Lake Pukaki

THE BLUEST LAKE IN NEW ZEALAND (MOSTLY)

02 JULY 2022
Updated 26 January 2024

A lovely shot of Mount Cook from Lake Pukaki

You'll Get A Great View Of Mt Cook

Lake Pukaki is a short 30 minutes from Lake Tekapo and just under 3 hours from Queenstown. The drive to and around Lake Pukaki offers surrounding views of the Southern Alps, as far as the eye can see, including the very famous Mt Cook which is the highest mountain in New Zealand.

Lake Pukaki is the largest lake in the Mackenzie District and is part of the Waitaki hydroelectric scheme and, along with Lake Tekapo, provides over half of New Zealand's hydroelectricity storage capacity.

Any which way you drive to get to Lake Pukaki, you're guaranteed incredible views of mountains, lakes and countryside. The roads are generally loooong and straight and you'll see lots of arrows on the road telling you which way to go - this is because of how many overseas visitors end up driving on the wrong side of the road!

When you are in the South Island, the roads can be straight and stretch for long periods of time

The blue colour from the lake is created by the glacial feed that comes from the Tasman River, which deposits 'glacial flour' - rock paricles that have been ground into an extremely fine power.

Blue pancakes, anyone?

There are so many awesome people offering to take photos when you're on holiday in the South Island

Is It A Beach?!

We have been to Lake Pukaki a few times now and what amazes us is how different it looks every time - first thing in the morning, at dusk, in autumn and in the afternoon in summer.

On our way to see the New Zealand Alpine Lavender Farm, we stopped at Lake Pukaki on the way and again on the way back to Lake Tekapo (how could you not?!). The kids stayed in the car on the way back because why are we stopping at the lake AGAAAAIN mum? Because LOOK!

It was a bluebird day, so both visits it was clear and sunny but on the way back it was soooo blue and sparkly! We were starting to think Lake Tekapo was bluer, but we finally got to see it as blue as my mood when they've run out of the pork belly pies at Burleighs.

We were surprised to see some huge waves at the shore - is it a beach? Nope, just a lake on a windy day.

So spaaaarkly

Hello Mt Cook!

There's plenty of space to enjoy the lake without bumping into every man and his hamster

Imagine this view in winter with snow on the mountains!

There are a few wildflowers growing around the lake in spring & summer

Visiting In Autumn

We first visited Lake Pukaki in May 2021, which was our first trip to the South Island. We were slightly disappointed to see Lake Pukaki looking grey, as we were super excited to see the bluest lake in New Zealand!

The sun was starting to set by the time we got there so it was looking a little grey, but the views were just incredible and we were heading across to Mt Cook so we couldn't really complain could we?

We had spent the day exploring Lake Tekapo as well as soaking in the Tekapo Hot Springs and we were on our way to stay at Glentanner, near Mt Cook where we were doing the Hooker Valley Track the next day and it would have been rude not to stop in at Lake Pukaki too!

We parked at Peter's Lookout (who is Peter and why does he get his own lookout?!) as there was a big carpark there and this is the easiest place to stop to enjoy the lake and it gives you uninterrupted views of Mt Cook and there is a path leading from the carpark down to the lake.

We didn't head down to the lake, instead we stayed at the carpark as it was getting cooooold and the girls were getting really tired and were keen to get to Glentanner for our first night with power in our Britz Camper (it's a long story - read about it here!), so we didn't stay too long.

Even though the lake looked dark and the sun had almost set by the time we left, the views were still spectacular and we could see the last remaining sunshine, hitting Mt Cook.

The sun hits the peaks of Mt Cook before it sets

Every corner showed off incredible views

Beautiful reflections in Lake Pukaki

The road to Mt Cook

The area looks so different in autumn compared to summer

We had the whole lake to ourselves

Incredible Walks & Hikes near Lake Pukaki

The South Island has some of the most incredible walks and hikes in New Zealand, especially in Canterbury. One of the walks we did in the Mt Cook National Park was the Hooker Valley Track. It's a short 5km walk, taking you through incredible mountains, around milky lakes and you can even hear and see avalanches! To get there you pass by the western shores of Lake Pukaki - it's an insanely beautiful drive!

Click here to find out what to do in Mt Cook with kids, including mind-blowing hikes.

There are some beautiful walks around Lake Pukaki that are on our list to complete, when we visit next:
Baikie Hut Track - 6 hours return
Braemar Road to Landslip Creek - 6 hours return
Marker Bay Track - 20-minute return
Pukaki Boulders Track - 20-minute return
Pukaki Kettle Hole Track - 1 hour return
There are multiple walking and cycling tracks along the Tasman River that take between 2 - 4 hours return.

There are so many ways to enjoy Lake Pukaki aside from walking - you can mountain bike, go on a horse trail, go 4wding and even take a helicopter flight!

Hooker Valley Track

The Hooker Valley Lake

The incredible views from the Hooker Valley Track start as soon as you take your first steps on the track

New Zealand Alpine Lavender Farm

Nestled in the hills on the main highway beside Lake Pukaki is the New Zealand Alpine Lavender Farm. We had a great time visiting, eating our first ever lavender ice cream (YUM!), riding the bikes between the rows of lavender and taking photos.

Click here to read our full blog on the lavender farm.

Know Before You Go

The best time to catch the lakes beautiful blue water is on a sunny day (cloudy days can make it look grey)
There are multiple walking tracks around the lakes
There are loads of viewpoints to stop and enjoy the view and some have toilets and picnic tables

Mappy McMap Face

Getting There

If you are coming down from Christchurch, you're in for a 3.5-hour drive. It's a super scenic drive and you can stop off to enjoy the Rakaia Gorge Lookout and Lake Tekapo on your way. Just be prepared for loooooooong straights. Lake Pukaki is only a 30-minute drive from Lake Tekapo.

Head along State Highway 8 where there are plenty of viewpoints of Lake Pukaki or you can also turn into State Highway 80 to keep going around Lake Pukaki.

Conclusion

Lake Pukaki is such a treat to visit, especially because it's New Zealand's bluest lake (as long as you head there on a sunny day!). The lake is mahoooosive, so there are plenty of places to park up and enjoy the lake on your own. You can enjoy many walks around the lake or set up with a picnic. It's on the main highway so it's the perfect place to stretch your legs if you're on a long-haul drive.

In winter, you'll be greeted with golden grass and trees as well as snowy mountains and of course, the star of the show - Mt Cook!