Fiddlers Flat Road, Saint Bathans, Central Otago
DOC-managed conservation area, Oteake, and Falls Dam are provide a uniquely Central Otago experience for the visitor in any season.
Falls Dam is an irrigation invention, now over 80 years old and the water owned by a private company, causing some concern to the community downstream. Like the other lake at St Bathans, Falls Dam is high up and highly coloured, bright blue, except when it is frozen over. The Hawkdun Range is the ridge of mountains behind the conservation area, and can be seen from the Alexandra-Ranfurly Road.
Accessed either on foot from the dam and the spillway, or via Wedderburn by four wheel drive through the Manuherikia River, Falls Dam is photogenic as is the Hawkdun Range, even inspiring poets such as those with books shown below. There are several tracks in the conservation area, ranging from cruisy to challenging. Because everything up here is dry, except the lake, the lakebed makes quite a good walking surface when the levels drop in midsummer. There is some fishing to be done up here too, with a permit.
Clearly NZPLaces needs a picture of this beautiful lake so please, send one in.
Hawkdun Spring by Grahame Sydney
Image Credits: Hawkdun Station, near St. Bathans, Otago, NZ, 1876-1885,Te Papa, Pseudopanax,
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