Lake Waihola is a tidal freshwater lake located 15 km north of Milton in Otago, on New Zealand's South Island. Its area is some 9 square kilometres, with a maximum length of 6 kilometres.
It is the larger of a pair of lakes - the other being Lake Waipori - which lie in a small area of low hills between the Taieri and Tokomairiro Plains. Waihola is drained by the Waipori River, a tributary of the Taieri. Both lakes are very shallow and surrounded by wetlands, including the internationally reknowned and protected Sinclair Wetlands which are the home to many species of wading birds. This shallowness is reflected in the name Waihola, the southern Maori form of the word waihora, which means "spreading waters".
Lake Waihola is a popular day trip for holidaymakers from Dunedin, 40km to the north. The small township of Waihola (population 200), nestled against the lake's eastern edge, has facilities for fishing, yachting, and waterskiing, and the lake is an important rowing venue.
History
Lake Waihola was used in the Central Otago goldrush. Ships used to travel up the Taieri River and across to the southern side of the lake where prospectors would traverse the hills and on to Gabriel's Gully .
Curious Facts
Lake Waihola has attracted international interest due to the ecosystems based in a shallow freshwater tidal system. Since 2000, Danish scientists have been conducting annual studies of the lake. Waihola is reputedly the home to a species of otter, but no verified sightings have ever confirmed the animal's existence.
