The water
Like a mirror.
Kyle Wilson — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kyle Wilson — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mike Dickison — CC BY 4.0 · Mike Dickison — CC BY 4.0
Lake Matheson is a small glacial lake in South Westland, New Zealand, near the township of Fox Glacier. It is famous for its dark, still water that mirrors Aoraki / Mount Cook and Mount Tasman, and an easy walking track circles it. It formed between two moraine terraces left by the retreat of Fox Glacier about 14,000 years ago, when a great block of ice buried under gravel melted and the bed collapsed. It covers about 30 hectares, and no large river flows in or out. It was a traditional food-gathering place for Māori, who call it Te Ara Kairaumati. You see a dark lake as clear as a mirror, ringed by thick rainforest, with a small wooded island in the middle. The track passes tall tree ferns and wooden bridges, and on a calm morning the white mountain peaks are reflected on the water. It is about 5 km from Fox Glacier township in a straight line. Early morning, when the wind is still, is best for reflections.
Like a mirror.
Tall tree ferns.
In the middle.
Near Fox Glacier township, West Coast, New Zealand
Early morning, when the wind is still and the sky clear.
Aoraki / Mount Cook and Mount Tasman.