The lone tree of Wanaka Lake—in pursuit of the perfect picture

New Zealand’s natural splendour is no secret, but there is a gem called Lake Wanaka that has been doing the rounds of social media for quite some time now. We are particularly talking about Lake Wanaka tree, the lone beauty sprouting from the womb of the lake. Its glories have reached far and wide, and there are many who want to experience it too.
Last year, there had been some disturbances at the lake causing local authorities to sit up and notice, mainly because of bad behaviour from tourists that can hurt the tree and destroy a perfect image.

The location
Looking for the perfect picture is not very hard in today’s time, so if you are so inclined, you have to head to the Otago region. The fourth largest lake of New Zealand, Lake Wanaka is a gem of a place, and is also an excellent getaway for adventures and more.
The lone tree stands here in the middle of the lake, with the Southern Alps in the backdrop; it is on the foothills of Mount Aspiring National Park. A perfect picture during sunset is not hard to get, thanks to the spectacular landscape of the place.


A threat to its sanctity
The beautiful tree that evokes a sense of wonderment among beholders has been receiving way too many visitors over the past year. Of course, all of them are in pursuit of a picture, but some of them forget that this is nature’s sacred place, and in fact, the Mount Aspiring National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. People’s curiosity and the need for social media fame has led some to even reach out to the tree, and climb it. This has already caused some damage to the tree, and it had lost a branch sometime back.

It is important to remember that the tree is very delicate, and any brute force can destroy it.