Lake Tennyson (elevation 1,102 metres or 3,615 feet) is a glacial high-country lake in Canterbury, New Zealand. The first European settler to see the lake was Frederick Weld in 1853, who also named it. The headwaters of the Waiau Toa / Clarence River are just to the north, and the river flows through Lake Tennyson.
Lake Tennyson was discovered by Frederick Weld in 1853; [1] [2] Weld was the inaugural member of parliament for the Wairau electorate. [3] The nearby Mount Weld is named for Weld, who climbed the mountain in March 1855. [4] The reason for Weld exploring the area was his search for an overland route between Nelson and Canterbury for driving sheep. [2] The lake is assumed to be named for the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson. [1] Weld described the lake as follows:
Lake Tennyson in beauty far surpasses anything that I have ever seen in New Zealand.
The small glacial lake is 1,102 metres (3,615 ft) above sea level. [5] A broad moraine with a number of tarns (i.e. mountain pools) forms the downstream side of the lake. [6] There is a basic camp ground provided by the Department of Conservation next to the lake, free to use on a first come, first served basis. [7] The lake's perimeter is approximately 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi) and can be walked, but wading in the lake is required in places. [8]
Lake Tennyson is located within the headwaters of the Clarence River; the river flows through the lake. [6] Lake Tennyson is framed by the St James Range to the west, and the Crimea Range to the east. [5]
Lake Tennyson is part of Molesworth Station, New Zealand's largest farm. [7] Access from Hanmer Springs (43 kilometres or 27 miles) is on Clarence Valley Road via Jacks Pass, and then Tophouse Road along the Clarence River to the Maling Pass car park. The Clarence River is crossed via bridge at the car park and after a short drive on the Rainbow Road, the access road to the lake is signposted on the left. This route is suitable for two-wheel drives. [7]
The alternative access is from Saint Arnaud (75 kilometres or 47 miles). Just east of the township, the route turns right off State Highway 63 onto Rainbow Road (also known as Wairau–Hanmer Springs Hydro Road). This route follows the Wairau River to Island Saddle, which is New Zealand's highest legal road at 1,347 metres (4,419 ft). From there, it is 5.5 kilometres (3.4 mi) to the turn off to Lake Tennyson. This road is suitable for four-wheel drive vehicles only, has seasonal access restrictions, and a toll applies that is payable at Rainbow Station. [7]
The Maling Pass car park in close proximity to Lake Tennyson is the most common start point for those who want to explore the St James Cycle Trail. [9]
The South Island is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island and sparsely populated Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south by the Foveaux Strait and Southern Ocean, and to the east by the Pacific Ocean. The South Island covers 150,437 square kilometres (58,084 sq mi), making it the world's 12th-largest island, constituting 56% of New Zealand's land area. At low altitudes, it has an oceanic climate. The major centres are Christchurch, with a metropolitan population of 521,881, and the smaller Dunedin. The economy relies on agriculture, fishing, tourism, and general manufacturing and services.
Hanmer Springs is a small town in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand. The Māori name for Hanmer Springs is Te Whakatakanga o te Ngārahu o te ahi a Tamatea, which means “where the ashes of Tamate’s (sic) fire lay”, referring to Tamatea, the captain of the canoe Tākitimu.
Sir Frederick Aloysius Weld, was an English-born New Zealand politician and colonial administrator of various British colonies and territories located in Oceania and Southeast Asia. He was the sixth Prime Minister of New Zealand, and later served as Governor of Western Australia, Governor of Tasmania, and Governor of the Straits Settlements.
The Clarence River is a major river which flows through the Kaikōura Ranges in the northeast of New Zealand's South Island. At roughly 209 kilometres (130 mi) long, it is the longest river in Canterbury and the eighth longest in New Zealand.
Tasman Glacier is the largest glacier in New Zealand, and one of several large glaciers which flow south and east towards the Mackenzie Basin from the Southern Alps in New Zealand's South Island.
The Tasman River is an alpine braided river flowing through Canterbury, in New Zealand's South Island.
State Highway 1 is the longest and most significant road in the New Zealand road network, running the length of both main islands. It appears on road maps as SH 1 and on road signs as a white number 1 on a red shield, but it has the official designations SH 1N in the North Island, SH 1S in the South Island.
Thomas Brunner was an English-born surveyor and explorer remembered for his exploration of the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island.
The Waiau Branch was a branch line railway in the northern Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. Known as the Great Northern Railway for its first few decades of life, the Waiau Branch was seen as part of a main line north but was ultimately superseded by a coastal route. Opened in stages from 1882 to 1919, the line closed in 1978 but a portion has been retained as the Weka Pass Railway.
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The Main North Line, sometimes referred to as part of the South Island Main Trunk railway, is a railway line that runs north from Christchurch in New Zealand up the east coast of the South Island through Kaikōura and Blenheim to Picton. It is a major link in New Zealand's national rail network and offers a connection with roll-on roll-off ferries from Picton to Wellington. It was also the longest railway construction project in New Zealand's history, with the first stages built in the 1870s and not completed until 1945.
RNZAF Dip Flat is the field training facility and mountain flying training area of the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
State Highway 6 is a major New Zealand state highway. It extends from the Marlborough region in the northeastern corner of the South Island across the top of the island, then down the length of the island, initially along the West Coast and then across the Southern Alps through inland Otago and finally across the Southland Plains to the island's south coast. Distances are measured from north to south.
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Styx River is in the north of the Canterbury region of New Zealand. It flows east for 7 kilometres (4 mi) into the Waiau Toa / Clarence River, 9 kilometres (6 mi) north west of Hanmer Springs.
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Henry Lewis was a New Zealand surveyor.
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