Originally posted by Clarkey Really like this. Love both Rotoiti and Okataina lakes in the winter (and hope to visit this July). Can be great fishing, too. Glad your photography gave you some solace.
This one's the South Island Rotoiti in Nelson Lakes National Park.
It literally means 'small lake' so I guess whoever showed up there first decided it was a small lake and thus called it 'rotoiti', and someone else did the same up north.
It's quite funny actually, as people sometimes mock New Zealand for boring English names like 'North Island' and 'South Island', however it's actually in keeping with a long history of naming tradition in this part of the world.
I've done a few linguistics papers, and also did two years of studying Māori a couple of years ago, and I realised something really funny.
Up in the north Pacific, there are some islands called Tokelau, and quite a bit further south is Tonga. If you know any linguistics, you'll know L and R sounds are easily confused, and there have been a few jokes at the expense of Asian pronunciation of English as a result.
Tokelau would be Tokerau in Māori, and Tonga, well just Tonga, and guess what they mean? North, and South! Captain Cook not only wasn't very creative in his naming, but not very original either, as someone had already named some north islands and south islands in the Pacific.
---------- Post added 03-30-22 at 05:02 PM ----------
Originally posted by zkarj Wow, that's gorgeous! A calming influence for sure.
If you're ever over for another Classic Fighters, it's under an hour and a half up SH63 from Blenheim to Rotoiti.
I've been to the lake lots of times, and up Mount Robert a few, but for some reason this was the first time I'd been to the head of the lake, and now I've done it, I'm not sure why I took so long to get around to it.
We were lucky too, with only two other people staying in the 12 bunk hut, although there were a handful of kayakers camped out in tents.
I didn't really try bird photography but I should have, as there were heaps of fantails, tomtits, and the odd bush robin about.
I did manage to get this little guy sitting on the jetty. (D-FA 28-105 @ 105 f/8)