Lake Matheson, a beautiful reflective lake

I think I found the best reflective lake in New Zealand, Lake Matheson.

At Lake Matheson, you can see perfect reflections of the 2 highest peaks in the country, Aoraki/Mt. Cook and Horokoau/Mt. Tasman.

Aoraki, which means “cloud piercer” is the highest. It’s spiritually significant for local Māori, who consider it an ancestor. Europeans named it Mt. Cook after Captain James Cook, the British explorer of the Pacific. 

Horokoau, which means “swallowing motion of a bird”, a name probably inspired by its shape, is the 2nd highest. It was named Mt. Tasman by Europeans after Abel Tasman, the first European to reach NZ in 1642. 

Sir Edmund Hillary trained in this region before summiting Everest, so if the reflections don’t take your breath away, that might 😄