Lake Mapourika, Franz Josef, South Westland. Feb. 2009. Ajr
Every time I drive past Lake Mapourika near Franz Josef in South Westland, my imagination goes into over-drive. There always seems something moody and mysterious about the place – its surface a near-perfect mirror for the brooding stands of kahikatea that fringe the lake edges. It’s also home to an amazing array of birdlife – some of our rarest species in fact, including the kotuku (white heron), bellbird, tui, Bush Robins, Grebe, Blue Herons and the rarest of all the Kiwi species, the Rowi. The Department of Conservation run a kiwi recovery programme on the far side of the lake. I arrived at the lake just in time to see Glacier Country Lake Tours hauling their red boat from the water after a busy day of tours. www.laketours.co.nz
