Te Ana-au Caves . Throughout summer the lake is used for boating, fishing, kayaking, swimming and access to Fiordland National Park . The lake
50-574: The granddaughter of Hekeia, a chief of the Waitaha tribe, whose name now belongs to a mountain on the Longwood Range . When the Te Ana-au Caves were rediscovered in 1948, earlier explanations of the name were replaced by the interpretation of the full name Te Ana-au, Māori for 'The cave of swirling water'. Numerous species of wildlife and vegetation are found in the watershed of Lake Te Anau. Vegetative understory includes numerous fern species including
60-575: The lake is at an altitude of 210 m. It has a maximum depth of 425 m, so much of its bed lies below sea level, with the deepest part of the lake being 215 metres below sea level. Several rivers feed the lake, of which the most important is the Eglinton River , which joins the lake from the east, opposite the entrance to North Fiord. The outflow is the Waiau River , which flows south for several kilometres into Lake Manapouri . The town of Te Anau lies at
70-399: The lake runs north-south, and is 65 km in length. Three large fiords form arms to the lake on its western flank: North Fiord, Middle Fiord and South Fiord. These are the only inland fiords that New Zealand has, the other 14 are out on the coast. Several small islands lie in the entrance to Middle Fiord, which forks partway along its length into northwest and southwest arms. The surface of
80-551: The land is rolling hill country, but elsewhere the land is mountainous, especially along its western shore, where the Kepler and Murchison Mountains rise 1,400 m above the surface of the lake. Lake Te Anau was important for the Ngāi Tahu iwi in pre-European times as the area was a traditional stopping point on their trails between the east and west coasts of the South Island of New Zealand, where they obtained food and resources. The lake
90-674: The south-eastern corner of the lake, close to the outflow. Most of the lake is within Fiordland National Park and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Site , the latter of which was officially recognised internationally in 1990. Other than the Te Anau township, the only human habitation close to the lake is the farming settlement of Te Anau Downs, close to the mouth of the Eglinton River. Between these two settlements
100-563: Was first discovered by European explorers Charles Naim and William Stephen in 1852. Two New Zealand Great Walks start at the lake. The Milford Track starts at the northern tip of the lake and the Kepler Track starts and ends at the south tip of the lake at the Waiau River. The English translation of the Māori name Te Anau has been disputed. It was supposed by many that Te Anau was the name of
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