Discovering Lake Monowai
Beautiful Lake Monowai, located just inside Fiordland National Park, is a gateway to outdoor adventures, with hiking trails and a DOC campground. It is accessible via Lake Monowai Road, which is signposted approximately 35 km north of Clifden along the Southern Scenic Route.
A Prehistoric Landscape
On misty, overcast days, Lake Monowai and the river below its hydro control outlet evoke a prehistoric atmosphere. Beech forest-clad mountains surround the lake, with deep green reflections on the water that create an immediate sense of solitude. In addition, the lake's water level was raised for power generation, submerging a small forest area, and the stumps remain visible today. Below the lake, on the river, lies a classic swampy, dark lagoon that can also be incredibly photogenic.
Monowai: Did Greek meet Maori?
Written place names in New Zealand are sometimes confusing, not to mention evolving with the restoration of Māori names and macrons. Sometimes, untangling a name can feel like a cryptic crossword set by a time-travelling linguist. Is Lake Monowai (or Monowai Lake), first written down by explorer James McKerrow, a transliteration of a Māori name Manokīwai, perhaps meaning “channel full of water”? Or did he mash together Greek mono (“one”) and Māori wai (“water”) after spotting a single small river feeding the lake from a windswept ridge? It’s either a heartfelt attempt at bilingual naming or a well-intentioned geographical game of Chinese whispers. Search engines may love tidy facts, but when it comes to New Zealand toponyms, the truth is often a delightful tangle of language, legend, and human error!
Walking Tracks and Trails
From the car park, you can easily walk around the outlet to the Monowai River. For a more scenic view, the 1.2 km Monowai Lookout Track offers a flat walk through incredibly green beech forest, with fallen logs covered in emerald green lichen.
The Burnt Ridge Track is another straightforward option, leading from the lake to Borland Lodge on Borland Road, taking about three hours for a return trip. For more challenging hikes, the 17 km Green Lake Track to Borland Road via the Green Lake hut is best done over two days. Alternatively, the 10 km Rodger Inlet Track leads to the Rodger Inlet hut on the lake's west side, with an additional 3.5 km and 800-metre climb for expansive regional views.
Accommodation Options
Besides the campground at Lake Monowai, basic lodge accommodation is available at Borland Lodge on Borland Road. Additional lodging can be found in the small hamlet of Monowai, which was established near the power generation plant supplied by the Monowai River. This can be found 9 km to the east on Turbine Drive.
How to Get There
To reach Lake Monowai, follow the Southern Scenic Route to the signposted Lake Monowai Road, located about 58 km and 45 minutes north of Tuatapere and 70 km and 54 minutes south of Te Anau. The last section of the road is gravel, but straight and well-maintained.
Nearby, you can visit the hydro power plant, dating back to 1925, which takes water from the lake via the Monowai River and drops it into the Waiau River, and explore other attractions in Fiordland accessible via the Borland Road. These include the Borland Nature Walk, Mt Burns Tops at Borland Saddle and the Grebe Valley Lookout.
