Discover

'Lake Ellesmere' is located in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is a broad, shallow lake located directly to the west of Banks Peninsula, separated from the Pacific Ocean by a long narrow strip of land called Kaitorete Spit.
The lake covers an area of 180 km² (70 mi²), and is the largest lake in the alluvial fan of the Canterbury Plains. The ecosystem of Lake Ellesmere is severely threatened as a result of human activity on the Canterbury plains (see #External Links).
The rarely used Māori name is ''Waihora'', meaning ''spreading legs'' (compare Lake Waihola). The main river that feeds the lake is the Selwyn.

Contents

References

External links

References

★ ''Ellesmere (Waihora), Lake'', from An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, originally published in 1966. Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 26-Sep-2006

External links

★ Avenues Magazine: Ellesmere Swansong

★ Public Address: The End of Lake Ellesmere