A Blue Sky Boat Trip to Mou Waho on Lake Wānaka
A tour of Mou Waho on Lake Wānaka is a special way to spend a day, especially on a blue sky day, of which there are many!
You can hire a private charter or take the Wānaka Water Taxi to Mou Waho (meaning ‘Outer Island’ in Māori), which is an island in the middle of Lake Wānaka in the South Island. This features a lake within a lake as well, but we'll get to that in a moment. There are many blue sky days in the Otago region and we were happy to get one for our trip to Mou Waho.
There are many blue sky days in the Otago region and we were happy to get one for our trip to Mou Waho.
My friend Colin has a boat and four of us enjoyed a brisk boat ride to the island, which took about 20 minutes. Don't be fooled with the warm sun at the beach at Wānaka - once you get on the lake, with its very cold water temperatures, you will most likely need a warm sweater or jacket.
There is a small pier at the entry to the island to make it easier to get on and off, that's managed by the Department of Conservation. They take care of all of the national parks and other historic landmarks in New Zealand, including the informative signs. We anchored at the beach end of the entry to leave the dock open for others.
The easy-to-moderate trail to the top takes about 20 minutes each way. You're rewarded with sweeping views of the larger lake with the elevated lake in the foreground.
The elevated lake, called the Arethusa Pool, is swimmable in the summer, but is still quite chilly!
In modern times the island has been used for both boat building and sheep farming. In 1863, Alfred Pinn established a cottage near today's main landing and built wooden schooners for the lake trade using Mou Waho timber. Remnants of the stone wharf and cottage can still be seen.
The island is a pest-free haven for several plan, bird and insect species including the mountain stone wētā and the Southern Alps gecko.
The island is a pest-free haven for several plan, bird and insect species including the mountain stone wētā and the Southern Alps gecko. The inquisitive Buff Weka was transferred here in 2004 and there are now an estimated 200 weka on Mou Waho. The Department of Conservation and the local community have worked together to remove exotic (non-native) animals and plants and re-establish native vegetation and bird species.
The view north of the island A curious Buff Weka
On this beautiful day the lake was glassy and perfect for a smooth, exhilarating ride back to Wānaka. The boat ride is about 30-40 minutes, depending on your speed. We launched and picked up on a beach around the northwest side of Wānaka. If you take an organised tour, they will begin and end at the wharf in Wānaka village.
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