Moke Lake is a small lake near the suburb of Closeburn in Queenstown, in the

South Island The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

Names

Ngāi Tahu Ngāi Tahu, or Kāi Tahu, is the principal Māori people, Māori (tribe) of the South Island. Its (tribal area) is the largest in New Zealand, and extends from the White Bluffs / Te Parinui o Whiti (southeast of Blenheim, New Zealand, Blenhe ...

call the lakes Punamāhaka and Waikāmāhaka. Both mean “twin waters”, describing the peculiar shape of the lake. Moke Lake and Moke Creek were named after an old mule on a farm there.

Description

The lake is a popular recreation spot, especially during summer. Popular activities there include boating, camping, horseback riding, and swimming. The boat speed on the lake is limited to 5 km/h. A track encircles the lake which also links up with Lake Dispute. Additionally, the Moonlight Track connects up with

Arthurs Point Arthurs Point is a suburb of Queenstown in the South Island of New Zealand. It is situated near Queenstown Hill and Bowen Peak and is not far from central Queenstown. Another distinctive aspect for the area is that the Shotover Jet compan ...

. The dirt access road which heads inland from the Glenorchy- Queenstown Road passes by the nearby, smaller Lake Kirkpatrick. The

Department of Conservation Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

campsite and parking area is at the far end of the lake.

In popular culture

In the 2013

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

miniseries ''

Top of the Lake ''Top of the Lake'' is a mystery drama television series created and written by Jane Campion and Gerard Lee, and directed by Campion and Garth Davis. It was broadcast in 2013, and the sequel, entitled ''Top of the Lake: China Girl'', in 2017 ...

'', the scenes in the women's commune were filmed at Moke Lake.

References

Lakes of Otago {{Otago-geo-stub