Lake Pukaki - photos

Lake and Mt Cook	Lake Pukaki	Lake Pukaki	Lake view
Lake view	Mount Cook	Southern Aips

About Lake Pukaki

Lake Pukaki is 80 km² in area, and sits 480 metres above sea level. The lake is fed by the Tasman and Hooker glaciers which are close to Aoraki/Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest mountain.

There are spectacular views of mountains from the lake with little or no obstruction. With a glacial blue lake in the foreground and show capped peaks in the background, this is one of the unforgettable views that many travellers recall when they think of their travels to New Zealand.

Lake Pukaki is one of three alpine lakes in the northern Mackenzie Basin. The others are Lake Ohau and Lake Tekapo. All three lakes source their water from glaciers and contain glacial flour which gives these lakes their unusual blue colour. Glacial powder is caused by the grinding action of glaciers against rock that creates rock particles as fine as powder. This powder is then washed down rivers and into lakes giving both an unual milky blue colour.