While exploring Rakaia Gorge we saw a sign for Lake Coleridge and decided it looked interesting so set our GPS and went heading for to find the lake.
I’m not sure what settings we had our rented commodores GPS on but it seemed to take us on every winding dirt road there was – including the aptly named zig zag road.
When we got to Lake Coleridge two words described it for me. Rugged. And wild.
We weren’t surprised to find out that the lake is situated in a valley formed by a glacier over 20,000 years ago in the Pleistocene era. That kind of stuff really does just blow my mind and make me feel like a tiny little dot in time.
It was also the epicentre for an earthquake in 1946.
There are warning signs about the whirlpool that takes water to the hydroelectric power station down the hill at Lake Coleridge village but despite this there were a hardy set of divers out in the lake braving the frigid temperatures.
The wind whipped around us as we looked out over the lake and surrounding snow covered mountains and we felt for a moment completely alone and free in this rugged place.
There is no phone reception or places to eat in Lake Coleridge but we can recommend heading down to the Blue Pub in Methven for a quick bite.
