Diamond Lake
Diamond Lake
Rain hangs over the mountains, mist drifting between rocky cliffs and disappearing into the valleys below. A small lake sits tucked amongst the hills, surrounded by thick green vegetation, while a steep track climbs to a lookout above the water. On a clear day the mountains fill the horizon. Today, they're somewhere behind the clouds. This is Diamond Lake.
Quick Details
Total Length: 1.2km
Elevation: 60m
Grade: Easy
Best season: Summer and Autumn
Suitable for kids: Yes
Starting the Trail
It’s Jess and the boys' second day on holidays, and apparently the weather has decided they need the full New Zealand weather experience… It’s raining…
Not enough to stop them walking, but certainly enough that the rain jackets are zipped up and the mountains surrounding the car park are already disappearing behind thick grey clouds.
The track starts from Diamond Lake Conservation Area, around 20 minutes outside Wānaka — which is fun to visit and to say. There are a few different walks that begin here, from the short circuit around Diamond Lake to the much longer climb to the summit of Rocky Mountain.
From the car park they cross a wooden stile and follow the wide gravel track towards the mountains. For now, the walking is easy. The track climbs gradually through open grassland, surrounded by low scrub and rocky cliffs. Everything is wet, the gravel dotted with puddles and the hills around them fading in and out behind the rain.
It might not be the bright blue skies they were hoping for, but there’s something pretty spectacular about watching the clouds move through the mountains. Even beneath a blanket of grey cloud, the landscape is beautiful.
Rocky cliffs rise from the vegetation ahead while the surrounding hills disappear into mist. The rain has deepened the colours across the landscape, turning the scrub dark green against the rust and gold of the winter vegetation. And there is water everywhere.
Puddles cover sections of the track and the steady rain has left the gravel shining beneath their feet. Hoods are up, hands are buried in pockets and any hope of staying even partly dry has probably disappeared somewhere back near the car park.
The track continues deeper between the hills, with rocky slopes rising on either side. Mist drifts through the vegetation above them, occasionally hiding entire sections of the hillside before moving on again.
There are no huge mountain views today. No blue skies. No dramatic snow-covered peaks stretching across the horizon. Instead, they get low clouds wrapped around the hills, rain falling through the valley and a landscape that seems to change every few minutes as the mist moves through. For a rainy day walk, it's not a bad place to be.
Eventually the track reaches a junction. The Lake Circuit branches away while the track towards the Diamond Lake lookout and Rocky Mountain continues ahead. Jess and the boys continue towards the lookout. And this is where things get considerably steeper.
The wide gravel track gives way to a long wooden staircase climbing beside a huge slab of rock. Ferns grow beneath the stairs and thick vegetation closes in around the track as they make their way higher. The timber is dark and slick from the rain, so there's no rushing this section.
Step by step, they climb above the lake until the track finally begins to level out. And somewhere below them, Diamond Lake comes into view. From above, the lake sits like a dark pool amongst the surrounding hills.
Dense green vegetation crowds around the shoreline, while ferns and scrub cover the slopes leading down towards the water. Beyond the lake, the landscape opens into farmland before rising again towards the mountains, their upper slopes almost completely lost behind the clouds.
There's a wooden viewing platform overlooking the lake, giving Jess and the boys a chance to stop and take in the view. It isn't the clear, sweeping view they might have had on another day, but the weather gives Diamond Lake an entirely different feel. Dark water. Wet ferns. Mountains hidden in cloud. And three very damp hikers standing on a lookout wondering just how much more rain New Zealand has planned for them.
Getting There
Diamond Lake Conservation Area is around 20 minutes drive from Wānaka along Wānaka-Mount Aspiring Road.
There is a small car park at the start of the walking tracks, with information boards showing the different routes through the conservation area.
The track begins by crossing the wooden stile beside the car park.
Tips and Tricks
There are several different walks starting from Diamond Lake Conservation Area, so check the signs at each junction to make sure you're following the route you want.
The track can be walked as a circuit around Diamond Lake, or you can continue uphill to the lookout above the lake before returning the same way. Longer tracks continue towards Lake Wānaka Lookout and Rocky Mountain.
Weather can change quickly around Wānaka and the surrounding mountains. Pack a rain jacket even if the forecast looks reasonable before you leave. And if the forecast already says rain? Apparently you go anyway.