Lake Matheson is a depression carved out by Franz Josef Glacier during the last ice age that filled with water and turned into one of New Zealand’s most photographed lakes. Most people I assume just take a photo of the mirror images of snowcapped Aoraki/Mount Cook and Mount Tasman reflected on the still, murky water surface and leave again, but the best way to experience the lake is to follow the short trail that circles the lake. It’s a beautiful walk through the bush and arguably the most popular walk on the West Coast after the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks and Blowholes Walk.

Lake Matheson is known to get quite busy, but with the borders still closed to international tourists and clouds stubbornly enveloped the mountains, not promising much of a sunset, the car park was strangely deserted when we arrived, just minutes before sunset. We were still hoping they’d clear in time and hurried across the Clearwater suspension bridge and through a beautiful forest of rimu and kahikatea to the Jetty Viewpoint, the first of three lookouts located on the lake.

The wooden platform offers lovely views over the lake, but the clouds hadn’t budged an inch sadly.

Heading back into the forest, we followed the trail as it closely traced the lakeshore to the View of Views turn-off and climbed to the second lookout point shrouded in dense greenery above the lake. This is another lovely spot and the clouds had even cleared a little, but the sun still set without much colour.

Somewhat disappointed, we set off for the third lookout just when it was getting dark, with our two headlights floating through the forest like giant glow-worms around the northern lakeshore and onto the wooden lookout platform at Reflection Island.

This finally turned out to be our magical spot to capture the mirror image of the mountains and the rainforest silhouette encroaching upon the lake as their shadows grow longer. The wind had died down, the clouds had almost disappeared, and the water surface was as smooth as glass until one of the ducks decided to go for a late swim and sent little ripples out across the lake.

We stood there in the dark, on a pitch-black lake, until the stars studded the night sky.  

For perfect mirror-like reflection shots, you’ll need to visit on a fine day with no wind. You’ll also want to go early or late to escape the hordes of tourists.