The city of Queenstown in New Zealand is an interesting place packed with a variety of attractions. Tourists staying in hotels in Queenstown can not only enjoy a myriad of water sports and rides ranging from paddle boats and sea kayaking to stand up paddle boarding and aqua bikes but also the Skippers Canyon, located just outside the city, and Fear Factory, a renowned haunted house designed to test one’s threshold of fear. When residing at Queenstown establishments such as the Oaks Club, it is a shame to not experience and enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings, and Lake Wakatipu is one such attraction.
Located on the South Island of the country, the name of the lake has Maori origins and is also the third largest lake in New Zealand. The legend of Lake Wakatipu is most intriguing and has thrilled curious travellers for centuries. It states that a long time ago a woman named Manata who was the daughter of the Maori Chief, fell in love with a man called Matakauri. However, she was not allowed to marry him. Things changed when one day Manata was taken by Matau, a giant living in the mountains and the Maori chief promised to let the man who rescues Manata marry her. Matakauri strives and saves Manata and they finally marry each other and since Matakauri wanted to ensure that the giant would not do something similar again, he set fire to him while he slept. This fire is believed to have burned a hole in the earth and melt the surrounding snow causing a body of water to form. This body of water is now named Lake Wakatipu which means ‘Hollow of the Giant’ in English.
While modern science and knowledge indicates that the Lake was formed by glaciers in the Alps a long time ago, the legend of the Lake is fondly remembered and recounted and its magic combined with the misty mountains and gorgeous surroundings enthral tourists ceaselessly.
Intrigued by history, art and food, Shazzana Hamid is a writer who is passionate about the extraordinary. Disguised as Lavinia Woolf she writes of the exhilarating and enchanting.Google+
