Exposing The World

Te Anau

A Mountain Lake

Te Anau is a South Island glacial lake surrounded by high mountains, and near the coast at Doubtful and Milford Sounds

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Crossing the Lake

As we cross Te Anau by boat, we get views of the mountains around it

There is no dam, so how is this electricity coming out of nowhere? We shall see.
At the seaward end of the lake there is a steep drop-off, thousands of feet, into the end of Doubtful Sound fjord
As we descend switchbacks down from the lake, there are small streams. This used to be a huge torrent as the lake drained into the Sound.

Doubtful Sound

At the quiet end of the fjord, we take another boat to head to the sea

We cruise past small islands into gradually saltier water
…until we find seals basking on the rocks
And then we come to the sea
Up from Doubtful Sound, and then crossing to another part of Te Anau
Past mossy walls to the entrance to an underground power station

A subterranean power station

Down below at the head of Doubtful Sound, this is where the lake water that used to cascade over the cliffs now comes out

From above, this tunnel spirals down into an underground complex
The lake water is now diverted through the bottom of the lake through these huge turbines.
Now the lake generates power without a dam

The Kepler Track

This trailhead is the start for one of New Zealand’s best South Island hikes. This time we’re just doing the first mile of it.

We cross the Waiau River on a long footbridge
Now we pass into a lush rainforest
Alas, we must turn back here

The social lakeside

This part of Te Anau, where the hotels and boating are, is where most people congregate

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