Lake Ōhau

Lake Ōhau[2] is a lake in the Mackenzie Basin of New Zealand's South Island. It is fed by the Hopkins and Dobson rivers, which have their headwaters in the Southern Alps, and has its outflow in the Ōhau River, which itself feeds into the Waitaki River hydroelectric project.

Lake Ōhau
Location	Mackenzie Basin, Waitaki District, Canterbury region, South Island
Coordinates	44°15′S 169°51′E
Type	glacial lake
Primary inflows	Hopkins, Dobson
Primary outflows	Ōhau
Catchment area	1,198 km2 (463 sq mi)[1]
Basin countries	New Zealand
Surface area	54 km2 (21 sq mi)[1]
Average depth	74 m (243 ft)[1]
Max. depth	129 m (423 ft)[1]
Water volume	4.02 km3 (3,260,000 acre⋅ft)[1]
Surface elevation	520 m (1,710 ft)
References	[1]

Location

The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "place of Hau" for Ōhau, but an alternative meaning could be "windy place".[3]

Ōhau is the smallest of three roughly parallel lakes running north–south along the northern edge of the Mackenzie Basin (the others are Lake Pukaki and Lake Tekapo). It covers 60 km².

The Ohau ski field is located close to the western shore of the lake, as is its service town, Lake Ohau Alpine Village.

The lake forms part of the traditional boundary between Otago and Canterbury regions, Otago's northernmost point being the headwaters of the Hopkins River. Officially the lake lies in the northwestern part of the Waitaki District within the southern part of the Canterbury region.[4]

Lake Ōhau is on the route of the Alps to Ocean Cycle Trail, which has been constructed in the years after approval in 2010. The trail runs along the lake up to Lake Ōhau Lodge, and then climbs up the Tarnbrae Track before a flowing descent to Quailburn Road.