Lake Mahinapua

Lake Mahinapua
Location	West Coast, South Island
Coordinates	42°48′S 170°55′E / 42.800°S 170.917°E / -42.800; 170.917Coordinates: 42°48′S 170°55′E / 42.800°S 170.917°E / -42.800; 170.917
Basin countries	New Zealand

Lake Mahinapua is a shallow lake on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. It is roughly 10km south of Hokitika and near the small town of Ruatapu. It was formerly a coastal lagoon, but the buildup of coastal dunes made it an inland lake roughly 500 m from the Tasman Sea coastline.

In 1907, the Lake Mahinapua Scenic Reserve was established to protect the land around the lake, and a number of walking tracks run through this area. Other activities that take place around the lake are picnicking, camping, and various water-based activities. Species of birds such as black swans and grey and mallard ducks live around the lagoon, and the surrounding bush provides a habitat for species such as parakeets and tui.

State Highway 6 passes between the lake and sea on its route between Hokitika and Ross. The Ross Branch railway also once ran past the lake; it opened to Ruatapu on 9 November 1906, was extended to Ross on 1 April 1909, and closed on 24 November 1980.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lake Mahinapua.

• Mahinapua Scenic Reserve at the Department of Conservation